William Ernest Leasure A.K.A.: ‘Mild Bill’ was a LAPD traffic cop for 17 years but he was dirty as come, Pandora’s Box: Unleashing Evil examines the case.
California residents Anne Smith, 41, and Antonio de los Reyes, 63, both had their own businesses but little else to link them, when they were murdered in 1980 and 1981, respectively.
Then in 1986 Leasure was arrested after being caught on a stolen pleasure boat, this led to detectives uncovering his links to a huge yacht theft and insurance fraud scam. A search of his home also turned up several illegal gun silencers and they bagan to suspect he was involved in much more serious crimes than fraud.
Further investigation led to Dennis France, who confessed to killing Smth and de los reyes. He also testified that Leasure was the getaway driver and that he helped arrange another murder.
Prosecutors accused Leasure of conspiring with Arthur Smith to have his wife killed and with Paulette de los Reyes to kill her ex-husband. When the case went to trial in June 1991 there was a locked jury and a mistrial was declared.
However, in December of the same year 44-year-old Leasure pleaded guilty to two counts of murder-for-hire. He was given two sentences of 15 years to life, but had the possibility of parole after ten years.
Pandora’s Box: Unleashing Evil – The Executioner airs at 3:00 PM on Investigation Discovery.
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