Blake Leibel


Blake Leibel is a Canadian convicted murderer. He had previously been a comic book creator, graphic novelist, screenwriter, and a fledgling animated film director, residing in Los Angeles, California. In June 2018, Leibel was convicted of first-degree murder of his fiancée, Iana Kasian.

Family background

Blake Leibel was born to two notable Canadian families. His father, Lorne Leibel, is of Jewish descent and is a prominent Toronto real estate mogul and Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee who sailed for Canada in the 1976 Summer Olympics. His mother was Alros Products heiress Eleanor Chitel Leibel, whose father, Paul Chitel, held several patents. He has a brother named Cody.
The source of his family's fortune comes from his grandfather, Stanley Leibel, who sailed in the 1968 Summer Olympics, then developed thousands of homes in the Toronto area with his sons, Lorne and Cory. Leibel's paternal aunt is Canadian journalist Terry Leibel, host of the CBC's Olympic coverage for the 1996, 2002, 2004 and 2006 Games.

Torture and murder of Iana Kasian

After barricading himself in his West Hollywood apartment; on May 26, 2016, Leibel was taken into police custody following their discovery of the corpse of his fiancée, 30-year-old Ukrainian former tax office prosecutor and fledgling model Iana Kasian, mutilated, drained of blood, and lying in their bed. Their infant daughter was in the care of Iana's mother, who was visiting from Ukraine, and staying in a nearby apartment. Leibel was subsequently charged with murder, torture, mayhem, and aggravated mayhem, to which he pleaded not guilty.
An autopsy report was released on September 20, 2017, listing Kasian's causes of death as exsanguination and head trauma.
A civil lawsuit filed by the victim's mother, Olga Kasian, included transcripts of Los Angeles County Coroner Dr. James Ribe's deposition, which stated:
In June 2018, Leibel was convicted of first-degree murder, with supplemental charges of torture and mayhem. He was given a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. Leibel is currently serving his sentence at the California Correctional Institution.