☛ TS Leahy pleads guilty to murder
Just short of her 17th anniversary behind bars, a tearful Jennifer Gale Leahy pleaded guilty to second degree murder in a Humboldt County courtroom Tuesday afternoon.
The plea was part of a deal that reduced Leahy's charge from first- to second-degree murder. Now, if a sentencing judge agrees with the disposition in early November, Leahy will be set free, with a life-long probation sentence.
Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos said new information has emerged since Leahy's first trial took place in 1992, that better defined her role in the murder conspiracy of Mary Kesser, a 30-year-old Fortuna woman who was killed in 1991. That information revealed Leahy helped her then-boyfriend Richard Kesser find a hit man to kill his wife, but her involvement appears to have tapered off after that, Gallegos said.
”She's still as culpable,” Gallegos said. “She was the linchpin that put the two people together.”
If the sentencing judge agrees to release Leahy, she will not be allowed to live in Humboldt County, where Mary Kesser's family continues to reside....
Rachel Donahue, who became friends with Leahy in jail, attended Tuesday's hearing. She said she was excited about news of the plea agreement.
”She deserves to get out of there; it's been a long time,” Donahue said. “She had only been with the guy (Richard Kesser) for four months, so this is like nothing but bad memories for her.”
Leahy will return to court Nov. 2 for sentencing....
I expect Gallegos will call this a win - now what happens with his convoluted Lie-detector deal with Kesser?
Richard Kesser has entered a guilty plea as part of an agreement to reduce his sentence from first- to second-degree murder, but that plea is pending the results of a (SECOND) polygraph test. (He FAILED THE FIRST ONE, REMEMBER?)
Read the comments at Times,
ReplyDeleteThese people should spend the rest of their lives in prison! All three.
The poor girl that was so brutily murdered was hacked to death with a macheti, cutting off her fingers as she tried to ward off the pain of being sliced to death.
She also had a small by Mr. Kesser.
I think I'm going to be sick.
Leahy helped her boyfriend arrange a contract murder of his wife in order to collect a life insurance policy.
The wife is brutally staped to death. And Gallegos is letting this person out of jail why ?
As I remember there was an incredible amount of work done by Law Enforcement to gather all of the information to yield a conviction of these three druggies.
It is very disturbing to see that this work has been minimized. Ms Leahy's role in planning the murders is now revealed as minimal, however she appears to have had a significant role in covering things up and causing all of this investigation.
I doubt that there isnt a week that goes by that those of us who knew Mary dont still think of her for a brief moment.
I remember this case as I worked with Mary's two brothers at the time and although the family is allowing this for some reason; I would lock the witch up for the rest of her life. Who is next in line to suffer the ill effects of her murderous plans? Whose life will she take for money?
The dp would have been appropriate for this bytch and her co defendants.
Another day in Dumboldt County. I guess it's "Cold Blooded Murderers Get Out Of Jail Free Day"? Notice how Gallegos doesn't want to risk prosecuting the husband for 1st Degree Murder, even though that is clearly the case? Has his confidence been whittled down that far or was it missing from the start? Seems like he would do better managing a hotel or a car wash than the DA's Office.
would have been nice if idiot worthman had done the system right in the first place; that man is responsible for killers walking free now...always thought the guy was an **** and I saw these court people up close every day for years
It appears you were a local gal who saw these people up close for years. Is that because you were a drugged out criminal like Gallegos who is supplied his Medical Drugs By Dr Ken.. GALLEGOS HIMSELF is responsible for this injustice of a plea bargain. He is so incompetetent. One only has to look at the botched trial of Chief GUNMAN Gunderson. Just my thought because I know do you know.
I am outraged and so should everyone else in this county. It is disgusting that the DA stands for dumb a*s. This woman gets probation. Sick. just sick. Run this incompetent DA out of the county please. This is just outrageous!
The story is quite misleading. It was her friend, not the authorities, who said she was getting out of prison. Apparently the reporter thought the friend was right, and didn't bother to ask anyone who knows how things work.
She will be in there for a long time, if not for life. It is very rare for a murderer to be paroled in California. The degree doesn't matter a whole lot.
About this dating-for- four-months thing: The Times-Standard seems to have forgotten that Jennifer Leahy and Richard Kesser got married after the wife was killed. They got married before they were arrested. They divorced while in jail.
This poor womans family WILL regret this decision..Honor your lost loved one and fight tooth and nail to keep this killer in jail forever.
I haven't been following this, Rose. I have been entirely engulfed in politics lately to follow much of anything else, but I did want to stop by and than you for visiting Dragon Lady's Denn. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if leahy was ever released from prison?
ReplyDelete