Hello Again

I was expecting to post more about the legal case shortly after I first posted on this site. It is a very difficulty time now to discuss legal issues about the trial without getting into appeal issues. The appeal is very much in high gear and Mechele’s attorneys are all very cautious. I have also had my plate full with many other issues and responsibilities. The main responsibilities I put front and center are being a father and husband.

I am not interested in fighting the important legal fight for justice by writing posts on our friend’s web log. However, I am also sick of the false Prosecution narrative concerning Mechele’s and my character being the majority understanding of this case. There were so many aspects to this trial that were very damning to the Prosecution, yet haven’t been told.

Some subjects I would like to address are audio files with statements that contradict the Prosecution’s theory. Also, the disingenuous testimony by Mr. Hilke should be examined. There are emails that the Prosecution didn’t show the jury that we expected the jury to read. Unfortunately, by their own statements to the press, the questions raised by the emails were not addressed. I also have witnessed unethical actions by the prosecution team and have a perspective on that misconduct. There are many other intricacies in the trial that don’t fit into a 2 minute sound bite on the evening news. I plan on presenting all this and more with documents and testimony. I was present during the entire hearing and have a unique perspective.

I would also love to get into the sentencing hearing that occurred. I was surprised by many things during this trial. After the sentencing hearing, nothing in this legal system could surprise me. Judge Volland actually stated, in support of his sentence, that Mechele’s association with John Carlin IV and Scott Hilke after the murder showed that she was “still” in contact with those “involved” in the murder of Kent Leppink. Interesting statement considering the State never once alleged that Carlin IV or Hilke were “involved” with the murder. Many other statements in the sentencing should and will be parsed with a future post. That particular post will be named “End-Result Reasoning”.

The appeal attorneys tell me that this is a very slow process. The velocity is accelerating. I will find the time to compose more posts in the future, but that particular velocity hasn’t accelerated. It will in the future, but my energy will be directed elsewhere for some time.

Thank you all for your outpouring of support and understanding.


Colin

Colin's Introduction

Greetings Friends,

My name is Colin Linehan. I am the husband of Mechele Linehan. I have known Mechele for over 10 years and she is beloved to many. My audience for these postings is intended for those who are interested in lifting the veil of tabloid media and peering into a reality based on facts and understanding. The “reality” of the situation doesn’t include a made for television narrative concocted for maximum negative impact. Sorry. This narrative won’t make sensational headlines or sell newspapers. It, therefore, has no commercial value. The truth rarely does.

Before I proceed, it is necessary to make a focused disclaimer. This web-log site was not created by me. I had no input or involvement in its creation. This site was created by family friends who have peered into Mechele’s heart and spirit and have been impacted by her generous being. Mechele and I are blessed by a myriad of friends and we are lucky to count this blogspot’s creators among them.

As a side note, I must say that I admire the bravery and initiative of Kevin and Terri. Let me explain. I have read very little of the media coverage and even less of the malicious, anonymous comments made by ignorant individuals to the newspapers that have covered Mechele’s trial. Some people have pointed out the more absurd comments to humor me. They are indeed humorous to the extent that people can make claims about events they know nothing about. “I like to criticize things I don’t know about”. To me, that is funny. But, in truth, that is the direct fault of my family by choosing to not get involved with the media during the trial. So, there are no hard feelings from me. But for friends to voluntarily put themselves into an arena that invites mockery and ridicule is admirable.

Mechele and I have never wanted or sought out media attention from this tragedy. In fact, the opposite is true. We have turned down so many offers from producers of major television shows and editors of newspapers and periodicals looking to exploit Mechele’s peripheral association with the Leppink’s tragedy for ratings and sales. Yes, that is correct… “Peripheral”. I know what sentiments, from those convinced of Mechele’s guilt, will be provoked by using this phrasing. I am not naive. Contrary to the inference that I am a clueless husband blinded by love, the truth doesn’t lie within that categorization. These postings do not have the intention to defend myself. Anyone that knows me can tell you that the one adjective that doesn’t apply to me is “naive”. The purpose is to expose the readers to many facts and circumstances that have not been reported on and reveal the shallowness of the arguments made by the prosecution that were sold to the media and jury. You will indeed see that “justice is a game” and that the rules are flexible and often ignored.

The truth of the events and circumstances that surrounded the relationships of many people associated with Kent Leppink before his death have been revealed to the media, and thus to you, in an extremely incomplete and biased package. This is because our family decided not to participate in the process. From the trial standpoint, we felt we only had to challenge the assertions made by the prosecution and show that the narrative presented by the State had “more holes than Swiss cheese”. We decided not to focus on a “story” to explain the narrative of Mechele’s life and relationships at that time. This was a conscious decision based on the fact that the prosecution’s narrative contradicted itself and their witnesses were flawed, to say the least.

We have no regrets about this decision from a legal perspective. The fact of the matter, however, is that this case was decided using a method that relied on factors other than the strict legal constraints that are inherent in our system. This is a serious allegation, but the facts that I will give to support this assertion are hard to ignore. I will use the juror’s own words to show some of this. For example, one of the juror’s stated to a reporter that one factor in the reasoning of Mechele’s guilt was that the defense didn’t give the jurors a “story” about what happened. This alone is an incredibly scary statement that goes against the very grain of our justice system. The legal burden on Mechele was not to describe the events and what happened. The burden rested solely with the State to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Mechele committed the crime she was accused of. The role of the jury was to presume Mechele innocent and leave the burden of proof on the State, not on Mechele. These were the rules of the “game” that we played. I will show with jury and witness statements that the burden was placed on Mechele to prove her innocence.

I will also describe events in the trial that were ignored by the media and by the jury that support my assertions. This will be done using quotes from the trial transcript and from statements made by witnesses, the prosecution team, and the jury itself. I will not rely on hearsay statements or extrapolations. My objective is to remain empiric in every instance. If I stray from that, I will make clear that the conclusion or interpretation is my own.

My ideal is to make available only the facts that are clear and unassailable. It is true that some of these facts have not been presented in the media and some were not allowed into the trial. I will discuss these in three different links: Media, Legal, and Personal. This is a work in progress and is just getting started. There will be many more posts and documents, including audio of police interrogations, to come. The empiric data will rest mainly in the “Legal” link. This is truly a work in process and needs to be cleared by legal counsel. So, id est, stay tuned.

For those of you interested in truth and not tabloid, I invite you to read my postings. Also, our family appreciates the support of the hundreds of people who have written and expressed their support and dismay. This “case” is far from over, and we will continue the fight.

Colin Linehan

“An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.”

Bob Dylan, “Chimes of Freedom”

On a Personal Note (from Colin)

It is one thing for me to put myself in the media spotlight by appearing on two major network broadcasts. I am a man who is immune to any public ridicule or perceptions of being a stooge. I know myself too well to let any of that effect me. I am well grounded by a myriad of friends and family and by my own sense of self. I am not claiming to be “self-actualized” via Maslow’s hierarchy, but I am comfortable with myself. It is entirely another matter where my friends and family are involved.

The fact of the matter is that my wife is a convicted murderer. I obviously think that does not equal truth or justice. Anyone with a modicum of intellectual curiosity knows that there are guilty individuals proclaimed innocent and innocent individuals proclaimed guilty in our justice system. We played the game with a set of rules and the prosecution played the game with another. We lost. Fortunately, in our system, there are checks to balance that, and the “game” continues. My prayers focus on justice through the law. The appeal process for Mechele is the only game in my sight.

Anyone can throw any arrows, insults, and mockery towards me. I’m good. It really doesn’t bother me. Think of me as a dupe who is “under a spell” from my sorceress wife. More power to you. Just leave my daughter out of it. Mechele’s character and being has already been reduced to tatters by the process. She is, by the way, still standing strong with her head up and her optimism intact. Sorry, she is grounded as well. What I have a hard time with, however, are insults and mockery directed at our family and friends who support Mechele.

It, again, is one thing for me to flash my mug on a camera and ping answers back from national correspondents. It is an entirely different thing for dear friends to put their beings and insights into national media. I have no say in that. Everyone who has let themselves be interviewed on national television in support of Mechele has done so on their own volition. I can only sit back and appreciate their courage. God bless them. If you want to tweak me, I will let you in on a little secret. All you have to do is bash them. Nothing is more touching to me than their willingness to step in front of the lens of the national media and speak up for Mechele. They are not encouraged or orchestrated by myself, Mechele, or our legal counsel. It is an honorable undertaking to put yourself in the crosshairs for someone who you care about when it can only bring unwanted attention.

So here it is, in no particular order:

Thank you all who wrote letters in support of Mechele.

Thanks to Kevin Fitzgerald and his amazing family for everything they continue to do in support of Mechele and my family.

Thank you, Kevin and Terri, who are truly a blessing and brave beyond measure.

Thank you, Kristina for your incalculable courage to speak with NBC and CBS on behalf of Mechele.

Thank you, Honi for your enormous risk to open up yourself and family to ridicule for your support of Mechele and revelation of your (way) past occupation.

Thank you, Tina for your ability to stay honest and for courageously inviting ridicule to your family from the close-minded who still cling to the Puritanical Paradox.

Thank you, Denise for your selfless sacrifice to reveal truth at your own personal risk.

Thank you, Julie Thrasher for the courage to speak the truth and reveal an aspect of the realities of the American juror system.

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Sheridan for your insight and fortitude.

Thanks to all I didn’t mention, who know who you are. Too many to list.

And to those who have supported Mechele with books that keep her bearings straight in a situation that lends itself to easily losing those bearings.

I noticed that at the end of the trial and during sentencing that the words “God” and “Christian” were used profusely by individuals wishing Mechele harm and misery. Of note, this is not God’s Justice. This is Man’s justice, and it is deeply flawed. Those of us who keep the faith and don’t wear it on our sleeves are the true people of faith, in my opinion. God bless you all. The process of Man’s justice is not over and you ALL are the true angels.

Much Love,

Colin