A Wild Love Triangle With An Alaskan Exotic Dancer Left One Man Dead, And Another In Jail For Murder

In May 1996, Kent Leppink went mad. His engagement with Mechele Linehan (then Mechele Hughes) was falling apart. Days before his death, he found what investigators called "The Hope Note," which investigators thought Linehan and her lover, John Carlin, wrote to lure Leppink to his death.

The note showed a cabin in Hope, AK, where Linehan met another lover. No cabin existed. Prosecutors thought Leppink would ask Carlin to take him there to face Linehan. Carlin's job then became disposing of Leppink. Carlin shot Leppink three times with a .44 caliber pistol: once in the back, once in the stomach, and once in the face.

Investigators saw Kent Leppink, Mechele Linehan, and John Carlin were all deeply connected. Yet, no evidence proved anyone guilty. Soon after, Linehan and Carlin both left Alaska for separate lives.

In 2004 and 2005, the cold case gained momentum. Police got the funding and tech to pursue it. Investigators found incriminating emails. They even got Carlin’s son to testify about his father’s gun. Carlin had denied owning a firearm before. His son later said both his father and Linehan soaked a handgun in disinfectant. This contradiction weakened Carlin’s defense, and prosecutors used it to strengthen their case.

After a tough discussion, the jury found Carlin and Linehan guilty. The judge ordered both to serve99 yearsin prison—the maximum sentence they could face.

Before he died, Kent Leppink sent his parents letters. The second letter was only opened if he died. The first letter just said the million-dollar insurance policy listed them both as beneficiaries in his death.The second letter was much more emotional, naming the people he thought would kill him:

Since you read this, you assume I am dead. Do not focus on that. It was my time; nothing changes that... I hate being vindictive in my death, but payback is hell... Use the info inside to bring Mechele down. Ensure she faces prosecution. Mechele, John, or Scott were the people who probably killed me. Make sure they get punished.

Though the prosecution did not use the letter as proof of Mechele Linehan and John Carlin’s crimes, it helped start the case against them.

The prosecution used email exchanges between Mechele Linehan and her suitors as key evidence. The prosecution argued these emails showed Linehan manipulated each man in a unique way. One email specifically mentioned criminals never leaving the Republic of Seychelles, making it an ideal place to move.

Besides the topics discussed, the prosecution pointed out Linehan tried todestroy the emails before the trial. Linehan took Leppink’s laptop and sent it to her sister, hoping to erase the contents. Her sister refused, realizing Linehan showed no sympathy for her supposed friend and fiancé. Linehan's sister described her sibling's coldness, saying:Before the trial, Linehan took Leppink’s laptop and sent it to her sister, hoping the contents would vanish. Her sister refused. She saw Linehan showed no pity for the death of her supposed friend and fiancé. Linehan's sister described her sibling's coldness, saying:

Kent Leppink loved Mechele Linehan so much he proposed a month after they first met. He obsessed over their supposed love and told his whole family about the woman and how wonderful she was. He even told them her grandfather bought him a

Kent Leppink loved Mechele Linehan. He proposed a month after meeting her. Kent obsessed over this supposed love. He told his whole family about the woman. He even told them her grandfather bought him aHis mother and father doubted him. They tried hard to warn him, saying:[Leppink said] ‘Mom, Mechele’s grandpa gave us our wedding gift. It’s a million dollar insurance policy on my life.’ I replied, ‘Kent, that is crazy. No grandpa buys the future husband of his granddaughter a million dollar life insurance policy.’ We were terrified. I told him, ‘Leave there—you are in trouble.’

[Leppink said] ‘Mom, Mechele’s grandpa gave us our wedding gift. It’s a million dollar insurance policy on my life.’ I told him, ‘Kent, that’s crazy. No grandpa buys the future husband of his granddaughter a million dollar life insurance policy.’ We were terrified. I told him, ‘Get out of there—you’re in trouble.’

Whether John Carlin shot Kent Leppink in 1996 matters little. It was a tragedy when Carlin died in prison. In October 2008, while waiting for his appeal to overturn his murder conviction, inmates attacked Carlin at the Spring Creek Correctional Center. They brutally48 Hours. His pleas for help went unheard, leading to a second attack that killed him. Two inmates, 27-year-old William N. Wassillie and 29-year-old Tyler Warren Heavyrunner, were convicted for the attack.Kent Leppink proposed to Mechele Linehan, but she was also engaged to John Carlin III. Scott Hilke proposed first.

Inmates had already beaten Carlin badly in prison before. They attacked him after seeing him on an episode of48 Hours. Carlin’s pleas for help went ignored. This led to a second attack that killed him. Two inmates were found guilty of the attack: 27-year-old William N. Wassillie and 29-year-old Tyler Warren Heavyrunner.

Kent Leppink was not the only man who proposed to Mechele Linehan. She was also engaged to John Carlin III. Scott Hilke proposed to Linehan first.

Hilke was never a focus in Leppink’s murder case. By the time Leppink died, Hilke gained new views on Linehan’s true character and left Alaska. Hilke concluded that whenshe visited him at Lake TahoeShe used him one last time.

Her plan was to leave the state before any trouble hit. Now, I think I was used as an alibi.

Mechele Linehan and John Carlin insisted they were innocent from the start. Both broke when they were found guilty, and their defense teams immediately appealed. In 2010, Linehan gained a major win when her appeal succeeded.

The courts decided using Kent Leppink’s "prophetic" letter was inadmissible as evidence.They also argued introducing the letter through witness testimony was inadmissible.The evidence was circumstantial at best. Prosecutors tried to re-indict Linehan with a new plan but failed. Murder charges against Linehan were dropped, and she walked free.

Mechele Linehan was engaged to three men simultaneously. She still pursued casual relationships. Brett Reddel dated Linehan during that time. John Carlin was called to the stand at his trial as a character witness.

Reddel was surprised Linehan had other romantic partners. He did say she liked to use men.She used men for money. Allegedly, she called him for help with bills like car and mortgage payments. Reddel kept talking:She allegedly called on him for money for bills like car and mortgage payments. Reddel continued:

I was probably the lowest man. She had her ring going. She used so many people in many ways. What she did is disgusting.

One fascinating part of this...love triangleKent Leppink, John Carlin, Scott Hilke, and Mechele Linehan all lived under the same roof. Linehan moved in with a coworker because she was new to Alaska and needed housing. After Hilke proposed, he often stayed at her place, though his travel kept him away sometimes.

Leppink soon started staying over. First, he used their couch. When Linehan’s roommate left, Leppink took the empty spot. Soon after, Carlin and his son moved in. Three men who liked the same woman lived there. Their connection could have made a mediocre romantic comedy, but it took a dark turn.

The three main men in Mechele Linehan’s life—Scott Hilke, Kent Leppink, and John Carlin—all knew about their shared infatuation. Because of this, they all spent...huge amounts of moneyThey spent big amounts on her to show devotion. Gifts included cash, jewelry, and fur coats. It became a competition to see who could spend the most.

The prosecution could easily paint Linehan as a black widow. Linehan’s former coworker and roommate argued that the men shared blame for their situation. She kept speaking:

You are to blame. You will not just say, 'Oh my gosh, you know how much money you spent on me? You really have to stop.' You take off your clothes. You are there to make money. You do not want to go home with less money than you would earn as a waitress.

Linehan moved to Alaska in 1994. She intended to save money for college. Her first job was as She worked as an exotic dancer.Linehan met Hilke, Leppink, and Carlin at the Alaska Bush Company in Anchorage. The three men also moved to Alaska to escape their pasts.

Over a few months, each man found Linehan alone. They professed love and asked for her hand in marriage. They all gave her large gifts and money as proof of affection. The three men seemed too lonely to think clearly, even after learning about each other.