CA CA - Rev. Leslie Crane, 39, Laytonville, 18 Nov 2005

Two months prior to Les being murdered his Ex Girlfriend who still worked for him got busted for two felonies on September 13th of 2005. When I began this investigation just two weeks ago, those felonies were visible, but just a day ago, they vanished on the Mendocino County Courthouse Website. Much more will be posted soon, but can anyone help find what Misty Champlin was busted for and by whom?
Is this the same Misty Champlin? It’s all I found. I’m not good at court cases.

 
Two months prior to Les being murdered his Ex Girlfriend who still worked for him got busted for two felonies on September 13th of 2005. When I began this investigation just two weeks ago, those felonies were visible, but just a day ago, they vanished on the Mendocino County Courthouse Website. Much more will be posted soon, but can anyone help find what Misty Champlin was busted for and by whom?

Newspapers used to routinely run arrest information and court information. You already have a date, which helps. You might find articles in a newspaper archive:








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Is this the same Misty Champlin? It’s all I found. I’m not good at court cases.

I find it strange that the two women involved with this case have similar Details with their deaths. Both with suicide notes. Maybe something maybe nothing.
 
Two months prior to Les being murdered his Ex Girlfriend who still worked for him got busted for two felonies on September 13th of 2005. When I began this investigation just two weeks ago, those felonies were visible, but just a day ago, they vanished on the Mendocino County Courthouse Website. Much more will be posted soon, but can anyone help find what Misty Champlin was busted for and by whom?
I found several strange things about her so far but nothing on the charges you mention yet:

Police reports

 
Just a couple of weeks after Les was murdered Misty registered Mendo Remedies Co Op in her name, which was just a slightly different name than Les's corporation, which was called Mendo Remedies. As of March of 2006 Misty was running Mendo Remedies with Rey Reyes, and possibly her spouse, who a source told us was a man named Mike who worked at a building supply store. In July of 2006 at 3:57 am, Misty was arrested for "causing corporal injury to a spouse", and booked in Mendocino County Jail. A source has told us that Mike was shot and killed by Misty, we think more likely Reyes, but we cannot find any confirmation. Just about a month later, Misty married Rey Reyes. Four years later, Reyes shot and killed Misty's 21 year old son who had been estranged from her as a child. Reyes thought Misty and the son were sleeping together.
 

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OK, I have been researching for over a month now, and while I cannot share all I have with you, I can tell one new part to the story that was unknown prior to my investigation. Les did not come to California from Florida after selling his T-shirt business, he came from Indiana, where he was facing a three year prison sentence for violation of probation on a suspended sentence. So the entire time that he was in California from the end of 2001 until May of 2005, Les was on the lamb from the law.

In May of 2005 Les made his way back to Indiana, where he either turned himself in, or was picked up on something else and was held on his warrant. Les hired one of Muncie's most infamous lawyers at the time for the ability to just make things go away, Mick Alexander, who was also one of the areas most expensive lawyers. Les posted 15K cash bond and was out in a week, only to head back to California where not long after he was raided by the Mendocino County Sheriff's. If Les had not cleared up the warrant from Indiana just days prior to him being raided, he'd have been held and extradited to Indiana, most likely taking weeks to ever be able to be bonded out.

Mick Alexander had a PI who worked for him named Jeff Hinds, who was convicted of paying bribes to witnesses in cases where Alexander was the attorney of record. The FBI arrested both Hinds and Alexander in the sting, but a witness for the government in Alexander's case changed their testimony, and the jury acquitted him on all charges.

Since Les's crime was a violation of probation, his probation officer would have to come testify about the said violation in order to prosecute Les on the violation. The probation officer was subpoenaed at least three times, but for some reason, she never complied with the subpoena, forcing the state to finally drop their case against Les in the beginning of October 2005. I was close friends with Les at that time, and I worked for him as well, but he never told me about the case back in Indiana. I knew he'd fly back home from time to time, but he never even hinted at the warrant or case from Indiana.

To think that the entire time that he was building a small empire, and helping dozens of people like myself, that he also was on the run from the law, only adds to my respect for him. When people look back at the Green Rush like the old Western Movies looked back on the Gold Rush, the name Les Crane will be in the same likes as of Doc Holiday and Billy the Kid, a true outlaw with a heart the size of the moon. A new age Robin Hood of sorts, who was taken too young.
 
It has been 17 years on the 18th of this month since Les Crane was brutally beaten and shot to death in his home in Laytonville, California, and the mission to find the truth about what happened to him is in high gear. We are getting set to start filming this as a documentary at the end of the month. The hope is to get more attention on the case by either state or federal authorities, or have someone come forward with Information that could lead to an arrest in the case.

Justice is coming Les, I got your back.

Short clip for upcoming documentary.
 
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We finished our first round of Filming this weekend in Indiana to get the stories from Les's family, as well as the only remaining living witness to the murder of Les Crane. While I cannot discuss any of the facts or revelations that came from the interviews, I can say that we hope this film will push the county to reopen the investigation, and what we captured in just the first shoot, I believe will help do so. Justice may never come, or to may come very soon, but either way, I will do his legacy justice through this film.
 
After months of investigating we have several solid leads and the Mendocino County Sheriff has officially reopened the case and assigned a team of detectives to it. We now have three investigators plus the Sheriff's who are working the case. If you are one of the people involved and would like to come forward to tell your side of the story, contact the Mendocino County Sheriff and ask for the detective's handling the Leslie Crane murder investigation.
 
After more than 8 months of investigating the murder of Les Crane we now have suspects who have been identified. Now it's up to law enforcement to do the next steps. Justice 4 Les is on the horizon.
 
Oh nevermind. The countdown is gone! Good luck to you all. I never met Les. I moved to mendo in 2010. I love it here, just gotta be careful who you know, and have around.
The countdown was being used as a way to try and pressure some movement, which once the person of interest was questioned and their DNA taken, we decided to allow the new investigation to play out. The good thing about the sample of DNA that was taken, is that the other persons of interest are relatives of the POI who had their DNA taken. It's a local family who is very well known to law enforcement, especially from 2005-2012.
 

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