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

[flourish]

I don't think this email has already been posted, so I thought I'd put it up here to see if anyone has any thoughts about it:

Email sent from Mechele to Kent on 4/9/96:
(recall she paid for the life insurance policies on 4/1/96 and wrote that HAHAHA email to her mother on 3/31/96, mocking the idea of marrying Kent.)


" ...THAT WAS STEALING AND IF YOU WANT TO MARRY ME THEN YOU NEED TO REALIZE I LET THAT GO. YOU STOLE FROM ME AND I DID YOU WRONG TOO. YOU CONTINUE TO SNOOP AND PRY. STOP, IF YOU WANT ME TO HAVE YOUR CHILDREN AND SPEND THE LIFE TOGETHER THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THEN YOU NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS YOU ARE VERY CLOSE TO DRIVING ME AWAY.

ONE THING I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS I DO NOT WANT YOU TO BUY A HOUSE AND I DON'T WANT YOUR PRENUPTUALS. I HAVE MY OWN HOUSE AND IF IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU THEN YOU BETTER SACRIFICE YOUR HIGH HONOR FOR THIS WEDDING. YOU HAVE MADE ME SO ANGRY BY DONG MANY THINGS THESE PAST FEW WEEKS THAT I AM FED UP WITH. YOU WERE SO NICE BEFORE I AGREED TO MARRY YOU.

YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO QUESTION ME ABOUT MY FAMILY. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED AND I DO NOT WANT THEM INVOLVED ANY MORE THAN WHAT I EMPLOY THEM INTO. SO YOU CAN STOP SENDING MY MOTHER CARDS. DO NOT SEND HER CARDS AND YOU WONT EITHER IF YOU ARE PART OF ME. I DO NOT INTERFERE WITH YOUR FAMILY UNLESS I AM ASKED OR TOLD I MAY UNTIL I FEEL THAT I AM EXCEPTED AND PART OF THE FAMILY I WILL NOT EMBARRASS MY SELF BY FORCING MYSELF ON YOUR FAMILY.

YOU NEED TO REMEMBER WHERE YOU MET ME AND STOP AND THINK IF I WANT MY FAMILY IN MY LIFE. THEN WHY WAS I IN ALASKA AND DANCING WITH NO FAMILY THERE.

I THINK IT IS VERY OBVIOUS I DONT CARE HOW YOUR FAMILY AND BROTHER HAVE TURNED OUT. THAT IS NOT THE SAME REASONS AND MAYBE ONE DAY YOU WILL KNOW AND UNDERSTAND. UNTIL THEN, PLEASE DONT MEDDLE IN MY FAMILY RELATIONS. YOU CANNOT REPAIR THEM.

WHO I INVITE WILL HAVE TO BE EXCEPTED BY YOU AND YORU FAMILY. IF NOT THEN I WILL BE HEART BROKEN AT THE ALTERNATIVE.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD EXPLAIN TO YOUR PARENTS. TELL THEM I HAVE VERY FINE LINES THAT DETERMINE THE BOUNDRIES OF MY LIFE. AND WHEN SOMEONE VIOLATES TEHM, I HAVE THE OPTION TO ELIMINATE THEM FROM MY LIFE. THAT IS MY CHOICE."

Source: This email email appears in Fred Rosen's "Deadly Angel"
(pgs 102-104 of the ebook edition); Amazon.com: Deadly Angel: The Bizarre True Story of Alaska's Killer Stripper (9780061733987): Fred Rosen: Books

I just wanted to emphasize some of the points in that incredible piece of writing, particularly her references to her family. Of course, she could have been lying--she had just sent the HAHAHAHA email to her mom. It's interesting to read the above considering the support she has received from many of her family members. Makes me wonder how her mom felt when she first read that email.

 

[flourish]

The bail hearing is today. http://www.randomtv.com/ will be telecasting the hearing live at 3:15 PST -- so in about 45 mins.

According to the reporter's twitter site, they will also be interviewing Linehan later. (http://twitter.com/vomodoTV)

Among the requests to be considered at today's hearing:

*removal of third-party custodian requirement
*removal of house arrest condition
*removal of driving restrictions
*removal of curfew conditions
*implementation of electronic monitoring in lieu of the above restrictions

If Judge Volland does not remove the restrictions, I'm assuming Linehan's attorney will modify their request and ask for limited work release and also request that the Court approve an additional third-party custodian.

So...I take it vomodo didn't get the interview?

 

[nancy botwin]

*snip*


So, if a person worked 20 hours a week at $10/hr...well, let's see if we can find what a receptionist in Anchorage might make. Cool, a quick scan of adn employment listings show one receptionist job as paying $11.00-13.00/hr. So that's roughly 1100/month before taxes, minus ~400 for the ankle bracelet and probably no less than ~300/month for child care and that leaves...400/month left for rent, transportation, food, etc. (good thing the botox is prob. free :angel. Hey Nancy, what are the rules about income and public defense, like, is it a sliding scale kind of deal, or a "you can make up to ____ before we make you pay" ?

In Alaska, it appears they don't use any sort of objective scale or baseline income level. Rather, the court makes an individualized determination based upon the defendant's affidavits and sworn statements regarding "income, property owned, outstanding obligations, and the number and ages of dependents."

The statute further explains "indigent person" means a person who, at the time need is determined, does not have sufficient assets, credit, or other means to provide for payment of an attorney and all other necessary expenses of representation without depriving the party or the party's dependents of food, clothing, or shelter and who has not disposed of any assets since the commission of the offense with the intent or for the purpose of establishing eligibility for assistance under this chapter

I think it's probably pretty easy to qualify for a public defender under this kind of schema. This case is taking forever and the private attorney fees would be insane. (Especially when one is taking precious time to file and argue motions about wanting to go to the park and see movies :waitasec

Most people probably wouldn't look at a person with the ability to send her child to summer camp; buy new mini computers; get manicures, highlights and other beauty treatments; go out for sushi; and fly family members to and from Alaska several times a month and say "Yes, this is a clear case of indigency." :waitasec:
But personally, I think it's better to err on the side of caution and make sure everyone who needs an attorney gets one. States should also adequately fund their public defender agencies because many are strained to the breaking point, but that's another rant.

What's cool for everyone (especially the underfunded public defender agencies) is that after a conviction in many states dance:including Alaska:dance the government can recoup from the defendant the costs of representation. Public defenders aren't really totally free. Linehan obviously has some ability to pay and if convicted, she'll be getting a bill. And she'll have to pay as much of those costs as the court requires. Given that the Linehans own property and Dr. Linehan is a doctor, I think that bill will be pretty substantial.

So, I think it'll work out in the end. :dance:

 

[nancy botwin]

So...I take it vomodo didn't get the interview?

Yeah, I guess not?:waitasec:

Weird. I wonder if Linehan promised the interview as an enticement to film and broadcast the hearing and then she just backed out before fulfilling her side of the deal?? That would be so shocking!

 

[nancy botwin]

The entry:

"Today was a great victory! We asked the court for reasonable bail conditions & the court granted these. I would once again like to say thank you to all those who have offered prayers and support during this difficult long journey. It has been a long road, and I know that this road is nearing the end.

This week four friends came into town, and my daughter returned from her one week return to home. I am so thankful for the time that they can spend with me here. I have dreamed about these moments for years.

I would like to thank all those who helped with the website. Mechelelinehan.com. It is a grand task, still in progress. Since it's design is to hold (never online before) documents, pertaining to this case, I anticipate that it will be ongoing.

I would like to thank my friends at randomtv.com, who created a live broadcast of the hearing. It alleviated much tension to know that many supporters were there live with me throughout the progression. Most surprisingly was, when Brad Pitt, from within Terri's purse deployed one of his most memorable lines from Fight Club, loudly notifying the court the"The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club, the second rule of Fight Club, you don't talk about Fight Club" Thank you Brad, for the humor and support. This was truly an icebreaker. I am downloading the ring tone tonight.

I will be sporting a new ankle monitor adorned with GPS. I wore this for a year while out on bail in 2006-2007. I previously wrote a story on this blog about the transmitter box. Funny that a month in a half later we would ask the court for electronic monitoring.

I am especially thankful to my attorneys, John Cashion and Chester Gilmore. Without their diligence and knowledge, today's results would not have been possible. I constantly pepper them with questions, they are an endless fountain of information and patience.

I am thankful to the courts for granting me reasonable bail conditions

Please visit the website, mechelelinehan.com frequently, as we will be building it up quickly as new motions are filed with the court, in addition to posting older records as they become available electronically.

Thank you to all

Mechele"
Source: freemechele.blogspot.com 7-8-10 entry

 

[nancy botwin]

And I forgot to add that I agree that this wasn't ever really about getting a job to make money IMO. She just wants to do what she wants to do. I think her supporters seem to do a good job perpetuating and sustaining the delusion that she's different or somehow special. I think the pretrial histrionics about third party custodians and wanting to go to the park showed a pretty major inability to deal with the big picture reality that she's charged with one of the most serious offenses with which you can be charged.

I do hope her daughter gets to go to an awesome summer camp. It sucks that Linehan's family has to suffer because of what Mechele did, so I hope the little girl is able to experience as much joy and as many normal-kid-things as possible...

Though who even knows what Mechele will be up to when her daughter is gone all day....

 

[nancy botwin]

...
Yeah, she isn't going to be making big bucks this way, that is for certain.

And she indeed did not present the appropriate paperwork about the job.



...

Although, I agree that it's not really about her having a job anyway.

...

And I forgot to add that I agree that this wasn't ever really about getting a job to make money IMO. She just wants to do what she wants to do. I think her supporters seem to do a good job perpetuating and sustaining the delusion that she's different or somehow special. I think the pretrial histrionics about third party custodians and wanting to go to the park showed a pretty major inability to deal with the big picture reality that she's charged with one of the most serious offenses with which you can be charged.

I do hope her daughter gets to go to an awesome summer camp. It sucks that Linehan's family has to suffer because of what Mechele did, so I hope the little girl is able to experience as much joy and as many normal-kid-things as possible...

Though who even knows what Mechele will be up to when her daughter is gone all day....

 

[nancy botwin]

• A pretrial conference was scheduled for this afternoon, but it has been continued to 8-17-10.
  
  
• An Op-Ed, advocating for the charges against Linehan to be dropped so that Linehan can "go back to Olympia and rebuild her life," appeared in the Anchorage Daily News this week. A local anthropology professor argues "it is time for the state to drop the Mechele Linehan case and devote its legal expertise to far greater threats to society..."
  
  The Free Mechele Facebook team sent out messages containing a link to the Op-Ed piece and requested recipients "post a positive comment or recommend the positive comments" on the ADN website.
  
  The piece entitled We should free Linehan, not try her a second time
  can be read here.
  
  
• KTUU interviewed former Linehan prosecutor Pat Gullufsen. Gullufsen reflects upon his career and discusses his impending retirement. He briefly discusses the Linehan case. Brief video interview included at the link.
  
  
• Still no new documents up at the mechelelinehan.com site.
  
  
• Mechele has blogged at the freemechele site:
  
  Entry Title: Happy Sunday
  
  "Hello everyone. Today’s highlight was that we went to the market for the bear naming contest, and entered our suggestions. I read the op-ed in the ADN, and would like to say a BIG thank you to Professor Boraas. Thank you for your strength, bravery and your work. I feel a change in the air. As you know I have choose to walk silently, with dignity and not engage. I am appreciative of the ADN’s ability to allow fairness (even in op-ed) something that I believed had been lost"
  
  (Source: freemechele.blogspot.com, 7-12-10)

 

[Belinda]

Nancy - I would love to read the op-ed piece, I just simply don't have the stomach for it! This whole Free Mechele thing is so strange. And, I thought she was on house arrest, at least when not at bear naming contests? Egads.

 

[nancy botwin]

Nancy - I would love to read the op-ed piece, I just simply don't have the stomach for it! This whole Free Mechele thing is so strange. And, I thought she was on house arrest, at least when not at bear naming contests? Egads.

Oh I definitely think it's worth reading. But I totally understand not wanting to!
And in case it was lost in my sea of posts, Mechele is no longer on house arrest. She's free to live an relatively normal life now-- she just has to wear the ankle monitor and be home by 9pm.

 

[Belinda]

Oh I definitely think it's worth reading. But I totally understand not wanting to!
And in case it was lost in my sea of posts, Mechele is no longer on house arrest. She's free to live an relatively normal life now-- she just has to wear the ankle monitor and be home by 9pm.

How nice for her. Ugh.

 

[Belinda]

So, I wonder why an anthropology professor would enter the fray? Who put him up to it? What is his connection to this case? He is clearly biased in his writing. Why? What does he stand to gain? Very, very odd. Thanks Nancy. It was, indeed, an interesting piece.

 

[marilhicks]

In this video Mechele's mother describes how they 'kept the gloves on' in the first trial on re: Kent Leppink but don't intend to do so from now on.


After the Verdict: Mechele Linehan Video by Snapped - MySpace Video

She's the 4th one interviewed. It's not clear to me how attacking Leppink will serve their purpose. What will they argue - he was a bad person so his murder was deserved? At any rate, comments on other boards suggest they have initiated this approach.

 

[flourish]

I've been wondering why this thread isn't more active considering there is a fair amount of internet activity around this case (ie: newspaper discussion boards, etc.)

I see we get frequent visits from guests. Register and come on in and post, folks! Make sure to read the Terms of Service and etiquette rules first, because Websleuths is moderated more heavily and, IMHO, much better than anywhere else on the web. There are rules to follow, so check them out and then join in!

 

[nancy botwin]

In this video Mechele's mother describes how they 'kept the gloves on' in the first trial on re: Kent Leppink but don't intend to do so from now on.


After the Verdict: Mechele Linehan Video by Snapped - MySpace Video

She's the 4th one interviewed. It's not clear to me how attacking Leppink will serve their purpose. What will they argue - he was a bad person so his murder was deserved? At any rate, comments on other boards suggest they have initiated this approach.

Thanks for posting that video-- I hadn't watched it before.
I don't know what "taking the gloves off" will mean at the retrial, but I recall that both Dr. Linehan and Mechele's mother have made similar statements at the Free Mechele blog.

In cyberspace, the pro-Mechele party line has thrown out a lot of half-cocked smears and conspiracy theories about Leppink:

-he was gay. (and for some reason sexually obsessed with Mechele??) and possibly commissioned his own murder because he was self-loathing.
-he commissioned his own murder to ruin Mechele's life.
-he was shady and some of his shady cohorts killed him.
-his friend Gary Brooks (the man he left his boat and who is now also conveniently dead) could have done it.
-some odd insinuations that his family didn't like him and his father was one of the last people to see him alive.

Personally, I don't think any of these theories seem very reasonable or persuasive. They also seem rather logically inconsistent. Launching such a strained smear campaign against the victim could very easily backfire on the defense, IMO.

Linehan public defender John Cashion's last high profile case involved a former police officer charged with 20+ counts of child *advertiser censored* possession and sexual abuse of a minor (defendant's daughter). From what I read, the defense relied very heavily upon a strategy of victim blame (in addition to the perplexing contention that the defendant "accidentally" bought child *advertiser censored*). Cashion's former client is now in prison.

 

[marilhicks]

Thanks for posting that video-- I hadn't watched it before.
I don't know what "taking the gloves off" will mean at the retrial, but I recall that both Dr. Linehan and Mechele's mother have made similar statements at the Free Mechele blog.

In cyberspace, the pro-Mechele party line has thrown out a lot of half-cocked smears and conspiracy theories about Leppink:

-he was gay. (and for some reason sexually obsessed with Mechele??) and possibly commissioned his own murder because he was self-loathing.
-he commissioned his own murder to ruin Mechele's life.
-he was shady and some of his shady cohorts killed him.
-his friend Gary Brooks (the man he left his boat and who is now also conveniently dead) could have done it.
-some odd insinuations that his family didn't like him and his father was one of the last people to see him alive.

Personally, I don't think any of these theories seem very reasonable or persuasive. They also seem rather logically inconsistent. Launching such a strained smear campaign against the victim could very easily backfire on the defense, IMO.

Linehan public defender John Cashion's last high profile case involved a former police officer charged with 20+ counts of child *advertiser censored* possession and sexual abuse of a minor (defendant's daughter). From what I read, the defense relied very heavily upon a strategy of victim blame (in addition to the perplexing contention that the defendant "accidentally" bought child *advertiser censored*). Cashion's former client is now in prison.

I think it's a desperate and ill-advised strategy and reflects their inability to deal with the known evidence. They're reaching out in desperation while the smell of her guilt is right under their noses. Also, the responses on those other boards lead me to believe an acquittal may be unlikely - a hung jury, maybe - but I doubt she'll win this one.

If they argue that Leppink did bad things to Mechele such as stalking, taking her things, etc., they may be setting her up with yet another motive to see him dead. She had just discovered he had no money and was furious (see emails). So she's now stuck like flypaper to a person she disdains and despises, but who is now useless to her. She could just have wanted to 'eliminate' (her word) him from her life. The motive could have been as simple as that.


Incidentally I think this was one of the most pathetic clips of Carlin I've seen - a poster boy for foolish infatuations. He really seemed bewildered by his situation and not able to grasp how he got himself into this mess.

 

[darnudes]

No news to report but bumping for Kent.

 

[texas93939]

I recently saw the 48 Hours piece on this case and dug into the background. Thanks to Nancy and others for the interesting posts and insights. I have some random thoughts about the case.

1. If Mechele was stripping before she arrived in Alaska she lied when she told 48 Hours that was the first time she had been in a club. If she worked as a stripper after Alaska that hurts too, and you can be sure the prosecution will be looking into her background for the retrial. Her New Jersey bf will be an interesting witness. If she tries the "good girl working as a stripper to go to college" line (every stripper is just earning money for college) she may open the door to all kinds of damaging evidence about her past and background.

2. Nancy hit on a major flaw in the Leppink was gay theory - he was hanging at strip clubs and chasing her like a crazy man. Hardly the behavior of a gay man. That will never fly and the defense will open the door to evidence that will make this theory look silly.

3. I was struck by a line in the Seychelles email that looked to me like a kind of code. Mechele is trying to buck up Carlin on the eve of the murder, tempting him with the trip. Here is the quote:

<<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>>

What struck me is the sentence "I hope you like these long letters they are not easy." The email wasn't long and she wrote a lot of long emails? The word "hope" may be a coded reference to the bait cabin near Hope, and she might be saying she knows it is not easy for Carlin to kill Leppink. She also suggests she is going on an important trip to the library, maybe to do more research on extradition law? She seems to be expecting a prompt call back and is giving a precise schedule of her whereabouts in the next two hours so she can get a call back from Carlin (she is not calling him at the house), perhaps the call telling her the Leppink problem is solved.

3. Mechele's lawyers have a good theory but they can't use it. Her best defense is she was stringing Carlin along, and wanted to get rid of Leppink, and Carlin (now conveniently dead) went too far without her knowledge. The problem is that this conflicts with the self-created image of her as this soccer mom who stripped to get money for college and is a nice girl. Too bad because this defense might fly but ironically she is a now a prisoner of the fake image she has created for herself. As I noted, she is in a difficult spot with this good girl defense as it may open the door to the stripping, the cars she borrowed and never returned, the men she burned, etc.

4. I find the role of Carlin's son in this to be really weird. He puts Mechele in the presence of the murder weapon so his testimony is critical. But as I understand it, after the murder, she and young Carlin drove an RV (the one Leppink bought for her) to the Lower 48 where they met her sister and asked her to wipe the laptop. I thought that was odd and strongly suspect that she was sleeping with Junior too.

5. Finally, equally weird, after she married the doc, and while he was deployed, Mechele meets the also married Scott for an affair. This is a telling act. I think Scott knows more than he is letting on. He must have suspected Mechele was involved in the murder. I wonder what their pillow talk was like?

Well, this is a very interesting case. Thank you all for the posts.

 

[Belinda]

Super post, texas! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this case. This new trial is going to be quite interesting.

 

[texas93939]

Thanks Belinda! I will be following the case with interest.

I forgot to mention, if Mechele and the Carlins are going through Leppink's storage locker, according to them before they were aware he was dead, that is devastating. Where did they get they key? Recall she tells Leppink in an email that he keeps secrets from her, like what he had in the locker? How did they know he would not show up? Devastating fact. They must have been very worried that something in that locker would incriminate them so they had to get in it. Then they go to the house to clean that out.

Also, the tapes of the interview with Mechele. She laughs at unusual places. I think it was Nancy who noted that it appeared someone came in the room and mentioned Leppink was dead (maybe Carlin Jr.). I could not hear that, but in the third tape, John comes in right after the detectives tell her Leppink is dead and says all the stuff has been loaded in the car. Clearly he heard her wail, was nervous, and came in to see what was going on. The detectives run him off. I presume they did not search the car. That is too bad because I bet it was full of evidence. Also, she implies on the tape interview that Leppink was gay, says that he used drugs, that he had a large gun, and she just dumps all over the guy. I think they were surprised by the police and she said a lot of things that make her look very guilty.