Millionaire Graphic novelist sentenced to life in prison for the 2016 torture and murder of his fiancee

Blake Leibel (born May 8, 1981) is a convicted​ felon, comic book​ creator, movie screenwriter​, and animation director​. His career in the entertainment industry​ was supported by his wealthy parents who gave him over $14 million CAD in inheritance​ and allowance. In June 2018, Leibel was sentenced to life in prison​ without the possibility of parole​ for the torture​, mutilation​, and murder​ of his fiancee, Iana Kasian. [31]​ [23]​ [40]​

Leibel was a comic book​ creator, movie screenwriter​, and animation director​. His body of work includes [9] :

The space opera comic series United Free Worlds (7 issues)

Screenplay writer and director of the comedy film Bald

Director, creative consultant, storyboard supervisor, and character designer of Mel Brooks-produced TV show, Spaceballs: The Animated Series

Syndrome (2010), a graphic novel​, created with Daniel Quantz, R.J. Ryan, and David Marquez. In the opening graphic scene, a couple are bound by their ankles, hanged upside down and with their throats slashed, draining them of all blood.

Screenplay for Psychopomp, a futuristic tale about a psychopath

Blake Leibel is the son of Lorne Leibel, a wealthy Toronto-based real estate tycoon who has developed more than 30,000 homes in Greater Toronto​. For years, he and his father were estranged with Blake fighting over his mother's will. [1]

Blake Leibel's dad and brother Cody Leibel are known for their extensive collection of Ferraris, car racing, high stakes gambling, and expensive real estate in Beverly Hills, CA . In Toronto, Canada, his dad is known as "Lorne Keibel, Ferrari Man." Cody has participated in gambling clubs alongside Ben Affleck​ and Leonardo DiCaprio. [10]

His mother, Eleanor Leibel, was the daughter of Paul Chitel and Leona Chitel. The Chitel family founded Alros Products Ltd., a plastics company based in Toronto that does business under the name, Polytarp​. [14]​

Eleanor Leibel, Blake's mom, died in 2011. She was separated from Blake's father for 30 years. Blake lived with her in Forest Hill, Toronto​ and Cody lived with the dad. Near the end of her life she changed her will, no longer leaving all her inheritance to Blake. While he still inherited the bulk, a portion was given to Cody. This did not sit well with Blake, who wanted his father removed as trustee and Cody removed as beneficiary. His challenge was denied. [10]

Eleanor Leibel left Blake her Forest Hill, Toronto​ home, her art collection, an L.A. condo he lived in at the time with his then wife and child, and various other assets. Leibel sold that home in 2012 for $5.5 million, according to court records. The rest, including company shares worth $7 million, were to be split evenly between Blake and Cody. [23]​

According to the court records, Leibel had virtually no income from all his endeavours as of 2011. He told the court that when his mother died, he became completely reliant on his father to pay his “card bills.” His father, meanwhile, claimed in court documents that he and Blake’s mother had subsidized Blake’s lifestyle to the tune of some $1.8 million between 2004 and 2011. [23]​

Blake was supported by his mom during most of his stay in Los Angeles and after her death he quickly liquidized estates he received via the trust. [10] [22]​

Photo of Blake Leibel and his former wife Amanda Braun

Blake Leibel was known by co-workers as weird and eccentric guy who was also happily-married "quiet, good-natured and pleasant". However friends noticed he suddenly began acting erratically in the summer months of 2015. He abruptly deserted his wife, Amanda Braun, when she was 8-1/2 months pregnant, moved out of their Beverly Hills, California home, and filed for divorce. [1]

Blake quickly entered a relationship with Ukraine​-born Iana Kasian. She soon became pregnant, but his increasingly erratic behavior put a strain on their union. Within two weeks of Iana's giving birth on May 3, 2016, Leibel was arrested for the assault and attempted rape of another woman. Iana took the newborn and moved back with her mother. [1]

On May 20, 2016 two-and-a-half weeks after the birth of his child with Iana Kasian, police arrested Leibel on suspicion of felony rape against a third woman, whose name has not yet been released. He was released the same day on $100,000 bail. The rape charge and investigation are pending in light of the more recent murder of Kasian. [14]​

Photo of the victim Iana Kasian​, Blake Leibel's girlfriend who he tortured and murdered

Murder and Torture of Iana Kasian

On Tuesday, May 21, 2016 Iana Kasian returned to Blake Leibel's apartment to speak with him about the rape incident. etween May 23- May 26, 2016. In a seemingly deliberate attempt to mix reality with fantasy, as in the story Syndrome, Iana was drained of all blood - and had received what authorities described as sustained blunt force head trauma. [6]

Iana was found by Los Angeles Police after her mother could not reach her and they forced their way in after Leibel had barricaded the doors. [6]

After his arrest Blake Leibel was charged with one count of first degree murder​, mayhem, aggravated mayhem and torture​, along with special circumstances allegations of the murder involving torture and mayhem. Those special allegation charges make Blake eligible for the death penalty​. [18]​

Blake pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. His lawyers met with him for about 10 minutes before his plea. Lawyer Alaleh Kamran​ questioned Leibel's mental competence​, prompting Los Angeles Superior Court​ Judge Keith Schwartz to order a psychological evaluation​. [21]​ [20]​

Investigators released on autopsy​ report for Iana Kasian​ on September 20, 2017. According to the report Iana had been found dead next to her 2-month-old baby in her bed, suffering from blunt force trauma​ to the head. [19]​

Authorities said Blake Leibel had tortured and mutilated Iana she was killed and all of her blood was drained from her body. Graphic details in the recently released report also indicate that Blake had scalped or removed the scalp of Iana, leaving her skull fully exposed. Her scalp was never found. [19]​

The report indicates the scalp had been cut at the back of her head, but in other areas it appeared to have been ripped away. The report also stated portions of the right side of her face were torn off, including her right ear. [19]​

There was also an injury to her jaw, which the report said appeared to be human bite marks. [19]​

Iana Kasian's mother Olga filed a $56 million wrongful death​ lawsuit against Blake Leibel. After Iana's killing, Olga became the guardian of Kasian and Leibel's daughter. [19]​

On Wednesday, June 20, 2018, Blake Leibel was convicted by a Los Angeles jury​ of first-degree murder​, aggravated mayhem and torture​ in the killing of Iana Kasian. The jury deliberated for less than four hours before coming to the verdict​. [31]​ [33]​

During closing arguments​ at the murder trial, Deputy District Attorney. Beth Silverman told jurors that Leibel had used a sharp object — perhaps the green paring knife​ or bloodied razor​ found in the couple’s bathroom — as well as his bare hands to cut and rip pieces of her scalp​. [32]​

Kasian, who died from extreme blood loss​, was alive during much of the torture and died “a very slow, excruciating, painful death,” Silverman said, adding that the killing was patterned after “Syndrome,” a graphic novel that Leibel funded and helped develop years earlier. [32]​

The book, whose cover shows a baby doll with a partially removed scalp, includes depictions of bloodletting​. When Kasian’s body was found, prosecutors say that most of the blood had been drained from her body. [32]​