Alaska Superior Court Judge Phillip Volland has recessed the Mechele Linehan of Olympia sentencing until Wednesday after testimony by mostly defense witnesses, many of them urging mercy, extended all of Friday.
Read more about Mechele Linehan's trial:
• Linehan catches network attention (Oct. 22, 2007)
• Convicted killer describes events outlined at trial (Oct. 22, 2007)
• Day of judgment looms for Linehan (Oct. 18, 2007)
• Defense rests case; Linehan won't testify (Oct. 15, 2007)
• Husband defends Linehan as hard-working, generous innocent (Oct. 12, 2007)
• Attorneys in murder case dissect Linehan e-mails (Oct. 11, 2007)
• Leppink sent letter to parents predicting his own murder (Oct. 9, 2007)
• Judge denies request for film showing at Linehan trial (Oct. 5, 2007)
• Linehan acquaintance told different story in '06 (Oct. 4, 2007)
• Killer's son offers details at Linehan trial (Oct. 2, 2007)
• Prosecutors contend Linehan based crime on film (Sept. 28, 2007)
• Linehan's life, friends become focus of former fiance's testimony (Sept. 27, 2007)
• Witness says Linehan tried to get refund on insurance (Sept. 25, 2007)
• Killer acted solo, Linehan defense says (Sept. 21, 2007)
• Linehan jury selection a lesson in Alaska law (Sept. 19, 2007)
• Jury selection under way as Linehan friends defend character (Sept. 18, 2007)
• Alaska time defined by competing love interests (Sept. 16, 2007)
• Acquaintances stunned by court case (Sept. 16, 2007)
• Linehan's 'exotic' past to be part of testimony (Sept. 13, 2007)
• No delay for murder trial of Olympia woman (Sept. 7, 2007)
• Problems could delay murder trial (Sept. 6, 2007)
• Jury convicts man tied to Olympia woman (April 4, 2007)
• Linehan accused of seeking to wipe laptop after death of fiance (March 25, 2007)
• Ex-boyfriend testifies that Linehan 'buffaloed' several men (March 22, 2007)
• Former fiance testifies in Linehan case (March 21, 2007)
• Alaskan slaying suspect at home (Oct. 25, 2006)
• Judge reduces bail for Linehan (Oct. 21. 2006)
• Linehan in jail after bail review (Oct. 17, 2006)
• Olympia woman accused of Alaska murder pleads not guilty (Oct. 14, 2006)
• Olympia woman extradited to Alaska (Oct. 13, 2006)
• Former exotic dancer held in 1996 slaying (Oct. 5, 2006)
• More from the Anchorage Daily News
TIME LINE
1994: Mechele Hughes moves to Alaska, gets job as an exotic dancer at Great Alaskan Bush Company. Meets Kent Leppink
April 1996: Leppink sends letter to parents saying if he dies its because of Hughes and/or Scott Hilke or John Carlin, two other fiances
May 2, 1996: Leppink killed in Hope, Alaska
1997: Hughes meets Colin Linehan at a park in New Orleans
1998: Hughes and Linehan marry
April 2005: Mechele Linehan works for Washington state Executive Ethics Board
Oct. 4, 2006: Linehan arrested for first-degree murder in Leppinks death
Oct. 13, 2006: Linehan pleads not guilty
April 2007: Carlin convicted of first-degree murder in Leppinks death
Sept. 19: Linehans trial begins
Oct. 10: Linehan's husband, Colin, of Olympia testifes that his wife is not guilty
Oct. 22: Linehan convicted
Nov. 9: Carlin to be sentenced
March 8, 2008: "48 Hours Mystery" features two-hour special on Linehan's case
March 28: Testimony is taken at Linehan's sentencing, which is delayed until April 2
April 2: Linehan is sentenced to 99 years in prison
On tv
•What: Special about Mechele Linehan, who was convicted in connection with the shooting death of a former fiance
•When: 9 p.m. Saturday
•Where: CBS, Channel 7
•Online: To view a preview of the special, click the link with this story at www.theolympian.com.
Witnesses included Linehan's husband, Colin; a former roommate; and a psychiatrist who said she had no markers of a murderer.
Kent Leppink's parents read their victim impact statements.
Volland said he will listen to the lawyers' recommendations and arguments on Wednesday then pronounce sentence.T
The judge, who will decide how much time Mechele Linehan spends in prison, says he needs the weekend to consider questions raised by testimony in his Anchorage courtroom.
Friday morning, a forensic psychiatrist told the judge it's unlikely Linehan killed or schemed to kill her former boyfriend in 1996, the crime for which she has been convicted.
Dr. Mark Mills, hired by the defense, conducted extensive psychological tests on Linehan and described the 35-year-old as extremely social with above average intelligence but naïve.
She exhibits no common characteristics, such as aggressiveness or anti-social behavior, of a murderer or someone who would plot to murder, he said.
Linehan and John Carlin III were convicted in separate trials of conspiring to kill Lepplink in 1996 for a $1 million life insurance payout. Prosecutors say the two erroneously believed Linehan would benefit from the insurance policy.
Volland set aside all of Friday for what was expected to be a contentious and emotional plea for mercy by the stripper-turned-surburban mom who faces anywhere from 20 to 99 years in prison for her part in Leppink's death.
