On May 26, 2016, the lifeless body of 30-year-old Iana Kasian was discovered in the West Hollywood apartment she shared with her fiancé, Blake Leibel.
Kasian’s body was found lying on the bed, with Leibel at her side. She had been subjected to horrific torture, mutilation, and exsanguination. Authorities described the crime scene as unlike anything they had ever encountered before.
The Victim and Perpetrator
Iana Kasian was a Ukrainian immigrant who had worked as a tax lawyer in her home country before moving to the United States in 2014 to pursue a career as a model. She had recently given birth to a daughter with her fiancé, Blake Leibel, just three weeks before her murder.
Leibel, Kasian’s killer, was a former Canadian comic book creator and graphic novelist who came from a wealthy family. His father, Lorne Leibel, was a prominent Toronto real estate mogul and Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee, while his mother was an heiress to the Alros Products fortune.
In 2010, Leibel had published a graphic novel called “Syndrome” which depicted the brutal murder of a man “by slitting his throat and hanging him by his ankles so he bled out”. Disturbingly, the details of Kasian’s murder seemed to mirror the violence described in Leibel’s own work of fiction.
The Events Leading Up to the Murder
In the weeks leading up to the murder, Kasian’s mother Olga had become increasingly concerned about her daughter’s wellbeing. Olga reported that Leibel was extremely controlling of Kasian, and would constantly threaten to leave her if she did not comply with his demands, even going so far as to insist Kasian allow their newborn daughter to live with Olga so that Kasian could focus solely on their relationship.
On May 23, 2016, just three days before the murder, Olga was shopping with Iana when Iana suddenly received a series of text messages from Leibel. Iana’s demeanor changed immediately, and she told Olga “I’m going to him”, before leaving to return to their shared apartment. This was the last time Olga would see her daughter alive.
The next day, when Olga was unable to reach Iana despite repeated attempts, she called the police. It took several days for authorities to gain entry to the apartment, as the doors were locked and barricaded from the inside. When they finally broke through, they discovered the horrific crime scene that awaited them.
The Gruesome Discovery and Investigation
When police entered the apartment, they first noticed blood in the hallway leading to the bedrooms. The master bedroom door was also locked, and when they broke it down, they encountered Leibel, who yelled that Iana was not home.Upon entering the bedroom, the officers were confronted with a scene of unimaginable brutality. Iana Kasian’s mutilated body was found on the bed, with Leibel at her side.
Her entire scalp had been traumatically removed, and portions of her face, including her right ear, had been torn off. Authorities also noted that Kasian appeared to have been completely drained of blood.
Leibel was immediately arrested and charged with first-degree murder, torture, mayhem, and aggravated mayhem. Prosecutors alleged that the murder was directly inspired by the violent content of Leibel’s own graphic novel “Syndrome”, which had depicted similarly gruesome killings.
The Conviction and Sentencing
In June 2018, after a highly publicized trial, a Los Angeles jury convicted Blake Leibel of first-degree murder, aggravated mayhem and torture in the death of Iana Kasian. Jurors deliberated for less than four hours before reaching their verdict.
During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman told the jury that Kasian had endured a “slow, excruciating, painful death” at the hands of Leibel, who had used sharp objects and his bare hands to mutilate and dismember her.
Graphic photographs of Kasian’s injuries were shown to the court, eliciting reactions of shock and horror from the jurors, Kasian’s mother, and even Leibel’s own brother.
On June 26, 2018, Leibel was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his heinous crimes. Iana Kasian’s mother, Olga, filed a $56 million wrongful death lawsuit against Leibel. A judge awarded her $41.6 million, and also granted guardianship of Kasian and Leibel’s young daughter.