This book chronicles the bizarre tale of Mechele Hughes and the murder of Kent “TT” Leppink. Mechele worked as an exotic dancer at the Great Alaskan Bush Company in Anchorage, Alaska. The story gives background on her life leading up to the murder. As you are reading it, the author truly makes you want to beat the ever loving crap out of her. She was very materialistic and her only focus in life was on money and what she could get out of people.
The moment Kent met her at the club, he was instantly smitten with her. Almost on the verge of obsession, he catered to her every need and followed her around like a puppy. Soon after, they became engaged and this is the point where the story gets more bizarre. Mechele soon finds two more suitors who also become her fiancés as well, one of which is John Carlin III and the other Scott Hilke. How is it that each man did not know about the other? Scott lived the furthest away and Mechele would travel out of town to see him.
Prior to Kent’s murder, Mechele had him running around like an errand boy and spending thousands of dollars to fix up her house. Mechele and John lure Kent away to a cabin by leaving a note and this brings an end to his demise. Luckily, Kent had mailed a letter to his parents specifically implying that if he was found dead, it was due to Mechele and John and it made reference to the life insurance policy that Mechele made him take out. How fitting that he had her removed before his death, so she would have not gained anything by him being dead. This one piece of evidence helped to convict her and John in the case.
The story follows the events leading after the murder and Michele’s whereabouts and that she had sent a computer to her sister to have the hard drive wiped out. Luckily, her sister did not follow through and contacted the authorities. The investigators were so close on her heels and found out that she was traveling with John’s son in a motor home. Nearly ten years goes by and a new identity emerges and Mechele is now a Doctors’ wife and a mother. Finally, justice is served and she is given a 99 year sentence for conspiracy to commit murder. We also learn that John Carlin III is bludgeoned to death in prison.
I liked this book and the author’s research that he did. It read like a novel and it reminded me of Forensic Files on television. It is a very quick read and I would recommend it to anybody who is into the True Crime genre. ( )