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

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What a justice system. Another killer goes free yet so many locked up for years on petty crimes. Shows this justice seems to be if they cant get the big ones, just make an example of the small ones.
 
I'm a little surpised that the letter was excluded. There was a case several years ago where a woman wrote in her diary and told a friend (something like that) that if she was murdered, her husband was responsible. I think he poisoned her. At first the letter was included, then excluded and I think it was finally included after a supreme court ruling.

Here it is: Julie Jensen: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/27/jensen.sentence/index.html

The letter was declared a dying declaration in order for it to be admissable.

"But the Wisconsin Supreme Court, guided by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Crawford v Washington 541 U.S. 36 (2004)), created a hearsay exception that permitted the use of Julie Jensen's letter and statements as a dying declaration -- that is, evidence of her state of mind at the time of her death."
(wikipedia)

Can Alaska prosecutors appeal the decision to exclude the letter, or is it too late for that? It does seem like a dying declaration since the victim appears to have been putting his affairs in order mere days before he was murdered.
 
otto said:
Maybe her husband will come to his senses now that she's a free woman. She's been a ball and chain on him since her arrest ... he seems like the kind of guy that would not abandon a damsel in distress. She's no longer in distress, and he needs to break away from her black widow spider clutches before he's cashed in as an accidental death insurance claim. Hopefully there isn't an insurance policy on their daughter either, as I doubt Michele has any boundaries regarding viewing people that love her in terms of their dollar value.
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I highly doubt it. I think his fierce to the point of possible pathological loyalty to her has been tested to the point of breaking and he has stuck by her. I don't believe it was all just him being a supportive husband. IMO.
 
Having been one of the most vocal posters about this case, I'm just disgusted and discouraged right now. The Casey Anthony verdict was a huge blow to justice, and I'm feeling the same nauseous disbelief I felt then, only on a smaller, and more jaded, scale. After that case, I'm not sure I can be surprised by anything now.

So basically, I've been avoiding thinking or posting about Mechele Linehan's possible victory, because I've simply been too disgusted to want to venture in. :)

2goldfish, I agree that a new grand jury hearing is definitely possible and could realistically bring down a new indictment. There's a new prosecution team, and they haven't let it go thus far, when, if they were really willing to just "forget about it," one would think they would have done that back when her original conviction was overturned instead of spending time and money and other resources for preparing for a Spring 2012 trial. So my suggestion is that Mrs. Linehan not get too comfortable in Tacoma, because the fat lady hasn't sang yet.

IMO
 
I suppose now would be an ideal time for the Linehan family to move to a non-extraditing country, just in case, but it's been indicated that finances would be a barrier from that. Plus, it would make her look super guilty...I mean, I don't really think the family would actually do that...I'm just saying now would be the ideal time to do it if they were to do that. Hypothetically. And highly unlikely. Just spitting out my thoughts here:)
 
One more thing. So about the letter--I understand that a person has the right to confront their accuser, but it's such a silly catch-22...you can't confront someone that you killed, so by killing someone you're guaranteeing they can't identify you in some written form. Just seems so wrong and bureaucratic. I don't know that I have a better idea, but that just feels like a broken thought process...

I don't know if I'm even making sense here. Like, a person should not be able to guarantee someone can't be confronted about being murdered by murdering them.

In any case, I believe they have enough evidence without the letter for a strong case. And before anyone goes off on circumstantial evidence, please understand that circumstantial does not equal inadmissible or somehow bad, dismissible evidence. DNA is circumstantial evidence. Most cases are circumstantial. It's simply the nature of life and crime...people don't often have witnesses to their darkest acts.
 
flourish said:
I suppose now would be an ideal time for the Linehan family to move to a non-extraditing country, just in case, but it's been indicated that finances would be a barrier from that. Plus, it would make her look super guilty...I mean, I don't really think the family would actually do that...I'm just saying now would be the ideal time to do it if they were to do that. Hypothetically. And highly unlikely. Just spitting out my thoughts here:)
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so do we have any idea if she's been allowed to leave alaska? cause if she's still on that house arrest type thing then clearly they're just waiting on a new grand jury, right?

otherwise it would make no sense that she hasn't already hauled @ss out of there.
 
From:
http://www.adn.com/2011/12/14/2218395/murder-indictment-against-mechele.html#storylink=misearch

The state has 30 days in which to re-indict Linehan, the judge said. A status hearing is set for Jan. 17. Moivas said...the state still might pursue another indictment, but he wasn't sure yet what course the prosecution would take.
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So, that along with the Alaska courtview info (fount at http://www.courtrecords.alaska.gov/pa/pa.urd/pamw6500.display) indicates that there was some sort of hearing after or the same day as the dismissal of indictment, re: bail conditions, etc., but no indication as to the results. I'd guess she's still in Alaska while waiting for the status hearing in January. Sounds like that will be the hearing of all hearings...the state will then announce whether or not they intend to seek a re-indictment. I'm guessing they don't have to actually convene the new grand jury until some time after that, yeah? Anyone know?

What a crazy case. They loyalty this woman's supporters show is just....unbelievable.
 
flourish said:
From:
http://www.adn.com/2011/12/14/2218395/murder-indictment-against-mechele.html#storylink=misearch



So, that along with the Alaska courtview info (fount at http://www.courtrecords.alaska.gov/pa/pa.urd/pamw6500.display) indicates that there was some sort of hearing after or the same day as the dismissal of indictment, re: bail conditions, etc., but no indication as to the results. I'd guess she's still in Alaska while waiting for the status hearing in January. Sounds like that will be the hearing of all hearings...the state will then announce whether or not they intend to seek a re-indictment. I'm guessing they don't have to actually convene the new grand jury until some time after that, yeah? Anyone know?

What a crazy case. They loyalty this woman's supporters show is just....unbelievable.
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anthony's got em too, all the male serial killers have women dropping at their feet, there's a lot of crazy in the world, there really is.

I'll guess at another indictment, I would be surprised to hear the state spent all that money to get to this point then suddenly decide it's not worth their while.
 
The Hope Note was not the only example of Mechele Linehan trying to keep Kent Leppink from following her when she would go to see Scott Hilke. When Kent called his mother before looking for Mechele in Hope, Kent told his mother that Mechele was missing AGAIN. It was not the first time. Another time, there was an email from Mechele to her mother talking about a bogus trip to Homer, Alaska. So Hope was not the only place she used to divert Kent. After John Carlin had gone down to Hope with Kent on April 27, 1996, Mechele didn't think that Kent would still believe that she was in Hope. So Mechele sent John an email asking him to tell Kent that she had gone to Barrow, instead. On April 28, 1996, Mechele followed up on the ruse to tell Kent that she had gone to Barrow, with an email to John asking how Kent took to being told that Mechele was the 2 1/2 hours away from Anchorage. Brett Reddell testified that Barrow was a 2 1/2 hour flight away from Anchorage. There is no way Mechele could have been referring to Hope since it is a 1 1/2 car trip from Anchorage.

On April 27, 1996 Mechele also sent an enigmatic email about wanting to meet alone with each of Kent and Kent's father. One thing for sure, Mechele didn't expect Kent to be dead before she got back, but what was the reason she felt she had to meet with each of them separately? The obvious thing was that she had to confront Kent about his obsession for her and make sure his father understood it.

In John Carlin's trial, his lawyer did not try to present evidence that John had not been to the murder scene and could not have committed the murder. There were reports of footprints that couldn't be John's. Did the police deliberately let the murder scene become contaminated so that they would not have to record the footprints that would have exonerated John? He outweighed Kent by 40 pounds and wore a size 9 1/2 EEE to EEEE shoe. There is no way the electrical workers and the first policeman to the murder scene would have overlooked the difference between Kent's footprints and John's if he had been there. These first witnesses to the murder scene did not see any distinction.

There is also the problem of timing. Kent's last email on May 2, 1996 was at 2:19 AM. John's first email that morning was at 4:15 AM. That left 1 hour and 55 minutes for John to have made a three hour trip to and from Hope. He could not have done it, and the killer certainly would not have wanted to speed enough to make up the time and risk calling attention to his whereabouts after killing Kent. The objection has been made that the time on the email could have been doctored. Well, all the emails could have been doctored, but they were verified as authentic. Also, the date on the emails at that time of the year was in Eastern Standard Daylight Savings Time. That's the time that was placed in the email by the Internet. There would be no reason for an Alaskan to use EDT in his laptop to change the date.

There is also the problem of the car that carried Kent to Hope. It was not his car and he had his car keys in his pocket when his body was found. The prosecutor's witness, John Carlin IV testified that his father's car could not have been used since the dog howled every time the garage door was opened and would have awakened John IV. There is also a problem with John III even knowing that Kent would leave after 2:19 AM and returning to Hope five days after going there with John III and being told that Mechele and the renoved cabin were not there. John III and Kent had separate rooms. John III had no way of anticipating that Kent would return to Hope and would not know Kent had left the house. Whoever carried Kent to Hope killed him, but how could that be John III? The assumed conspiracy is not a magical thing that just informed John of things that even Mechele would not know.

The main purpose of the so-called Seychelles email as I said before was for Mechele to ask how Kent took to being told she was in Barrow, but it is just ridiculous to think that it is a get-away plan. There was no way either John or Mechele could come up with $10 million for citizenship for immunity to extradiction. John's gun was never proved to be the murder weapon. That he washed his son's fingerprints off the gun only proves that John was afraid his gun was the murder weapon, not that he knew it for sure. If John was trying to hide the gun, he sure wouldn't have put it in the hallway closet where his son had to go to get the dog's leash. Whoever put the gun in the hallway closet wanted it to be found. John thought it had to be a framing.
 
:wagon::wagon:
Welcome, Turtlepace:)
It's always nice to have a fresh perspective, and you offered quite a lot of information in your first post. I look forward to reading it more thouroghly when I have more time.
Again, welcome!
 
Turtlepace said:
The Hope Note was not the only example of Mechele Linehan trying to keep Kent Leppink from following her when she would go to see Scott Hilke. When Kent called his mother before looking for Mechele in Hope, Kent told his mother that Mechele was missing AGAIN. It was not the first time. Another time, there was an email from Mechele to her mother talking about a bogus trip to Homer, Alaska. So Hope was not the only place she used to divert Kent.
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Because this post is so long and detailed, I respectfully snipped it to respond to this initial piece. I understand that runs the risk of things being taken out of context, and for that I apologize. However, I'd like to break things down.

First, I can't imagine there's anyone here who begrudges Mechele Linehan the right to a fair trial. I certainly don't. I want the justice system to work, and when a conviction is overturned it gives a person pause. Indeed, this case may highlight some areas for change in the system. Of course, there may be some disagreement on the types of changes needed, however.

Does your title line indicate that you believe there will be a second trial? :angel:

So if I understand you correctly, you are saying that Mechele had used diversion tactics with Kent on more than one occasion prior to the Hope note. Okay. That in itself only indicates to me that Mechele knew, from prior experience, how simple it would be to divert Kent, further ensuring he would go to Hope.

On a related note, there's been indication that Mechele had more than one passport and/or ID. Do you have further information or enlightenment about that? TIA.

Also, it's general best practices at Websleuths to provide mainstream media (MSM) links to articles which support anything you are saying as fact. Court documents posted to somewhere like docstoc, newspaper archive articles, etc. are all helpful, as well, particularly when there aren't msm links to provide. When one does not have any way to provide a source for the information they are stating as fact, then that needs to be clearly stated. It's much easier to decipher fact from fiction when there's viewable evidence.

For more information regarding the general posting guidelines and Terms of Service agreement, you can go to:

The Rules - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

If anyone has questions about posting guidelines, the moderators names are emboldened, and can be located on the forum topic header pages. For this particular thread, the moderators are listed as Salem, SoSueMe, nursebeeme, and ynotdivein.

Again, welcome to turtlepace. I hope we continue to get some new posters here as well as keep the old ones:)
 
nancy botwin said:
I first saw this case profiled on 48 Hours and have continued to be somewhat fascinated by the events leading up to the 1996 murder of Kent Leppink, the trial itself, and the resultant convictions of Mechele Linehan and John Carlin in 2008.

If you haven't followed the case and are interested, you can read the transcripts of the 48 Hours and Dateline episodes about the cases here:
The Stripper & The Steel Worker on NBC's Dateline
Love & Death in Alaska on CBS's 48 Hours.
Watch the full 48 Hours broadcast here.

Co-defendant John Carlin was killed in prison this fall and Mechele Linehan is currently appealing her conviction and 99 year sentence. You can read the Statement of Points on Appeal here.

At trial, the prosecution depicted Linehan as a devious and sociopathic stripper who dated three men simultaneously, ultimately duping one paramour (Carlin) into murdering another (Leppink) for insurance money.

web.jpg
The defense disputed this account and revealed that Mechele Linehan is now a model member of society, a PTA mom married to a military doctor. Much of the trial focused on the "two Mecheles," and Linehan's history as an exotic dancer. The defense maintained that the prosecution constructed a false narrative about Mechele and that the "real Mechele" is a dedicated mother and wife who had nothing to do with Leppink's murder.
inbookstore.jpg

I'm still fascinated by this case because IMO there wasn't a lot of strong evidence conclusively linking Linehan to the murder. I tend to think too much of the trial focused on Linehan's personality, lifestyle and stereotypes about exotic dancers. After reading everything I could about the case, I tend to think Linehan is guilty. But sometimes I wonder if she was perhaps wrongfully convicted in a trial dominated by sensationalism and stereotyping.

Linehan's husband and friends created a website which maintains her innocence and shares information about Mechele, the trial and the pending appeal. http://freemechele.blogspot.com/

--
Have others followed this case? Do you have an opinion about Linehan's guilt? I'm curious to know how other WS'ers see her-- she sits down for a lengthy interview in the 48 Hours episode I linked above.

Do you believe her? Or know any other information about the case and the players?
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this sickening excuse for a woman is guilty and always will be guilty. any person who can't see that fact after hearing the evidence on this case has an iq very similar to their shoe size. the ignorant, inept, wimpy, and severely lacking in common sense judge who dismissed the indictment on her should no longer have a position as a judge. linehan's character and job as a stripper had NOTHING to do with the first verdict. you really didn't have to be a brain surgeon to understand this woman was responsible for leppink's death. if you can add 2+2 and get the right answer then you also know she's guilty of murder. the prosecution has just under a month to re-indict her for murder and they better damn well do it. if they don't she'll be shot in the head for sure.:woohoo:
 
flourish said:
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!
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Bumping this post...
:seeya:
 
From watching yesterday on 48 hours, you can see a lot of men; including her attorney and the judge are just in awe of her, for whatever reason. I mean what was that with a last "embrace" with her husband before she goes off to prison, after being convicted. From what I have seen, once they say guilty the deputies are behind you with the cuffs waiting for you. :waitasec:
 
From all evidence I have seen I have always believed Mechelle did in fact set Mr. Leppink up to be murdered. Her motive was greed because she did not know that she was no longer Mr. Leppink's insurance beneficiary. I believe if she had known, Mr. Leppink would not have been murdered.

I have neither seen nor heard anything new that leads me to change my mind on her guilt. But, with the way things seem to be going in this country in terms of criminals not being held accountable for their deeds, I think Linehan may fare better the second time around. How sad, not only for the victims and their families, but for society as a whole.
 
Turtlepace said:
After John Carlin had gone down to Hope with Kent on April 27, 1996, Mechele didn't think that Kent would still believe that she was in Hope. So Mechele sent John an email asking him to tell Kent that she had gone to Barrow, instead. On April 28, 1996, Mechele followed up on the ruse to tell Kent that she had gone to Barrow, with an email to John asking how Kent took to being told that Mechele was the 2 1/2 hours away from Anchorage. Brett Reddell testified that Barrow was a 2 1/2 hour flight away from Anchorage. There is no way Mechele could have been referring to Hope since it is a 1 1/2 car trip from Anchorage.
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Again, respectfully snipped, by me, for emphasis and clarity.

Okay, so Mechele was really working hard on manipulative Kent's movements. I don't buy that the Barrow email was necessarily a sincere email. It could have been an attempt by Mechele to try to negate the Hope Note, as you've tried to do above. And perhaps the murder site wasn't necessarily planned to definitely be Hope. There are a lot of barren areas of Alaska, and she seemed to be wanting Kent to go all over the dang state looking for her.

It was supposedly necessary for her to create and go through with this elaborate ruse so that Kent wouldn't try to follow her to California. Is there further evidence of his stalking behavior that would be so severe as to necessitate such a plan involving more than one person or is it just her word? We hear Kent showed up in the lower 48 while her and Hilke were on vacation, and supposedly served them coffee in their hotel bed (?) But do we really know why Kent went down there in the first place? How do we know Mechele didn't ask him to under some other ruse but really so Hilke and others would believe her "Kent is stalking me!" story? She sent Kent emails expressing eagerness re: the upcoming nuptials with him. That isn't something someone does to discourage someone from communicating with them. Oh, right, so supposedly Kent hacked into her email to write these emails? I think that was the "explanation" for that. Is there any proof of that? Is there a witness who saw Kent doing that? Not buying it.
 
Turtlepace said:
On April 27, 1996 Mechele also sent an enigmatic email about wanting to meet alone with each of Kent and Kent's father. One thing for sure, Mechele didn't expect Kent to be dead before she got back, but what was the reason she felt she had to meet with each of them separately? The obvious thing was that she had to confront Kent about his obsession for her and make sure his father understood it.
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I don't know that I've ever seen that email...do you have a link or court document copy or something so we all could see the email in it's entirety? TIA.

Perhaps she wanted to confront Kent about his obsession for her. But then what was she going to say when he was like, "Um, then why are you sending me emails about wanting to marry me?" Did she think he'd fess up to the supposed hacking?

I doubt she was going to discuss anything with Kent or his father, because, IMO she knew that those meetings weren't going to take place. Asking for a meeting doesn't necessarily show intent to actually have the meeting.
 
Turtlepace said:
In John Carlin's trial, his lawyer did not try to present evidence that John had not been to the murder scene and could not have committed the murder. There were reports of footprints that couldn't be John's. Did the police deliberately let the murder scene become contaminated so that they would not have to record the footprints that would have exonerated John? He outweighed Kent by 40 pounds and wore a size 9 1/2 EEE to EEEE shoe. There is no way the electrical workers and the first policeman to the murder scene would have overlooked the difference between Kent's footprints and John's if he had been there. These first witnesses to the murder scene did not see any distinction.
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Again, snipped...(see above)

Why didn't his lawyer try to present evidence that he wasn't there? Isn't that kind of Defense Law 101: Remove your client from the scene? Did Carlin ever file a case for inadequate defense based on that? Was he competent and able to discuss his case with his lawyers?

As far as the footprints go, that is curious. However, from the limited photos of the scene that I've seen, it doesn't appear, to me, that the ground is covered entirely in snow or entirely in mud. It appears to be a mixture, like when snow is melting during the day and freezing up at night, leaving muddy patches mixed in with snowy patches. I'm curious about how many footprints they did or could have even gotten from that kind of terrain/weather conditions. I don't know much about science behind footprint identification and the effect various surfaces have as far as providing a good imprint or not, nor the "staying power" of said footprints in said terrain.
 
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