Blake Leibel, a 35-year-old graphic novelist, has been charged with mutilating, torturing, and killing his 30-year-old girlfriend, who had given birth to their three weeks earlier.
Iana Kasian was found dead by authorities inside the home she shared with Leibel in West Hollywood last Thursday, after Kasian's mother had reported her missing. The Associated Press reported that Leibel pleaded not guilty to the charges on Tuesday, but could face the death penalty if he's convicted of first-degree murder.
Much of Leibel's work has centered on dark themes. On a Tumblr page that appears to belong to Leibel, the author once described his 2010 graphic novel, Syndrome, as a work "that grappled with the questions surrounding what provokes a person to commit evil acts."
The question, now, is whether or not this aspect of Leibel's creative life found its way into his real life.
In a press release published Tuesday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said Leibel was arrested on May 26, and is accused of having killed Kasian sometime between the dates of May 23 and May 26.
The office described Kasian as having been "tortured and mutilated before she was killed and all of her blood was drained from her body." It added that Leibel had barricaded himself inside of the apartment with Kasian's body when authorities arrived at the scene. The LA Times reported that Lt. Dave Coleman of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department described Leibel as "agitated and uncooperative" at the time of his arrest.
The Associated Press reported that Leibel, who is also a director and gaming enthusiast, was arrested on sexual assault charges one week before the discovery of Kasian's body. However, Leibel was reportedly released the same day he was booked after posting $100,000 bail.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office declined Complex's request for comment.
