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The conviction of Leslie MacKool and Mike MacKool took place in May 2004 for the cold-blooded murder of Leslie's 58-year-old mother, Janie Ballard. Ballard was stabbed to death 70 times on September 13, 2003, possibly out of anger owing to inheritance concerns.
Janie Ballard's only daughter, Leslie MacKool, attacked her mother under the instructions of her husband, Mike MacKool, as he was under the impression that Leslie would be inheriting $750,000 from her parents' wealth, according to Fox News. While Leslie has been sentenced to life in prison, Mike is looking at 60 years of life behind bars.
The Seduced to Slay episode titled The Good Girl showcases Janie Ballard's murder as the synopsis reads:
"When recently widowed Janie Ballard is found brutally murdered in her home, police suspect it's a home invasion gone wrong; when detectives learn that Janie's husband left her with a sizeable estate, their list of suspects turns personal."
What did Leslie MacKool and Mike MacKool do? Details Explored
Janie Lee Connor Ballard was found fatally stabbed to death 70 times inside her Little Rock home on September 13, 2003. Her throat was slit so deep that it was barely attached to her spine. The body was found covered in blood as it had spread all over the furniture. Ballard's body was soaking in her blood.
The former Detective with the Little Rock Police Department, Steve Moore, described the crime scene to Fox News Digital saying:
"The way the throat was cut was brutal. And then you had all the stab wounds – these were all pretty deep. Any number of them would’ve been fatal without the throat-cutting."
One of Janie Ballard's cars was missing while some expensive jewelry and a precious coin collection belonging to Lester Kenneth Ballard were reported missing during the investigation.
While the local police treated this as a case of home invasion, Moore was convinced that there was more to it as he said:
"It was obvious that there was a lot of rage, a lot of anger involved. It’s probably one of the more brutal cases I’ve ever come across. And this was a woman in her 50s in her own home. … This doesn’t happen, especially a murder with so much brutality, so much anger. It was obvious that whoever did this … just couldn’t control themselves. They couldn’t stop."
As the police reached out to Janie's only daughter, Leslie MacKool, she allegedly reacted oddly and her wailing convinced investigators to interrogate her. It was then that she agreed to have killed her mother, Janie Ballard.
Why were Leslie MacKool and Mike MacKool arrested?
Leslie MacKool, at 27, faced alleged coercion from her 50-year-old husband, Mike MacKoolwho was 23 years older than her. According to NBC News:
"Leslie MacKool was given only $25,000 of her father's $1.5 million to $2 million estate in the revised will he made after she became involved with Mike MacKool."
Their financial dependency on the Ballard family heightened when Leslie received only $25,000 from her father's multimillion-dollar estate due to a revised will. Fearful of financial instability, Leslie, painted her face black and wore a wig while waiting in the bushes, ambushed Jane under the influence of Mike.
Leslie was charged with capital murder and theft of property conviction. She was sentenced to life without parole for an additional 60 months in May 2004. Meanwhile, Mike MacKool was already on the criminal record for a case of manslaughter when he was 17. Mike was sentenced to 40 years for a first-degree murder conviction and 20 years for theft of property conviction.
Where are Leslie MacKool and Mike MacKool now?
Leslie MacKool remains incarcerated at the McPherson Unit at 302 Corrections Drive in Newport, Arkansas while Mike MacKool is serving his sentence at the Varner Unit on State Highway 388 in Gould, Arkansas. According to Fox News, Leslie had pled innocent because of mental disorders or defects during her trial.
Season 1 Episode 5 airs on December 18, 2023, at 10 p.m. EST on Investigation Discovery.
