Janie Ballard: A Daughter's Deadly Greed

On September 13, 2003, Mickey Holloway, a crime scene specialist for the Little Rock Police Department, arrived at the home of his friend, 58-year-old Janie Ballard, after his morning calls went unanswered. What he found was a scene of unimaginable horror: Janie had been stabbed over 70 times in her own home. Her Cadillac was missing, her purse was dumped beside her, and the level of rage displayed in the attack suggested this was deeply personal. Within hours, investigators had their prime suspects—Janie's own daughter, Leslie McCool, and Leslie's husband, Mike McCool.

Janie Ballard wasn't just any victim. She was a successful businesswoman who co-owned Shepherd's Printing, a thriving family business in Little Rock. She was deeply involved in her community, organized the neighborhood watch, and was known for her generosity. But behind the success and kindness, Janie lived with a terrible fear: she had told friends she was afraid her own daughter might try to hurt her for money.

Leslie Ballard had grown up with every privilege. She attended Mount St. Mary Academy, a private Catholic school, earned her bachelor's degree and MBA from the University of Arkansas, and was given a generous salary at the family printing business. Her parents bought her a condo just blocks from their home. From the outside, Leslie's life looked perfect. But inside, she felt empty and disconnected.

Everything changed when Leslie met Mike McCool at a Little Rock gym in August 2000. Mike was 46 years old—22 years older than Leslie—and he was nothing like the conservative, Catholic men her parents had hoped she'd date. He was a twice-divorced, unemployed bodybuilder with a violent criminal past, including a 1972 second-degree murder charge from when he was a teenager. That charge was dropped on the condition that he enlist in the Marines, but it set a pattern that would follow him for decades.

Mike was controlling and manipulative. He convinced Leslie to get breast implants, bleach her hair blonde, and dress in ways that made her family uncomfortable. The more her parents disapproved, the deeper Leslie fell under Mike's spell. Friends said she wasn't the same person anymore. When Janie and her ex-husband Lester discovered Mike's criminal history, they were horrified and made their disapproval clear. The relationship between Leslie and her parents deteriorated rapidly.

In 2003, Leslie's father Lester died. Leslie was so estranged from her family that she missed his funeral entirely. When she finally visited Janie's home on September 7, 2003, just days before the murder, the meeting was tense and cold. Janie had redecorated the house, sold Lester's Cadillac, and gotten rid of his belongings. Leslie was furious. She had also learned that Janie had cut her out of the will entirely, leaving everything to charity.

Six days later, Janie was dead. Investigators quickly focused on Leslie and Mike. Janie's stolen Cadillac was found abandoned, and forensic evidence tied both Leslie and Mike to the crime scene. The prosecution argued that Leslie and Mike had planned the murder together, motivated by greed and rage over the inheritance. Leslie had let Mike into the house, and together they had brutally attacked Janie, stabbing her over 70 times in a frenzy of violence.

Both Leslie and Mike were arrested, tried, and convicted. The case shocked Little Rock and became one of Arkansas's most notorious matricides. It's a tragic story of how manipulation, control, and greed can destroy families and lead to unthinkable violence. Janie Ballard had feared her own daughter—and tragically, she was right to be afraid.

TRANSCRIPT:

Mandy: [00:00:00] It was a quiet Saturday in Little Rock when a friend unlocked Janie Ballard's garage and knew something was wrong. Her Cadillac was gone, the house was still, and by sundown detectives were circling the two names Janie had feared the most. Her daughter, Leslie and Leslie's much older husband Mike.

Marker

Mandy: Hey guys, and welcome to the Moms and Mysteries podcast, a True Crime podcast featuring myself, Mandy, and my dear friend Melissa. Hi, Melissa. 

Melissa: Hi, Mandy. How are you? 

Mandy: I'm doing good. I'm

getting excited that Halloween is right around the corner and I'm like thinking about candy right now, and I should be thinking about recording this episode, but I really want some Halloween candy in my life.

Melissa: Why not both?

Why not both? 

Mandy: Maybe not at the same time though.

Melissa: I was at Walmart earlier and I saw the giant bags of candy and I'm like, oh, I should have bought that. But then I was like, no, I'll come back and buy it. And then I can sneak some when, you know, my kids aren't with me. So, you know, I can take out all the good stuff and uh, you know, just have it there for when the trick or treaters who don't come to our [00:01:00] house,

come to our house. 

Mandy: It just hit me that that's actually why I have candy on the brain right now is because I just went to Costco this morning and I saw the giant Costco sized bags of Halloween candy and. Also did not buy them, but now I'm like, why didn't I buy that?

Melissa: Exactly. I know. I'm literally looking at 'em in checkout and I was like, it would be much easier to just grab these right now. But no, let's make another trip. So anyway, yes, I'm very excited. My kids are excited. And also it was a

little cooler this morning and 

I'm 

wearing a sweatshirt because of it, in honor of it. 

Mandy: it was a little bit, but again, I was back to complaining about how like I can't believe it's late October and it's still so warm and humid and everything, and I'm just ready for a little bit of cooler weather. 

Melissa: Yeah,

well January

will be here.

Before you 

Mandy: Yeah,

literally.

All right, so let's get into the story for this week. It was early in the morning in Little Rock, Arkansas on September 13th, 2003, when a friend named Mickey Holloway started to get that gut feeling that something just wasn't right.[00:02:00] 

Mickey wasn't just any friend, he was a crime scene specialist for the Little Rock Police Department, and every day he checked on 58-year-old Janie Ballard. This was a woman he cared deeply for, and he would check on her either by phone or in person. But that morning, his calls went unanswered, so he drove to her house himself just to make sure everything was okay.

When he pulled into the driveway, Janie's Cadillac was gone, and the door to the home stood slightly open. Mickey walked inside and found Janie lying on the floor with one shoe on and one shoe off, and her purse was dumped out beside her. The house was eerily still, but it was clear that Janie had been brutally attacked.

Mickey knew instantly. This was more than just a burglary gone wrong. This was personal. Janie Ballard wasn't some reclusive lady living in a dangerous part of town. She was actually very well liked and well respected and deeply involved in the Little Rock community. She ran a successful family business.

She organized the neighborhood [00:03:00] watch, and she was the kind of woman who would really give you the shirt off her back. She'd buy you new tennis shoes if she thought yours just looked uncomfortable.

But that morning, Mickey found her stabbed more than 70 times, and this really showed a level of rage that almost felt impossible to comprehend. Investigators also quickly realized this wasn't random. Janie had told friends before that she was afraid. And what was she afraid of? Her own daughter, Leslie and Leslie's much older husband, and she feared that they might actually try to hurt her one day for her money.

Melissa: Within hours, detectives had their suspicions locked in on one person, and that was Jamie's daughter, 27-year-old Leslie McCool. So how did this woman who really had it all end up being accused of the savage killing of her own mother? Well, to understand that we have to go way back to Leslie's picture perfect upbringing that really just wasn't so perfect after all. Leslie Ballard was born on July 22nd, 1976 in [00:04:00] Little Rock, Arkansas to Lester and Janie Ballard. A couple who looked on paper like the American Dream. Lester was the kind of guy who built his own success story. He was a high school dropout who started as a delivery boy for Little Rock Blueprint Company way back in the 1950s.

and he actually worked his way up until he owned it, which is really incredible. He and his wife, Janie, eventually renamed it to Shepherd's Printing and business was very good. The Ballards were well known around town. They lived in a nice one story brick home across from Allsop Park, and it was the kind of house with neatly trimmed hedges and sort of

a, we've got it together vibe, 

words that have never been used to be described by house. 

Mandy: Not,

my house.

Melissa: mine's.

More like there's been a 

struggle. 

That's what mine looks like. 

Mandy: Yeah.

Melissa: neighbors said Leslie was really just this darling little girl who had all the toys in the world. She went to Catholic school. She was shy, but she was sweet, and her parents really doted on her [00:05:00] sometimes a little too much. But behind that prim and polished exterior. The Ballard household had cracks, big ones. Lester was a drinker, and when he and Janie fought, it wasn't quiet. Leslie often hid in the corner while the arguments exploded around her. When Leslie was six, Janie finally filed for divorce citing Lester's alcoholism.

And from that point on, things

only got more complicated. 

Mandy: After her parents split, Leslie became the center of Janie's world. Janie remarried a man named Jean in 1985, but even then, it was really always just Janie and Leslie. The people who knew them said that the two of them were inseparable. There were giant framed photos of Leslie all over the Ballard house, and even at the family business.

From the outside, it looked like things had finally settled into something peaceful. Leslie went to Mount St. Mary Academy, which was a private Catholic school where she was remembered as being polite, soft spoken, and maybe a little bit reserved. Her [00:06:00] classmates said that she seemed like a typical teenager, though she was cute, well-mannered and the kind of girl any guy would be proud to take home to Mama.

But although Leslie knew a lot of people, she always said she never felt like she had any real friends. To make matters worse, her half-brother Davy, was constantly in trouble with the law. He went to federal prison when Leslie was still in high school, and sadly died not long after he got out. Once it was just Leslie and her mom again, things became toxic and smothering.

Leslie went on to college first at Westminster in Missouri, and then transferred to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville to get her bachelor's degree and later her MBA. And during those years things between her and her mom, Janie actually got really good again. They were shopping together almost every weekend.

They would get lunch together, and they even worked side by side at the printing business. Janie and Lester were very proud of their daughter. After graduation, they bought her a condo just a few blocks from their own house and gave her a generous salary at the company. And for a while it [00:07:00] really did seem like Leslie's life was in a very good groove and on a great path.

But somewhere along the line, something shifted. Leslie started feeling like her degrees, the condo and the family business just weren't enough success for her.

She really did have everything she was supposed to want in life, but it didn't fill whatever emptiness it was that she was carrying around inside. So she did what a lot of people do when they're searching for something they can't put their finger on, and that was join a gym.

Melissa: That's where she met Michael Raymond McCool. It was August of 2000, and Leslie was doing crunches at the Little Rock Athletic Club when this guy strolls up to her and says. You sure are pretty. Now, Leslie is 24. She's shy, and Mike is 46 and he's definitely not shy. He was short, super muscular. He had a deep tan, long hair, and that kind of, you'll kind of notice me before I notice you energy people described him as the human equivalent of a red flag[00:08:00] 

wearing a tank top.

Mandy: I have seen several of those types.

Melissa: and yet Leslie was instantly drawn to him. Maybe it was his confidence. Maybe it was because he was nothing like the buttoned up guy she dated before. Either way, Mike made her feel seen, and after a lifetime of trying to please everyone else, that feeling was really intoxicating. But before we get too cozy with this little Jim meet. Cute. the most serious thing about Mike's past needs to be on the table. So back in 1972, when he was a teenager. He was charged with second degree murder after 14-year-old, Jeff Ward died less than a day after Mike had struck him. The story starts with a mess in Mike's car. Jeff had gotten sick apparently, and it ended with a boy who never made it home. This charge did not go to trial. It was actually dropped on the condition that Mike

in the Marines, which

feels

like 

something that would've happened in the seventies 

and not now. [00:09:00] And this was the first time that Mike's temper had ended in a death, and it really mattered later on when jurors were trying to understand who he was. This wasn't some clean slate guy who suddenly spiraled in middle age. This was a pattern that stretched back decades from a fatal encounter as a teenager to the rap sheet that followed him through the 1990s and into the two thousands. Mike had told Leslie he'd been bodybuilding since he was 18. He also lied about his age. He claimed to be younger than his real age of 46, but she didn't know that yet. The two became gym buddies then more than gym buddies, and by the fall they were in deep. By December, Leslie had moved him into her condo.

That's the same condo her parents had bought her that Christmas. The couple went skiing in Steamboat Springs, and according to Mike, that's when Leslie changed. He told people she became more adventurous, more wild like she'd finally broken free of her [00:10:00] conservative Catholic shell. But the truth was darker than that.

Leslie didn't become freer. She actually became more controlled. Mike liked his women to look like his idea of perfect, which meant bleach, blonde hair, big boobs. And Leslie was someone who was always eager to please. And so she went along with it. Soon she was dressing differently, talking differently, and even friends noticed she wasn't really the same person. One acquaintance said that she used to be ultra conservative, but after meeting Mike, she got implants, pierced her belly button, and started wearing short shorts and crop tops. Leslie had fallen under his spell, and the more she changed for him, the further she drifted from her parents. And we still have so much to get into after a quick break to hear a word from this week's sponsors, 

Marker

Melissa: the holidays are coming, which means I'm cleaning, decorating, and trying to make my house look like I've had it together all year. I ordered this 20 pair of shoe storage cabinet from Wayfair for the [00:11:00] front of the house, and honestly it's doing more for my

entryway than I ever could. 

Mandy: Meanwhile, I'm fully embracing spooky season. I got these Halloween pillows from Wayfair bats. Pumpkins a ghost that looks way too happy. And now my couch looks like a haunted Hallmark movie.

Melissa: That's what I really love about Wayfair. Whatever your vibe is, they have it. Guest room, bedding, cookware, holiday decor, even storage furniture and everything, ships

for free. Even the big stuff. 

Mandy: And fast. My pillows arrived before I even had time to hang my fake cobwebs. Wayfair makes getting your home ready for the season. So easy and so fun.

Melissa: Now my entry is organized. Mandy's living room is spooky and all that's left is to

decide which one of us hosts first. 

Mandy: Get organized, refreshed, and ready for the holidays for way less. Head to wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I r.com. Wayfair, every style, every home.

Melissa: Okay, Our kids aren't so little anymore, but when we heard about Little Spoon, [00:12:00] we had to try it. Mostly out of curiosity

and maybe a little nostalgia. 

Mandy: Yeah, and I'm not even embarrassed to say this, but I took a bite out of the superfood chicken nuggets from their plates line, and they're actually good, like real food. Good, not kid food. Good.

Melissa: Right, and everything's made with real ingredients so there's no artificial junk, and they even test for over 500 toxins and heavy metals. You can literally read the label

without needing a chemistry degree. 

Mandy: And for the parents who are still in the baby or toddler trenches, they've got purees finger foods. Lunchers, all developed with pediatricians. So your kid gets veggies and you get five minutes a piece.

Melissa: Whether it's for babies, toddlers, or big kids, little spoon makes mealtime easy, healthy, and honestly kind of

delicious, even for us grownups. 

Mandy: Oh, and here's the exciting part.

Little Spoon is now in Target. So on your next diaper run and obligatory candle sniff, you can also grab baby and kids snacks, pouches, yogurt smoothies, and bars. Plus Target has an exclusive frozen line. [00:13:00] Think they're cult favorite chicken nuggets, meatballs and sliders. Find them in the snack and freezer aisles.

We are obsessed.

Melissa: Little spoon is the mealtime hack. Parents can't stop talking about try their no prep nutrient packed meals and snacks for babies, toddlers, and big kids. Get 50% off your first online order@littlespoon.com slash moms with code moms at checkout. That's L-I-T-T-L-E-S-P-O n.com/moms. And don't forget to use our show's code for 50% off your first order now back to the episode.

Marker

Mandy: So before the break, we were introducing Janie Ballard and her daughter Leslie and Leslie's new serious relationship Mike. It didn't take long for Leslie's parents to figure out that something was seriously off about this guy, Mike. Janie and Lester had really wanted their daughter to find what they considered a nice Catholic boy.

They wanted someone her age, someone with a job, maybe someone who didn't have a police record, but instead she was dating a [00:14:00] twice divorced, unemployed bodybuilder nearly twice her age with a wrap sheet long enough to need its own filing cabinet. And as someone who has. Participated in bodybuilding and has been kind of in that community for the last several years.

I will definitely say that Janie's parents were probably absolutely right on the money to have judged him based on some of these things, because I know a lot of bodybuilders and I don't think I would date any of them. 

 If there's one thing the Ballards were good at, it was background checks. They dug into Mike's past and found enough dirt to fill a sandbox.

They found arrests, restraining orders, bankruptcies, domestic disputes, really, you name it. He wasn't exactly a great or upstanding citizen, and in her parents' eyes, he wasn't husband material either, and they really were not shy about letting her know that family, friends even said it out loud. One of them told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that everyone in their circle disapproved so greatly that it was hard to be kind about him, which is like, [00:15:00] ah, wow, E 

that's awkward.

That's very awkward. Uh, but the more her parents pushed, the more Leslie dug in. She saw Mike as someone who was just misunderstood and the world didn't get him, but Leslie did. And Mike loves that about Leslie. He loves that she feels that way about him, and he fed her that classic manipulative line. You know, it's us against everyone else.

And before Long, Leslie was completely estranged from her own family. Then came the divorce drama with Mike's ex Tina, and it was really ugly. She actually already had a restraining order against him for stalking and harassment, and it was clear Mike's temper wasn't just something from his past. It was still alive and well, but Leslie stayed maybe because she thought she could fix him, or maybe because at that point she was already too scared to 

leave. 

Melissa: Leslie and her parents were estranged by 2002, she had married Mike against their wishes, signed her condo back to them, and then [00:16:00] she really spiraled that fall. She spent $15,000 from the business on a Steamboat Springs trip, and she got caught. She sued her own parents for fraud over the condo, claiming that Janie coerced her into signing it. But the suit ended up disappearing when they paid her $50,000, which she cashed immediately. Meanwhile, Lester's Health was slipping. He'd struggled with liver disease and Alzheimer's, after his condition worsened, hospice became the reality. Leslie though didn't know any of that in real time. She was fully cut off from her family. There was a loyal employee named Betty who tried to help keep her informed. So in mid-July 2003, Betty told Leslie that her dad was in hospice with pneumonia complications. Lester died on August 19th, 2003. Betty called her, but Leslie didn't answer her mom. Janie didn't call her either. 10 days later, Leslie phoned Betty, and learned that her father had already been [00:17:00] buried back on August 21st, and she screamed Before hanging up. She called back to ask when the funeral was, and found out she missed everything. Leslie asked Janie for one of her dad's shirts. In a few photos, they set a meeting for September 7th. Leslie went to this meeting alone knowing that Janie would not open the door if Mike was there with her inside. Leslie noticed things her dad would've hated, like new wallpaper and knick-knacks, and the Cadillac he had was gone because Janie had sold it and bought herself a Mercedes convertible.

Leslie made a remark, quite the grieving widow, aren't you? Then she asked for her dad's shirt and for photos. But Janie told her she'd gotten rid of everything, and so that's when the will came up. Janie said, well, Lester changed it. Leslie was no longer getting the $750,000 she'd expected. She'd now received $25,000 from an estate that had been [00:18:00] estimated around $2.4 million. So this meeting ended with Fury and Leslie was really hurt. The next day, Leslie met with Lester's attorney and agreed not to contest that $25,000, but she just wanted to know

when she would get the check. 

Mandy: Back at home, Mike read the will. He spotted a clause that actually changed everything, and it was that if Janie died within 30 days of Lester, then Leslie would inherit the entire estate. Lester died on August 19th, which meant the 30 day mark fell on September 18th. So the plan that followed had a very real time limit on it.

Melissa: I don't understand why a will would have 

that, 

Mandy: I don't really either. 

Melissa: that sounds like incentive. 

I mean, I'm 

not saying. I'm not saying it would ever be a reason to, or that it should be even viewed like that, 

but somebody that's disturbed to be like, well, if you want this whole thing, if if this person happens

to die, to die within this next month, it's 

yours 

Mandy: The [00:19:00] only thing I can think, right, the only thing I can think is that in that 30 day period, basically you know, that gives Janie 30 days to figure out, like obviously everything, all the assets are now gonna be hers and she's gonna have to write her own will about how, how it's gonna go when she does pass.

But why, yeah, why would you put that in there as a 

Melissa: Why would you put it in writing? 

Mandy: Yeah, that's absolutely wild. 

Melissa: Yeah. I think what you're saying makes sense though, that it was definitely like she has 30 days

and if not, it just defaults to going to 

her 

Mandy: Exactly right. Exactly.

So at first, Leslie said, no, we I'm, you know, we're not gonna kill my mom. And she later told police that Mike had been very controlling from the beginning and after they got married. He was verbally and physically abusive as well. He would call her names, he would hit her. He shoved her down steps and he even shot her with a pellet gun once he told her that if she ever left, he would find her and kill her.

According to Leslie, Mike kept repeating that Janie had to die, and if Leslie didn't do it, [00:20:00] then he would, and he said, and then he would also kill Leslie. He framed it as a personal insult that Janie had gotten one over on him because the her husband's will was changed, I guess, 

and 

Melissa: doesn't

even make sense,

sir. 

Mandy: right. Leslie actually had hid the copy of the will from him to keep that 30 day clause out of his hands.

But when he found it, he was absolutely enraged and he told her, if I tell you to do something, you're gonna do it, or I'll kill you first. A few days before the murder, he had Leslie buy oversize shoes at Kmart so that her shoe prints wouldn't match. the police, you know, came looking at her shoes, then they would be thrown off.

She said she didn't call the police at this time because she didn't think anyone would take her seriously or help her. On the morning of September 12th, 2003, Mike woke her up and said, get dressed and go do it. He had already picked the clothes, which were a black turtleneck and ski pants, gloves, a mask, and those big oversized shoes.

He had her by. [00:21:00] He handed her a backpack with a towel, some wire cutters and a butcher knife, and gave her instructions to stab her mom in the neck, kidneys, and lungs, and then to stage a burglary, take her jewelry and take Lester's coin collection, Then she was supposed to leave the house in Janie's car and take the car and abandon it in another area farther away, and he would be waiting across the street in the park with a gun watching all of this go down.

So Leslie waited in the bushes by the garage at Janie's house for 15 to 20 minutes. She was terrified that if she failed at this or didn't do it, that he was going to kill both of them. When Janie opened the door from the garage to the house, Leslie slipped in behind her. She told her to keep quiet and then there was a struggle.

She smashed the phone over Janie's head and stabbed her, and then cut the phone line and searched drawers to make it look like a burglary.

Melissa: By the time Leslie left that house, Janie had suffered a level of violence that's really hard to even [00:22:00] believe. The medical examiner described deep knife wounds to the chest and neck from an eight inch butcher knife, as well as multiple blows and cuts to the head, some that were more than four inches, and a cluster of stabs to the upper back, including one that went through her body and out the chest. Her lungs and liver were punctured and her throat was cut. The defensive injuries on her arms were in the examiner's words as severe as I've seen in 40 years. the plan. As Leslie described, it started that morning when Mike handed her a backpack with a towel, wire cutters, and the butcher knife, and he told her where to stab Janie.

He said, the neck, kidney's, lungs. And then he laid out a script, make it look like a burglary. Grab jewelry in the coin collection, take Janie's car, dump it near the dam, and meet back up. He said he'd be across the street in the park with a gun. Watching the disguise really had an uglier layer to it too.

the plan included an Afro style [00:23:00] wig and a directive to abandon Janie's car in this predominantly black neighborhood. So detectives would chase the wrong target. And of course This was a deliberate attempt to push suspicion on someone else based solely on race. And it shows how calculated the staging really was. It wasn't just to hide what happened, but to steer the investigation away from them. So after the struggle inside Leslie cut the phone line, rifle drawers to stage the scene, took the jewelry and coins, and drove off in Janie's car when Mike wasn't where he said he'd be. there were calls that Leslie made from a church and a payphone. Then back home, she went where she stripped and washed off outside. Later at Mike's parents' place in Hot Springs, there was a burn pile. the knife. Leslie later said, went into the lake. The next morning. Janie's friend Mickey Holloway got worried when she didn't answer the phone. He used the garage door opener.

He saw her car was gone and found Janie [00:24:00] inside with one shoe on, one under an ottoman, and entered purse spilled everywhere. Mickey immediately told detectives to look at Leslie and Mike. Janie had confided in him that she feared they might kill her for money. She'd even told him where to check if anything ever happened. There was a small bowl under the bathroom sink where she had kept her good jewelry. He also said that Janie had talked about changing her will to keep Leslie from inheriting anything. while the scene team worked the house, Leslie and Mike did something that burned them into someone's memory. They actually decided to try and sell the coin collection that same day. So the jeweler, a lady named Deborah Adcock, said she remembered them clearly. Leslie, she said, wore a pink halter that was cut so low, quote, if you bent over you could kind of see things. And she was also wearing short shorts and high heels.

She said Mike shorts were even 

shorter, 

which I wasn't expecting. I was not part of it. I was expecting, but they [00:25:00] didn't end up buying the coins. So the two of them looked around and they left and they were home before 9:00 PM when detectives arrived.

And we have more to get into after one last break to hear word from this week's sponsors

Marker

Melissa: and now back to the episode. 

Marker

Mandy: So before the break, we were just getting more into the story about Leslie and Mike McCool and how they had devised this terrible plan to murder Leslie's mother, Janie Ballard, Unfortunately for the two of them, it didn't take the police very long to catch on that they were possibly the ones who are responsible, and they did eventually catch up to them and arrest them. The detectives immediately separated Leslie and Mike when they got to the house, and they kept them separated at the station as well.

First, they delivered the news that Janie was dead, and the reactions from Leslie and Mike really didn't match. Leslie kind of went still while Mike turned on the waterworks and put on a show in the hallway. He was hugging Leslie dramatically and just really acting like he was just so [00:26:00] devastated to hear this news.

But he stopped all of that just as fast as he started, and there were really no actual tears. Investigators later described him as being silly and cocky, and he was like a guy holding court at a gym instead of a man whose mother-in-law had just been butchered in her own home. His whole vibe was kind of look at me and not what happened to Janie.

Leslie's first statement tried to point the spotlight elsewhere. She said that she and Mike had a great relationship with Janie and she kind of floated the idea that there could be other suspects. Maybe it was an uncle who had fought with Janie about money before, or a disgruntled employee, because there, you know, was a lot, a lot of changes happening in the wake of Lester's death.

And there could be people who might potentially be upset with Janie. Detectives wrapped up the formal interview and switched the recorder off, and at that point, that's when Leslie kind of dropped her head and just said. It's not good. I did it. And from there, the floodgates [00:27:00] really opened.

She confessed that her inheritance had been cut to $25,000 and Mike had read the will and was fixated on a clause that looked like a jackpot. You know, if Janie died within 30 days of Lester, then they'd be getting a lot more than $25,000. They would get it all. So he told her how to do this and told her when.

She described the clothes that he chose, the mask and the oversized shoes, the butcher knife, and the backpack, the wire cutters, the towel, all of that. And she talked about waiting in the flower bed and the struggle that ensued inside the home, as well as cutting the phone, staging the burglary, loading up the jewelry in the coin collection, and then taking her mom's car She said that at home she stripped and washed off outside, and then in hot springs she mentioned the burn pile and how they had tossed the knife in the lake. She said Mike told her on the drive to the station to act upset and to keep his name out of it, or of course he would kill her. And she said that she was actually feeling [00:28:00] relieved that she had finally confessed.

Melissa: Mike's version of the story was a carousel of contradictions. He said Leslie was betrayed over this condo and she was angry about the will, but he insisted he knew nothing about any inheritance numbers. He claimed he was basically the Uber driver. He just dropped her off to pick up a car, and when she left the house in all black with a backpack, he asked her why. She supposedly said because she doesn't wanna be recognized. So he said he came back later on his motorcycle, saw deer And woke a sleeping postman to show them. And we assume that's to have some kind of an alibi or somebody that noticed him. But why would you wake somebody up to show him

deer? I'm sure you've seen deer 

before. 

And why is this postman asleep? I don't know. But then he goes home. two hours after Leslie called him. So he went out to where she was. She jumped into his truck with two bags, and she just blurted out that she stabbed her mother stole the car, the jewelry and the [00:29:00] coins, and he said he helped to hide her bloody clothes in a tire as.

Leverage of sorts in case she tried to pin this murder on him so then he could produce her DNA and clear himself, which is a wild thing to say. I didn't know anything about this. But once I was told, immediately I was like, I don't want her pinning this on me. Let me hide her

clothes to use it later in a court of 

law to 

say that I

didn't do it.

That's a lot of 

premeditation 

to be post meditation, uh, that he's doing. So. said, then he went to his parents' place in Hot Springs. He said Leslie burned duffle bags and tossed the knife into the lake while he just waited. He told detectives women have always controlled him, and that if he ever needed money, he would just sell cars or a house. It didn't really help that. Instead of going home after his statement. Sat out on a bench in like the hallway, and he was like laying down. He literally took a nap. He was making [00:30:00] paper airplanes like he was in study hall. But why would he just hang out at the police department unless he was waiting for

somebody to wake him up to see 

deer? 

I don't understand that. So detectives really read that as being performance and not grief. Meanwhile, Leslie's second statement, stacked details that this date later called planning. She said that he picked the outfit and the weapon told her where to stab her mom, the neck, kidneys, and lungs, and exactly how to stage the scene and where to dump the car. She said when she told him no that she wasn't gonna do this, he slammed her into a wall and promised to kill her and her mom if she talked on the way to the station, she said he told her to be convincing in court. She said, quote, the least I owed my mom was the truth. The police agreed with at least one part of that. They arrested Mike in the hallway just minutes after Leslie named him, which is

easy because he is just hanging out and sleeping in the hallway. 

Mandy: Yeah, what a weirdo.

So the months before the trial were [00:31:00] messy. Leslie filed for divorce on October 24th, 2003, and she said that life with Mike had become intolerable by March, 2004, a restraining order was issued to protect her while in custody. After some threats had been made on September 15th, both of them pleaded not guilty.

Judge Lee Munson looked at Mike and said, I see you finally made the big time. You've been coming in here for years. And yeah, that's not, that's not a good sign when the judge knows who you are. Uh, but the bond was pretty hefty. It was $1 million for Mike and 500,000 for Leslie. And this court and particular required the full amount to be paid, not just 10%.

Prosecutors split the cases because Leslie's story pointed the finger straight at Mike, so they, they weren't gonna be tried together. In May of 2004, the state took death off the table. Friends said that Janie wouldn't have wanted that for her daughter. Leslie's trial started on May 24th, 2004 in [00:32:00] Little Rock.

The jury was nine women and three men, and Leslie came in looking small and serious. She had bleach blonde hair that was clipped back, and you could see that her dark roots were showing. So she hadn't been getting her regular touch-up appointments. She was wearing a plain beige dress under a checkered jacket, had almost no makeup on.

And of course, we've seen this a lot. That's not an accident. Um, the defense wants the jury to see. The shy, obedient, conservative version of Leslie, not the pink halter, top short shorts woman from the coin shop. So the state set their theory right away. They said this was about money and anger. They said Leslie and Mike misread a clause in Leicester's will and believe that if Janie died within 30 days of Lester, then Leslie would inherit big money and they were broke.

They were furious. And so they planned this. 

Melissa: So They didn't even get it 

right. 

Mandy: They didn't even get it right. 

Melissa: Even if they got away with it, that wouldn't have happened and how absolutely insane that [00:33:00] they would've done this, but then to not even get what

you're looking out for. Like it's 

just so 

stupid all the way, like 

Mandy: or someone look over this document before you make big decisions based 

on it. 

Melissa: to kill

people. I 

Mandy: Yeah. 

Melissa: wild. 

Mandy: Yeah.

The state explained how Leslie hid outside in dark clothes and a wig, and then slipped in when her mom, Janie, opened the garage door and then cut the phone, ransacked the drawers for jewelry and the coin collection, and then went back to her mom and stabbed her in the throat just for good measure.

When the medical examiner walked through the wounds, which there were more than 70, Leslie teared up, but she did keep it together. The state told the jury she had many chances to walk away or call for help. And yes, they did agree that Mike was abusive and controlling, but not to the extent that he forced Leslie to kill anyone.

Interestingly, Arkansas actually does recognize duress even in a murder case. And if the jury believes that you committed a murder under duress, then you can be [00:34:00] acquitted. The judge also denied a request to toss manslaughter into the mix. It was either 

duress and she walks, or it was murder, and she's convicted.

Melissa: Well The defense pushed two things at once. First, the classic duress story, the controlling husband who was dressing her, ordering her, threatening her, and told her exactly where to stab her mom and where to dump the car. Second, there was this narrower mental disease or defect angle. They talked about depression, anxiety, possible PTSD, but the judge kept that walled off from the duress standard. A psychologist told jurors that Leslie looked like a battered woman. She was bright on paper, but emotionally she was immature. She was someone who learned to keep the peace by just doing what she was told. neighbors backed it up with bruises. They said they'd seen as well as an ex-boyfriend who said that she'd asked him for help. In leaving Mike Leslie herself really filled in the rest. She talked about growing up with alcohol and [00:35:00] conflict about that enmeshed bond with Janie and how Mike just swept in and completely rewrote the script. She said he picked the outfit, chose the knife, made her buy these oversized shoes, and told her if she didn't do it, he'd kill her mother and then kill her when the prosecutor pushed, And what about those last wounds to your mother's back?

Leslie said she only remembered a handful of stabs and that she confessed before police ever chased other leads because again, the lease she owed her mom was the truth. The state's closing was really blunt. They said that she wanted money. Now she wants pity, but really what she deserves is justice. The instructions were equally blunt. If you believe duress, she walks. if you don't consider first or second degree. Ultimately, the jury did not believe her. They saw planning, staging, and intent. and the verdict was capital murder. She got life without parole and just like that, Leslie went from the daughter in the photos to an [00:36:00] Arkansas inmate and her direct appeal would

go on to fail the next year. 

Mandy: Mike's trial kicked off on October 25th, 2004. There was no change of venue, even though Leslie's case had been splashed all over the papers, and her whole defense was basically, Mike made me do it. The panel of judges, in his case was seven women and five men. The state had already waived the death penalty that summer, and they framed this as an accomplice case right from the jump.

So Mike was the match in the powder keg metaphor. You know, behind the scenes. He was there directing, threatening, and I guess hopefully in his, you know, in his plan, he'd be cashing in. Three different witnesses said Janie told them she was afraid that Leslie and Mike would kill her for money, and that she was especially afraid of Mike.

The estate lawyer added that Janie was extremely afraid of him. Leslie testified to the same story that she had already told. You know, the threats, the planning, the orders, the oversized shoes, um, dropping off the car, all of that And for the defense's part, they [00:37:00] actually decided to keep Mike off the stand.

Their pitch was simpler. They said, Leslie's a liar. She admitted to doing it, and if anything, Mike maybe helped a little bit after the fact. They said, you can't talk someone into a murder. They don't already want to commit. The prosecutor's rebuttal kind of wrote itself. They pretty much just said, Hey, powder kegs don't go off alone.

And as jurors heard about Mike's money problems and the kitchen table that was littered with collection letters, bankruptcy documents, and a quick claim deed, this kind of no plan here, you know, he didn't have a part in this. That whole idea kind of lost its shine.

Melissa: Verdict time came with really less drama than you'd think. The jury found Mike guilty of first degree murder and theft of property on November 1st, 2004. The court stacked the time, 40 years for the murder, and 20 years on the theft to be served consecutively. As deputies walked him out, he said two things.

One was we may have lost the

battle, but we have not lost the 

war 

and. [00:38:00] I was like, okay there. And you did not make someone kill somebody else. Which is interesting because literally

in Arkansas they say

Absolutely that can be 

done. Yeah. But of course the war did not go his way. The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed Leslie's convictions in 2005 and affirmed Mike's in 2006. His post-conviction petitions have failed, and one claim said that his lawyer was ineffective for not introducing this critical evidence of, I guess, him having an affair with Janie, which a judge

rejected. Which, where did 

that come 

from? 

Mandy: I, for some reason, I don't think that's a real thing.

Melissa: And I don't even know how that could help 

you. That's crazy. So life inside the system really tracked what the chaos detectives have found on his kitchen table. The state ended up seizing $5,000 that a relative tried to deposit in his inmate account, And they were able to do that because there was an Arkansas law that lets the Department of Corrections [00:39:00] recoup incarceration costs from funds sent to prisoners. So after completing some programs and briefly reaching a lower security level, he ended up accumulating violations that sent him to Varner Supermax. His parole eligibility actually begins in October of 2035. Leslie's path has been quieter, but it was not gentle. She's serving life without parole at McPherson, she's had disciplinary write-ups on her record and completed programs like anger management, which the public record notes that it has no effect on our sentence.

Janie's funeral was held on September 22nd at First United Methodist Church in Little Rock. Her obituary did not name Leslie. Wow. I, I think some of the more shocking part to me is this Arkansas law that you can be, you can literally walk if you've murder someone under duress. I think that actually does make sense. There is times when that does [00:40:00] happen. 

I don't know if it happened here. 

Mandy: Yeah, I don't know. These types of stories really like genuinely scare me. Anytime you have a story where, Someone is murdered by their child. Like, it's always like, oh, okay. Like that's, you know, scary. But especially in this case this is such a common thing where parents will see red flags in a relationship that their child is in.

And like you, you don't wanna push too hard and be like, oh, you know, you, you can't, or you're not 

allowed to esp. Right, exactly. But at the same time, like, how hard is that? Like you As an outsider, being able to see the writing on the wall kind of, and see the red flags and see that this is like a dangerous person.

And of course you want to protect your child, but also thinking like. This person could be dangerous to me as well, you know, and it's like, but there's so little that you can actually do. if your child is not receptive to like hearing, you know, your thoughts about it and is not open to stepping back and taking a look at, you know, what their parents are telling them.

it's like, what can you really do? You know, we love our kids and we wanna be there for them and guide [00:41:00] them in the right direction, but it's like, it's so scary to think that a another person can come in and manipulate. Your child, you know, in that way and change them and have them changing themselves, for this relationship.

And like, that's just one of the scariest things to me because I do feel like it's something that's so, it's not in your control at all.

Melissa: No. No. and I feel like we have heard this more in younger story, you know, more like early twenties and these new relationships and somebody thinks they're in love and this person gets 'em to do it. I was surprised

that she was a little older and he's 

much 

older. I was very surprised by that, but really it's, it definitely sounds like an abusive situation.

So we don't know what she went through and I don't know, I

could see her getting an appeal or 

something, 

Mandy: Yeah, and I'm sure he was, I believe fully that he was abusive. His ex had a restraining order, he had a, you know, he had a rap sheet, he had a past. I don't doubt for one second that that man had a temper and was very intimidating and scary, and that he used that as a tactic against her. I'm not saying that that's not true, [00:42:00] but, the stories like this are just really tough and hard.

'cause, you know, Janie of course did not deserve to be murdered, but. Just the whole concept of that happening is just so scary 

Melissa: totally. 

Mandy: Alright guys. Thank you so much for listening this week. We will be back next week. Same time, same place. News story. 

Melissa: Have a great 

week. 

Mandy: Bye. 

Marker

Melissa: You know how some people meal prep on Sundays? I meal panic on Wednesdays, but ever since I

got my tovala that's been over. 

Mandy: Same for me. The last time I used mine, I made this balsamic glazed chicken with roasted carrots and I didn't have to lift a finger. The tovala oven literally did everything. It steamed, baked, and even knew when to stop.

Melissa: You just scan the meals QR code and let it do its thing. There's no more guessing, no more wondering is this raw or is it just shiny And the food actually taste

homemade, like real homemade. 

Mandy: And I've even used mine for regular groceries, like Eggo waffles and Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. It knows how to cook those too. It's like living in the future, but with [00:43:00] better snacks.

Melissa: For a limited time because you are a mom's listener, You can save up to $300 on the Valla Smart Oven when you order meals six plus times by heading to valla.com/moms and use R Code Moms. That's up to $300 off when you head to tovala.com/. And use promo code moms one last time. That's T-O-V-A-L a.com.

make sure you use our promo code Moms for up to $300 off the Tovala Smart Oven. Remember with Tovala

dinner is taken care of. 

Mandy: Hey there, it's Mandy. If you're loving moms and mysteries, you need to check out Crimes of the newest show from Crime House Studios, hosted by Sabrina Deanna Roa and Corin Vien of two girls one. Ghost Crimes of is a weekly true crime anthology series that explores a new theme each season from crimes of the paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances, and more.

Melissa: For the first season, Sabrina and Corrine are diving into crimes of infamy, The real life events behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains [00:44:00] From cult classics to massive franchises, Norman Bates, Buffalo Bill Ghostface, Jason Vorhees. The names alone are enough to send a shiver down your spine Now you'll be immersed into the chilling crimes that inspired them. Crimes of is a Crime House Original, powered by Pave Studios. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen.