CONVICTION OVERTURNED AK - Kent Leppink, 36, murdered, Hope, 2 May 1996

[LadyBug99]

I just want to come back here to say that I apologize to you Tricia, Rolena and all other members of here that read the back and forth banter that was going on the last few days. I was childish to even take the bait. I should have known better than to be lured into a ridiculous war of words. Rolena was right in saying this isn't about us.

I can fully admit when I'm wrong and I can agree to disagree. All of this has taken away from the sad and untimely death of Kent. Which is who we were trying to stick up for. Mechele has won her appeal. Let's go back to the case and facts that we do have.

Again sorry to all the great people and posters here!

 

[nancy botwin]

I also apologize for my contribution to the disintigration of this thread. I'm excited to move forward and think the coming weeks should contain a lot of new developments.

According to today's update on the Free Mechele site, the prosecution does not contest the property bond offered by the local dance club owner, so they are just awaiting Judge Volland's approval. I'm assuming Linehan should be released relatively soon.

I think the source of the bond money will clearly add to the sensationalism of the case, detracting from the defense's objective to distance Linehan from her brief history as an exotic dancer. Right or wrong, accepting money from this source will definitely keep the "stripper" headlines in the foreground.

ETA: It looks like the strip club owner, Terry Stahlman stood trial for burglarizing pharmacies with the intent to sell narcotics in the 70's and was acquitted. From what I'm reading, the trial looked messy and Stahlman claimed he was being set up and wrongfully accused, so maybe this has motivated his generous offer to offer Linehan's bond money. Note: Stahlman has quite an extensive legal history and I'm reading about various criminal charges, but that's the only one I confirmed outcome for so far.

 

[darnudes]

I also apologize for my contribution to the disintigration of this thread. I'm excited to move forward and think the coming weeks should contain a lot of new developments.

According to today's update on the Free Mechele site, the prosecution does not contest the property bond offered by the local dance club owner, so they are just awaiting Judge Volland's approval. I'm assuming Linehan should be released relatively soon.

I think the source of the bond money will clearly add to the sensationalism of the case, detracting from the defense's objective to distance Linehan from her brief history as an exotic dancer. Right or wrong, accepting money from this source will definitely keep the "stripper" headlines in the foreground.

Hi Nancy and Ladybug99 - It's great to have the thread back and I'd like to say sorry to Tricia for contributing to the mess this thread became. Sorry Trish. I'd also like to thank Tricia for cleaning and putting the thread back up. I will definitely use the alert button in the future.

Thank You Tricia :blowkiss:

****************

I think you may well be right Nancy on the source of the bond money. Who needs that sort of attention or sensationalism when going into a second murder trial? I don't think that is the sort of publicity Linehan needs at this stage before a new trial begins but I imagine she is desperate to get out of jail and will use any means to do that. Much like she used many people in her earlier life in Alaska when she was stripping.

I wanted to thank you for posting the links to her police interviews. I'm not sure if they are still intact in the thread. If they're not I'll see if we can re-post them. They give a fascinating insight into Mechele and how she reacted to being told Kent was deceased, not the reaction of an innocent person in my opinion.

 

[darnudes]

The Alaska Daily News has posted audio from Linehan's May 3, 1996 interview with law enforcement. It's posted within 7 clips under the related audio content accompanying this article:

http://www.adn.com/2010/04/28/1254851/linehan-may-be-released-to-third.html

Okay, here it is for anyone that has not listened to it.

The LE officer seems incredulous when Linehan is trying to explain about her boyfriend and then, oh yeah, my finance Kent. He's not the only one.

No getting away from the fact that she plainly stated in emails she wanted to be married to him but in the police interview she was trying to make out like she was doing him a favour and pretending for the sake of his family. She is lying and if she is lying then she is trying to cover something up. Truthful people don't need to lie and make up elaborate stories.

 

[darnudes]

In fact in the interview where she learns of his death she sounds belligerent and angry.

She says "he's very sneaky and he lies a lot."

So, after learning that he died a violent death, she makes (to me) an unsuccessful attempt to cry and the first words she has for him are not kind ones.

 

[nancy botwin]

Okay, here it is for anyone that has not listened to it.

The LE officer seems incredulous when Linehan is trying to explain about her boyfriend and then, oh yeah, my finance Kent. He's not the only one.

No getting away from the fact that she plainly stated in emails she wanted to be married to him but in the police interview she was trying to make out like she was doing him a favour and pretending for the sake of his family. She is lying and if she is lying then she is trying to cover something up. Truthful people don't need to lie and make up elaborate stories.

I agree-- the whole "sham marriage" cover-up theory doesn't seem to square with the emails-- I think I posted one which got deleted or else I just can't find it-- one which indicates Mechele was getting angry because Leppink's family wouldn't pay for the wedding dress she wanted or something and Kent was scrambling to appease her. But this email segment from Mechele to Kent seems to confirm the prosecution theory that Mechele was clearly stringing Kent along into believing she wanted to be his actual wife and wanted to make him a "happy husband."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25877731/

Coupled with the nasty email she sent her mom about the marriage--
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25877752/

I don't see how the defense can get around that. Being nasty and manipulative (in tricking Leppink into believing she wanted to marry him) doesn't necessarily translate into being guilty of murder. I don't understand why the defense didn't just admit Mechele was nasty and manipulative in stringing Kent along-- creating the strange sham marriage story just makes everything else in Mechele's story seem highly suspect.

 

[nancy botwin]

In fact in the interview where she learns of his death she sounds belligerent and angry.

She says "he's very sneaky and he lies a lot."

So, after learning that he died a violent death, she makes (to me) an unsuccessful attempt to cry and the first words she has for him are not kind ones.

I agree-- I almost wondered if the audio had been edited or something because it was jarring how quickly she went from sobbing to plaintitively stating "he was very sneaky and lies a lot." Like within seconds of learning he's dead.

I really wish the inteview had been video recorded because I'd like to see what the sobbing looked like, her facial expressions etc. To me, it didn't sound believable.

 

[nancy botwin]

The teen complained to his father, not to authorities, so it wasn't a set up. Leppink's attorney said Leppink contacted him and wanted to sue the facility they admitted the boy to after he tried to kill himself; Leppink was upset over something to do with the boy's counseling session or sessions. Again, the others weren't responsible for that weird behavior. In fact, what continues to come across to me is that John Carlin III was protecting young Carlin, and that both of them were not forthcoming about something that happened to young Carlin. I had wondered if it had something to do with young Carlin doing something because he felt defensive for Linehan. However, after I read where young Carlin said he complained to his father about Kent making sexual gestures and saying sexual things to him, and when he was asked how many times did it happen, he said he couldn't remember but it was "less than 20;" and a reference to something about Kent being like that in an email Carlin wrote, and then Mechele telling Leppink to stay away from the facility young Carlin was in, it was inappropriate of him and to leave the boy alone, I realized that whatever they were not being completely open about may have had something to do with that. It was Leppink skulking around the facility they put young Carlin in because he'd become so depressed he tried to hurt himself that makes me suspect something went down between Leppink and young Carlin, and perhaps shame is keeping him from being completely forthcoming.

...

Again, going from what was testified in open court:

"When asked under direct examination by prosecutor Pat Gullufsen if Leppink had made sexual advances to him, Carlin IV said no.

Leppink made lewd gestures but never advances, he said. The younger Carlin testified he told his father about the gestures.

"Were you ever threatened by him with regards to being sexually molested or assaulted?" Gullufsen asked.
"No sir. Not at all," Carlin IV said.

Source: http://www.theolympian.com/2007/10/02/232372/killers-son-offers-details-at.html

I do wonder if Carlin IV will testify in the new trial and if his testimony will be the same.

 

[darnudes]

I agree-- the whole "sham marriage" cover-up theory doesn't seem to square with the emails-- I think I posted one which got deleted or else I just can't find it-- one which indicates Mechele was getting angry because Leppink's family wouldn't pay for the wedding dress she wanted or something and Kent was scrambling to appease her. But this email segment from Mechele to Kent seems to confirm the prosecution theory that Mechele was clearly stringing Kent along into believing she wanted to be his actual wife and wanted to make him a "happy husband."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25877731/

Coupled with the nasty email she sent her mom about the marriage--
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25877752/

I don't see how the defense can get around that. Being nasty and manipulative (in tricking Leppink into believing she wanted to marry him) doesn't necessarily translate into being guilty of murder. I don't understand why the defense didn't just admit Mechele was nasty and manipulative in stringing Kent along-- creating the strange sham marriage story just makes everything else in Mechele's story seem highly suspect.

Thanks Nancy, I have been spending some time on the net today looking for evidence that came out in the trials. I hadn't had much luck finding the emails. You're a life saver

 

[nancy botwin]

Also: John Carlin's take on Mechele & Leppink's relationship:


"Leppink gave Linehan money, hoping to win her affections. Early on, he proposed to her, Carlin said.

"T.T. wrote on a check, 'Will you marry me?' and I think the diamond ring went into an ice cream sundae. ... Mechele told everybody about the check. Everybody, everybody, knew that T.T. had proposed to Mechele. And, during all that time ... Scott and Mechele are boyfriend, girlfriend. Part of his masochistic ways, T.T. is serving them breakfast in bed on the vacation that he tracks them down on."

T.T. ironed Mechele and Scott's clothes, Carlin said.

"Both her and Scott treated T.T ... like a fool, a jester," Carlin said. "They both would talk about T.T. and say how dumb he was. But T.T. wasn't dumb at all. He had a very high I.Q. I think that's where his masochistic personality would come out, where he would allow himself to be abused by them. ... The errand boy type of stuff."

T.T. believed that she had come around, though, and agreed to marry him. "I think Mechele was just conning him for that $2,300 or whatever it was for the wedding dress, that's what the whole thing was about," Carlin said."


Source:
http://www.adn.com/2007/10/19/117335_man-convicted-of-killing-leppink.html

ADN has added a 4 part audio interview with John Carlin in the "related audio" column next to the article.

 

[flourish]

Hi guys! I'm glad the thread is back and also apologize for my part in the trouble. I plan to transcribe some of the emails and maybe recordings so they are easier to read and/or can be read instead of heard. I emailed Tricia just to make sure that's okay, so more later!

Again, glad to have the thread back!

 

[TigerBalm]

Judge rejects Linehan bail offer

Anchorage Daily News
Published: May 7th, 2010 04:29 PM
Last Modified: May 7th, 2010 04:30 PM

A Superior Court judge today turned down a request from a strip club and hotel owner to put up some of his property as bail to free accused killer Mechele Linehan.

Judge Philip Volland, in an order issued this afternoon, denied the offer from Terry Stahlman to put up his Big Timber Hotel as assurance that Linehan wouldn't flee. Volland didn't elaborate on his reasoning in the one-sentence order.

<snipped>

 

[darnudes]

Hi guys! I'm glad the thread is back and also apologize for my part in the trouble. I plan to transcribe some of the emails and maybe recordings so they are easier to read and/or can be read instead of heard. I emailed Tricia just to make sure that's okay, so more later!

Again, glad to have the thread back!

Hi Flourish and TigerBalm

TigerBalm thanks for the link about the Judge denying her bond request - wonder what his reasons were?

Personally I'm quite satisfied if she remains in jail until the trial as she is alleged and charged with killing someone. I do however feel very sorry for her husband and child, they have done nothing wrong.

Flourish, that would be great if you could do some transcribing! I was going to do that as well. And don't worry, looks like we all made some mistakes.

 

[darnudes]

Now very interesting listening to John Carlin's interviews

Carlin talks about why he says he's innocent. First tape.

He says -you got the right plan but the wrong man. I ain't there

I've wondered before if this could be the case as he said Mechele ends up with the insurance money and Scott and what does John get? - No Mechele.

We know that Scott failed his poly but the police didn't seem overly concerned with that and add to this that the one and only person Mechele sees when she moves on to her new life is Scott, who she had an affair with when her poor husband is serving his country in Iraq.

Only problem with this is the gun evidence but I'm wondering if Mechele put the gun back after the murders and John was scared that his son had touched it so he cleaned it. This does make sense to me as it could be reasonable behaviour. What father wouldn't want to protect their child.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2007/10/19/117335_man-convicted-of-killing-leppink.html#ixzz0nIO91Ofc

 

[LadyL]

I agree-- the whole "sham marriage" cover-up theory doesn't seem to square with the emails-- I think I posted one which got deleted or else I just can't find it-- one which indicates Mechele was getting angry because Leppink's family wouldn't pay for the wedding dress she wanted or something and Kent was scrambling to appease her. But this email segment from Mechele to Kent seems to confirm the prosecution theory that Mechele was clearly stringing Kent along into believing she wanted to be his actual wife and wanted to make him a "happy husband."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25877731/

Coupled with the nasty email she sent her mom about the marriage--
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25877752/

I don't see how the defense can get around that. Being nasty and manipulative (in tricking Leppink into believing she wanted to marry him) doesn't necessarily translate into being guilty of murder. I don't understand why the defense didn't just admit Mechele was nasty and manipulative in stringing Kent along-- creating the strange sham marriage story just makes everything else in Mechele's story seem highly suspect.

that letter to her mom is disgusting

and just exactly why would she tell his parents she didn't know her own mother's phone #?

 

[LadyL]

darnudes - I'm pretty sure those astericks indicate that is a blog we are not allowed to link to

 

[darnudes]

Sorry about that, didn't know we couldn't link there. I do try and link where I am getting information from but I realise it is an opinion site. Does anyone know why we can't link to there?

Seychelles Letter transcribed

From Linehan to Carlin

&#8220;I have to say I am wondering what did he say when you said I was 2 1/2 hours away and he would have to come get me. Is he reading our mail? Did he leave with his pop? So they spent the night there, call me I have been up for about 2 hours. I am wide awake and my throat hurts still. It will go away soon. The mornings are always hard on me. I love you very much I miss you and I can&#8217;t wait to go on our getaway. Did you know that you could buy citisenship in the Saycheles for around 10 mill and no matter what crimes you have committed they will not extri. They are the only country that won&#8217;t send you back to the U.S. I found that out yesterday. I think I am going to walk to the library. It is down the road about 30 min and be back in 1 hour. I am not calling the house. I hope you like these long letters they are not easy. Have you given any thought to where you want to go?&#8230;.Learn to dive maybe????..Cancun..Cabo&#8230;Anywhere
Love you&#8221;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25877646/

 

[flourish]

I'm going to quote/trascribe the first part of this undated(?) email, labeled, "Deleted Message0004," and found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25877752/. It is part of a bigger article on msnbc, entitled "The Stripper and the Steel Worker," which "originally aired on Dateline NBC," and can be found here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25876168/ns/dateline_nbc-crime_reports//.

The only changes I have made to the email is to hit "return" twice after each sentence or phrase (sometimes defined by Mechele's punctuation, other times by me, you can tell the difference by the presence or lack of punctuation, as I am not adding my own punctuation, just spacing). Additionally, I have not changed the spelling or grammar). I apologize in advance for any transcription errors on my part, if there are any.

i love you so much mom

so are you going to be able to make our wedding? ????

i sure hope so because it would mean so much to both of us.

T.T. parents have been asking if you would be able to make it

i told them you would probably be in Mexico

i told them my mother never loved me like she loved my sister

i explained to them that i wasnt your real daughter and that you were forced to take me on as your daughter because your third cousin had me when she was only 13 and that the whole family suffered because it was her brother that fathered the baby( me).

so i think they understood

i also explained that a deal you made had gone sour because of my lack of talents and that is how i ended up in alaska

naturally they begged for more so with a little sobbing on the phone i told them the rest.

More to come.

 

[flourish]

Sorry about that, didn't know we couldn't link there. I do try and link where I am getting information from but I realise it is an opinion site. Does anyone know why we can't link to there?

Seychelles Letter transcribed

From Linehan to Carlin

“I have to say I am wondering what did he say when you said I was 2 1/2 hours away and he would have to come get me. Is he reading our mail? Did he leave with his pop? So they spent the night there, call me I have been up for about 2 hours. I am wide awake and my throat hurts still. It will go away soon. The mornings are always hard on me. I love you very much I miss you and I can’t wait to go on our getaway. Did you know that you could buy citisenship in the Saycheles for around 10 mill and no matter what crimes you have committed they will not extri. They are the only country that won’t send you back to the U.S. I found that out yesterday. I think I am going to walk to the library. It is down the road about 30 min and be back in 1 hour. I am not calling the house. I hope you like these long letters they are not easy. Have you given any thought to where you want to go?….Learn to live maybe????..Cancun..Cabo…Anywhere
Love you”……………

Thanks!
For some reason I think I've seen one of the last lines quoted as "Learn to dive maybe????" as well as "Learn to live maybe????"

*shrug*

 

[Salem]

Respectfully snipped ~

Sorry about that, didn't know we couldn't link there. I do try and link where I am getting information from but I realise it is an opinion site. Does anyone know why we can't link to there?

Hi darnudes - you are supposed to provide links for your information. However, when the link comes up as asteriks, it means for any number of reasons it is not allowed here and we do not send our posters to that site.

Hope that helps,

Salem