People Magazine Investigates case of former stripper Mechele Linehan who had murder conviction overturned

People Magazine Investigates the conviction of Mechele Linehan for murder and the later overturning of the verdict against her.

Hope, Alaska, on May2 1996 and 36-year-old fisherman Kent Leppink was found dead, he’d been shot three times with a /44 caliber.

Despite some initial suspicions and suspects the case soon went cold and remained so for over 10 years. At that point police arrested Leppink’s former fiancée Mechele Linehan and her former lover John Carlin.

The three had shared a house together for a time and Linehan was romantically involved with both men at the same time. During the trial the prosecution said that Leppink was killed just days after making changes to his $1 million life insurance policy.

They also produced a letter written by Leppink just a few days before he died saying that if he was murdered that Linehan and Carlin were probably responsible. This saw both found guilty and in April 2008 Linehan was given a 99 year sentence.

However, the appeal court overturned Linehan’s conviction on the basis that the letter should never have been show to the jury. This was too late for Carlin, who was battered to death in his cell but Linehan was released.

She currently runs a laser clinic in Tacoma, Washington.

People Magazine Investigates airs on Mondays at 9:00 PM on Investigation Discovery.