Last week, Mechele Linehan, 35, of Olympia, Washington, was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the murder of her fiancé, Kent Leppink, back in 1996. She was accused of convincing another fiancé, John Carlin III, of New Jersey, of killing Leppink. The crime and trial took place in Alaska, and Carlin was found guilty of murder. Under Alaska law, Linehan was ruled equally guilty, so she got the same sentence as Carlin. "I can find no principal distinction between the puppet who pulls the trigger and the puppeteer who pulls the strings," said Judge Philip Voland. "In my judgment, Ms. Linehan was the puppeteer who pulled the strings." Crime based on murder movie The case sounds just like a …
Signs of a sociopath in Eliot Spitzer
In 2002, Time Magazine named Eliot Spitzer, when he was New York State Attorney General, "Crusader of the Year," due to his relentless pursuit of corporate crime. He went after the giants of Wall Street, extracting large fines for illegal and unethical behavior. That's why his very public downfall has drawn so much interest. And that's why, now he's resigned as governor of New York in disgrace, the stories of his aggressiveness, his bullying, and his apparent belief that the rules did not apply to him, are so widespread. When I first heard that Spitzer was implicated in a prostitution ring, I figured that if anyone had the dirt, it would be the New York Post. How right I was. Frederic …
A female serial killer
The Deccan Herald newspaper in Bangalore, India reports on the arrest of a female serial killer, 43 year old Mallika. The story can be read here and here. Serial killers are actually very rare creatures, and the female of the species is truly unusual. Perhaps that is good reason not to make a big deal about something so rare. One thing, though, caught my eye and made me think lovefraud readers may be interested too. I'll summarise the story and you tell me what you think. Here's what raised my eyebrow She allegedly committed all the murders single-handedly and for gain. She is no psychopath, the commissioner said. …
BOOK REVIEW: The Other Mrs. Jordan
"I should write a book." Many people have said this in describing their unbelievable, shocking and downright bizarre experiences with a sociopath to Lovefraud. Mary Turner Thomson of Edinburgh, Scotland, did just that. Thompson's book is called The Other Mrs. Jordan—A True Story of Bigamy and Betrayal. It will have you shaking your head in disbelief—and nodding your head in understanding. If you've been thoroughly deceived by a sociopath, elements of Thomson's story will be very familiar to you. Perfect gentleman Mary Turner Thomson was a 35-year-old single mother when the sociopath, Will Jordan, wormed his way into her life. Of course, at the time, Thomson did not know the guy was …
“Nothing says I love you like a Glock”
I was going about the morning as usual, working on my next book, with CNN on in the background, when I heard what has to be the sociopathic quote of the year, "Nothing says I love you like a Glock." I have not shared much about my own experience with a sociopath, but one of the things I am most ashamed of is that I did not react more strongly to my former husband's preoccupation with guns. He did not personally own any gun, but he talked about them a great deal, and he was very persistent about the idea that I should learn how to shoot. He also wanted me to own a hand gun. I did take the NRA gun safety course and I learned how to shoot. I have to say, target practice was fun and I was good …
Inside the mind of a killer: What caused Hawkins to snap?
Yesterday a 19 y/o man named Robert Hawkins entered the Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska with an AK-47 assault rifle and killed eight people before killing himself. News commentators have been discussing what happened and several are discussing the question of whether he was depressed and taking antidepressants. I think people feel better blaming antidepressant medication for these incidents because it is too frightening to accept that there are so many sociopaths (with the potential for violence) living among us. Hawkins apparently had no arrest record prior to this event and was not known to be violent. At the time of the shooting he was living with the mother of a high school friend, …
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Media profiles psychopaths without identifying them
One con artist called himself Luc Sonnet. He claimed to be a fine artist who studied with Picasso and sold his paintings to wealthy international clients for as much as $250,000. The other con artist, Robert Freegard, claimed to be a British spy. He tracked international terrorists. Both of these con artists were profiled in the media on Sunday, December 2. The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper began its story about Luc Sonnet, whose real name was Richard Grossman, on the front page. The story continued inside for three more full pages. Dateline, the investigative reporting television show produced by NBC News, told the story of Robert Freegard, a Brit who abducted an American woman …
Media profiles psychopaths without identifying themRead More
Is there any constructive, legal action to take against sociopaths?
Lovefraud recently received the following e-mail from a reader: My psychologist referred me to this web site. It's terrific save one section: How can running away from these people be the only solution? Granted, it's a stop-gap solution to protect yourself from future abuses; however, it's not a solution for full/final resolution. Allowing [them] to perpetuate their endeavors and perpetrate them on others only permits proliferation. Please tell me that there is some constructive, legal way to be proactive and preventative in a more communal fashion. I have visions of: 20 years from now they rule the world. It won't be survival of the fittest. It will have become survival of the …
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LETTERS TO LOVEFRAUD: I met another sociopath on MillionaireMatch.com
Editor's note: Lovefraud recently received the following e-mail from a reader. I went on a date last night with a man I met on MillionaireMatch.com. Looked great on paper. His photograph was so-so and I didn't expect much. We met at a restaurant and when he walked in I thought to myself, "Oh that's not him; he's too good looking." Well it turned out to be him. We introduced, started talking and he teased me, and asked if I was buying dinner. That was my first red flag. Why would a proclaimed millionaire ask me to pay? I thought perhaps he was screening out gold diggers. We never left the bar nor had dinner, although he paid for an appetizer and drink. He talked about his life …
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“Cybersharks,” on Canadian TV, includes a Lovefraud story
W-FIVE, the top Canadian investigative TV journalism show, will include the story of Liz Cole, a Lovefraud reader, in its Cybersharks episode airing Saturday, November 3 at 7 p.m. The program reveals the real dangers of online dating. In this episode, W-FIVE's Victor Malarek uncovers cases where women who met potential suitors through online dating services were later conned for thousands of dollars, and in some cases, forced to endure extensive physical and mental abuse. W-FIVE cameras are rolling as Malarek tracks down one known criminal and online predator. The show will air on Saturday, November 3 at 7 p.m. (EDT) on CTV network in Canada and will be repeated on Sunday, November 4 at 5 …
“Cybersharks,” on Canadian TV, includes a Lovefraud storyRead More