Mechele Linehan

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Charge:	Murder (Conspiracy to commit murder)
Sentence:	99 years
Years Imprisoned:	3
Year Crime:	1996
Year Convicted:	2007
Year Cleared:	2012
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Alaska
County or Region of Crime:	Anchorage
City of Crime:	Anchorage
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Mechele Linehan was wrongly convicted in 2007 of conspiracy to murder her fiance Kent Leppink in 1996. Mechele Linehan was sentencing on March 28, 2008 to 99 years in prison. On February 5, 2010 the Alaska Court of Appeals overturned Linehan's conviction based on two prejudicial evidentiary errors by the trial judge. Linehan was released on bail pending the prosecution deciding whether to retry her or dismiss the indictment. Based on the Court's ruling the prosecution wouldn't be able to use a letter that they relied on to obtain her conviction. In December 2011 Linehan's first-degree murder indictment was dismissed by Anchorage Superior Court Judge Philip Volland. In January 2012 the bail and court-ordered conditions for her release were dismissed and Linehan returned to her home in Olympia, Washington. The prosecutors announced on August 6, 2012 that Linehan would not be retried."
Conviction Caused By:	Evidentiary errors by the trial judge.
Innocence Proved By:	"On February 5, 2010 the Alaska Court of Appeals overturned Linehan's conviction based on two prejudicial evidentiary errors by the trial judge. In December 2011 Linehan's first-degree murder indictment was dismissed by Anchorage Superior Court Judge Philip Volland. The prosecutors announced on August 6, 2012 that Linehan would not be retried."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	34
Age When Released:	37
Sex:	Female
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Linehan v Alaska - No 2253 (AK Ct of Appeals, 2-5-2010)"
Information Location 1:
Information Source 2:	"Former Olympia mom wins appeal in Alaska murder case, By Rachel D'Oro, The Seattle Times, February 5, 2010"
Information Location 2:	http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010995928_newtrial06.html
Information Source 3:	"Court overturns Linehan conviction, By Megan Holland (staff), Anchorage Daily News, February 6, 2010"
Information Location 3:	http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/crime/stripper/story/1126105.html
Information Source 4:	"Prosecutors won't seek new murder trial for Linehan, By Michelle Theriault Boots (staff), Anchorage Daily News, August 6, 2012"
Information Location 4:	http://www.adn.com/2012/08/06/2575398/prosecutors-wont-seek-retrial.html#storylink=misearch
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
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Mechele Linehan

Charge:

Murder (Conspiracy to commit murder)

Sentence:

99 years

Years Imprisoned:

3

Year Crime:

1996

Year Convicted:

2007

Year Cleared:

2012

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Alaska

County or Region of Crime:

Anchorage

City of Crime:

Anchorage

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Evidentiary errors by the trial judge.

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

34

Age When Released:

37

Sex:

Female

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Linehan v Alaska - No 2253 (AK Ct of Appeals, 2-5-2010)"

Information Location 1:

Information Source 2:

"Former Olympia mom wins appeal in Alaska murder case, By Rachel D'Oro, The Seattle Times, February 5, 2010"

Information Location 2:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010995928_newtrial06.html

Information Source 3:

"Court overturns Linehan conviction, By Megan Holland (staff), Anchorage Daily News, February 6, 2010"

Information Location 3:

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/crime/stripper/story/1126105.html

Information Source 4:

"Prosecutors won't seek new murder trial for Linehan, By Michelle Theriault Boots (staff), Anchorage Daily News, August 6, 2012"

Information Location 4:

http://www.adn.com/2012/08/06/2575398/prosecutors-wont-seek-retrial.html#storylink=misearch

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: