Canadian Artist Accused Of Killing Girlfriend, Draining Her Blood

Story out of Los Angeles, California: 

An artist and screenwriter from a prominent Canadian family was charged Tuesday with torturing, killing and draining the blood from the body of his girlfriend at their West Hollywood apartment.

Appearing in a Los Angeles courtroom, Blake Leibel, 35, pleaded not guilty to felony charges including murder, torture, mayhem and aggravated mayhem, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Leibel is accused of killing his 30-year-old girlfriend, Iana Kasian, sometime between May 23 and May 26 at the apartment in the 8500 block of Holloway Drive, prosecutors said.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies came to the apartment on May 26 on the request of Kasian’s mother, who asked them to perform a welfare check, Sheriff's Deputy Sara Rodriguez said.

Inside the flat, deputies found a grisly scene.

Before she was killed, Kasian had been tortured, her body mangled. “All of her blood was drained from her body,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement.

Leibel had barricaded himself in the apartment, putting furniture and bedding to block the door, sheriff’s Lt. Dave Coleman told reporters. He seemed “agitated and uncooperative,” Coleman added.

Leibel was taken into custody and has been held without bail. He is scheduled to undergo a mental competency evaluation after his attorney raised doubts about his mental fitness. Cont.

Story from - Los Angels Times