What happened to Janie Ballard? Details explored ahead of Seduced to Slay on Investigation Discovery

Janie Ballard was a 58-year-old widow, living in Little Rock, Arkansas, who had recently lost her husband, Lester Ballard in August 2003. Less than a month after that, Janie was found brutally murdered inside her house on September 13, 2003. One of Janie's friends had been trying to call her but when he couldn't reach her, he decided to visit her only to discover her dead.

Janie Ballard was found stabbed to death with nearly 70 stab wounds found on her body and her throat slit open, almost decapitating her. The Little Rock Police Department was shaken by the scene of the murder and as per Fox News, they described it as "a blitz attack".

Investigation Discovery's series Seduced to Slay season 1 episode 5 will take a look at Janie Ballard's 2003 murder. The episode which was originally aired in December 2023, will be re-aired on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 8 pm ET.

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Seduced to Slay on Investigation Discovery - How was Janie Ballard murdered?

A picture of Janie Ballard, her husband Lester, and daughter Leslie (image via Peacock)

Janie Ballard, a resident of Little Rock, Arkansas, was found stabbed to death and her throat slit with as many as 70 stab wounds to her body. She was found inside her home less than a month after her husband had passed away.

The Little Rock Police initially suspected her son-in-law, Mike MacKool who was linked to a murder in the past. However, they soon discovered that it was Janie's daughter, Leslie MacKool who had killed her.

As per Fox News, the investigating officer on the case, Detective Steve Moore, described the crime scene as "one of the most brutal cases" he had ever seen. Upon arrival at Janie's house, the police found that the phone lines had been cut and some jewelry scattered around the floor.

In ID's Seduced to Slay, detective Moore recalled the scene saying that there was blood everywhere, "all over the floor" and some on the furniture. He said that Janie was also "soaked [in blood] from head to toe."

"When we moved her head, it was barely attached to the spine. It was cut from ear to ear. The way the throat was cut was brutal. And then you had all the stab wounds – these were all pretty deep," the detective said.

The police notified Janie's daughter, Leslie MacKool, and during her questioning session, Leslie confessed to the murder of her mother.

According to NBC News, Leslie's counsel later stated that her husband Mike MacKool's dominating attitude motivated her to commit the crime. She supposedly feared that if she handled the murder incorrectly, her husband would kill her. Eventually, both of them were charged with capital murder and sentenced to jail.

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Why did Leslie MacKool and Mike MacKool murder Janie Ballard?

The residents of Little Rock, Arkansas were shocked when they heard that Janie Ballard was murdered by her only daughter Leslie MacKool. The Ballard's neighbors told police officers that Leslie was Lester and Janie Ballard's only daughter and was pampered by them. She was also reportedly close to her parents while growing up. After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Leslie even joined the family business.

However, she turned into a different person after meeting the man who would become her husband, Mike MacKool. The couple reportedly met when Leslie was 24 and Mike was 47, 23 years her senior.

As per Fox News, Leslie reportedly changed her entire personality to suit Mike and that her parents didn't really like Mike.

Leslie and Mike MacKool (image via Instagram/@southernfriedtruecrime)

Although Leslie and Mike married, despite her parents' disapproval, Janie Ballard had made her feelings about Mike very clear to her daughter. However, she was increasingly worried about her following Lester's death in 2003.

After Lester's death, Janie cut off Leslie from the family business and inheritance. Leslie confronted Janie about the matter and learned that she would inherit only $25,000 instead of $750,000.

The Ballard's had a net worth of around $2 million and Mike thought Leslie would inherit all of it after Lester's death. The couple misread his will and believed that Leslie could still inherit the money if her mother died within 30 days of Lester's death.

Mike MacKool orchestrated the murder and bought dark clothes and oversized shoes for Leslie. After she killed Janie, he disposed of the murder weapon and hid her clothes. As per Leslie's lawyers, Mike coerced her into committing the crime and she committed it, fearing her own life.

Leslie was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to spend her life in prison. Her husband Mike was convicted of two charges, first-degree murder, for which he was sentenced to 40 years, and theft of property, for which he was to serve 20 years.

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Discover all the details about Janie Ballard's murder when Episode 5 of Seduced to Slay re-airs on ID on May 11, 2024.