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On Tuesday, December 6, 39-year-old convicted killer James Curtis Leonard was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife in Moscow, Idaho.
Days after his arrest, many netizens have begun to speculate that James Curtis Leonard may be behind the November 13 murders of four University of Idaho students due to his criminal history and the proximity of his trailer park to the crime scene, The New York Post reported.
However, James Curtis Leonard's wife told reporters that he had no connection to the massacre. While she acknowledged her husband's violent behavior, she said he had no reason to harm the students.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of domestic violence. Reader discretion is advised.
All there is to know about James Curtis Leonard
As per Big Country News, James Curtis Leonard's criminal record dates back to 2007, when he shot and killed 25-year-old Moscow resident Tyler Lee Pace in Genesee, Idaho.
While Leonard claimed that he had killed Pace in self-defense, he was charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting. In 2009, he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, leading to an initial sentence of 15 years in prison by the then Second District Court Judge, Jeff Brudie.
Five months into Leonard's sentence, Brudie placed Leonard on a five-year probation, much to the opposition of Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson. Leonard did not have any further brushes with the law until the night of December 6, when his wife reported to Moscow authorities that the suspect assaulted her and his daughter.
According to local police, Leonard was accused of choking his wife before punching his child several times and then violently dragging her by the hair. He was reportedly armed with a knife, which he used to threaten his wife before supposedly self-harming as officers arrived at the scene. He was allegedly heavily intoxicated, with authorities finding marijuana in his system.
Despite the suspect’s volatile behavior, his wife told reporters that the rumor that he murdered the four students was unfounded.
She said:
“There’s a lot of crazy stuff going on, but my husband had nothing to do with what happened up there. People on the internet are trying to pin the murders on him. I had to get off that social media.”
She added that the accusations made by online "sleuths" had led to the family becoming targets of harassment.
She said:
“I told police that we are tired of all the threats, harassment and allegations. Our family has been in danger because of all these false statements being made on the internet.”
She also alleged that the 2007 murder of Pace was in self-defense, just as her husband had claimed. James Curtis Leonard is currently facing multiple domestic violence-related charges.
