GUILTY Ca - Iana Kasian, 30, Tortured & Brutally Murdered, West Hollywood, 26 May 2016

A Canadian accused of torturing, disfiguring and ultimately killing his girlfriend in their West Hollywood apartment last week could be put to death by the state of California if convicted because of the gruesome nature of his alleged crime.

Blake Leibel, a graphic novelist, screenwriter and son of a prominent Toronto developer, pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, mayhem, aggravated mayhem and torture Tuesday. The alleged victim: Iana Kasian, his live-in girlfriend and mother of his newborn child.

Prosecutors say Leibel tortured and mutilated Kasian before killing her, then draining the blood from her body. (The mayhem charges refer to the mutilation.)

Because of the vicious circumstances of the case, Leibel is eligible for the death penalty, according to a press release from the Los Angeles Police Department.

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cvaldez1975 said:

omg awful. what a gorgeous woman and she just had a baby

if he gets DP it prob will never happen here in CA. may as well throw his azz to mainline. not as nice as death row.

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Shortly after midnight on May 20, Leibel was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, according to the Times. He was released on $100,000 bail, jail records show.

Kasian was not his alleged victim, however, a family friend told the National Post.

Leibel's arrest just 17 days after his girlfriend gave birth apparently shattered their relationship. Kasian moved out of their West Hollywood apartment and in with her mother.

Then, last Tuesday, Kasian went back to her apartment to talk to Leibel.

She never returned.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...od-graphic-novelist-death-20160601-story.html

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A week before the body was found, Leibel was arrested on a sex assault charge, Deputy District Attorney Tannaz Mokayef said.

He was booked May 20 and released later in the day on $100,000 bail, according to jail records.

Family friend Denis Aronchik, told the National Post that Kasian was not the alleged victim, but when she found out about the charge, she moved out of their apartment and in with her mother, who was visiting the US to help with the baby.

Aronchik said Kasian went to the apartment to speak with Leibel and when she didn’t return by the next day, her mother went to police. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tml?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

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Leibel moved to California in 2004 and received $1.7 million in monthly allowances from his family over eight years, the Times reports.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime...s-drained-from-her-body/ar-BBtKpVa?li=BBnb4R7

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Blake Leibel, the Canadian accused of torturing and killing his girlfriend in West Hollywood, missed a court appearance in Los Angeles Tuesday after he refused to leave his jail cell, officials said.

(...) At an arraignment late last month, Leibel’s legal team questioned his fitness to stand trial. Had Tuesday’s appearance at the L.A. mental health courthouse, gone ahead, it’s likely a doctor would have been assigned evaluate Leibel’s mental health.

The hearing was rescheduled for June 23.

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A Canadian accused of torturing and killing his girlfriend in Hollywood has twice refused to leave his jail cell for hearings, delaying a California court’s attempt to determine whether he’s fit to stand trial, officials said this week.

Blake Leibel, 35, was supposed to appear in Los Angeles court Thursday, where a judge likely would have assigned a doctor to evaluate his mental health. But Leibel didn’t show up, according to both the district attorney’s office and the California Superior Court media office.

(...)

A judge has yet to issue an extraction order in Leibel’s case. Without one, it’s unclear whether he will be present at his hearing next month.

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KayElJay said:

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/c...y-los-angeles-murder-could-face-death-penalty

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Authorities said Kasian was tortured and mutilated before she was killed and all of her blood was drained from her body.

Graphic details in the recently released report also indicate that her scalp was missing, leaving her skull fully exposed. Her scalp was never found.

The report indicates the scalp had been cut at the back of her head, but in other areas it appeared to have been ripped away. The report also stated portions of the right side of her face were torn off, including her right ear.

There was also an injury to her jaw, which the report said appeared to be human bite marks.

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KayElJay said:

Autopsy report reveals graphic details in 2016 murder of model in West Hollywood

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