Posted on 05/02/2008 9:46:50 AM PDT by Santa Fe_Conservative
SANTEE, California (AP) -- Marie Walsh kept a low profile for 32 years, trying to escape her past life as Susan LeFevre.
She raised three children with her husband of 23 years, Alan, who never knew she was using an assumed identity. Authorities wanted her for escaping from a Detroit prison a year into a maximum 20-year sentence on heroin charges.
Now, LeFevre, 53, is in jail awaiting extradition from California to Michigan on an escape warrant.
She was arrested April 24 outside her home in San Diego's posh Carmel Valley area, wearing a sweat suit and driving a black Lexus SUV. Authorities say her cover was blown by an anonymous caller who tipped Michigan authorities to her new name.
"It's been a secret no one knew for so long, and now everyone knows," LeFevre said in an interview Wednesday at Las Colinas Detention Facility in Santee, a San Diego suburb. "I hope there's some mercy."
LeFevre, who grew up the second of five children, was just 19 when she was arrested during an undercover drug operation in Thomas Township, outside Saginaw, Michigan, in 1974. She said she got into drugs after graduating from her Catholic high school because she was despondent over the death of her teenage sweetheart in the Vietnam War.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I just spit out my soda through my nose, lol
The new judge's answer is simple: she has already been sentenced. My work is done. Put her back in the system and let her serve her time.
The fact that she is an escapee doesn't raise any new legal issues.
Haven’t heard one way or the other about whether she has kept her nose clean since her youth. Just because she is “middle class” and drives a nice car doesn’t mean anything.
However I did hear she was arrested for several sales of heroin to undercover cops. She was not much of user, but was a dealer, and not an insignificant one either. This was not the case of a young kid arrested for buying and possessing a small amount of pot for personal consumption. She dealt heroin.
That said, if this was a first offense the penalty seems harsh. Have no details about whether she had other offenses, even as juvenile. Seems like her family could have pursued the appeals approach instead of busting her out.
Wonder who fingered her, and why?
Well, we've already learned that she has engaged in Social Security fraud, so I wouldn't exactly call her rehabilitated.
AW MAN! Isn’t making her come back to MICHIGAN enough punishment?
I concur with both of you...however, you can’t reward a successful escape..just because she managed to stay hidden for a long time..whereas if she was picked up after a year..she’d go right back to jail for her full sentence.
I think something like 3 years in a minimum security prison..club fed type...where she could do a lot of good counseling other first time offenders..and then 10 years of community service. There is then the posibility that after, say, one year of incarceration, she could apply for parole..early release.
And who do you think will play her in her Lifetime movie story...wanna bet she makes several million in a book and movie deal?
According to the articles I read, she wasn’t much of a heroin user, but was dealing. She had sold to undercover cops at least twice.
She was not a kid caught with a small amount for her own consumption. She was with a group that was dealing making thousands of dollars a week (30 years ago).
I get your point - do you feel justice will be served for a drug conviction 30 years ago by this 53 year old serving the next 20 years (pretty much a life sentence) in a maximum security prison?
I understand your point, and it's a legitimate one. But drug abuse harms more people than the drug-user himself. Drug abuse takes a toll on everyone the user comes in contact with. The severity of the damage depends on proximity to the user. The user's immediate family suffers most, and the effect radiates outwards. Do you know any drug abusers? They can cause a tremendous amuont of damage to other people.
Still, I would consider legalization if drugs were taxed heavily, and revenues were poured into treatment programs. Families would also have to be allowed to force drug abusing family members into either confinement or treatment.
I think that episode was based on the true story of the housewife from Minnesota, in a terrorist cell way back while in collgewho helpede plant a bomb that killed a police officer in California. I believe she received a 20 year sentence.
Here's a sad thing to consider: If she'd done her 20 for this non-violent crime, what do you think her rehabilitation chances would have been once she got out?
My guess here is young, naive, basically good person, but got in with some bad people. 20 years in prison probably would have ruined any chance for a productive life.
I won't take that bet, that was probably the second thing her lawyer asked after what their credit rating was...
That's for sure.
However I did hear she was arrested for several sales of heroin to undercover cops. She was not much of user, but was a dealer, and not an insignificant one either. This was not the case of a young kid arrested for buying and possessing a small amount of pot for personal consumption. She dealt heroin.
You've hit the nail on the head. She was not some ditzy 19 year old chippy who was fooled into it. She dealt hard drugs.
That said, if this was a first offense the penalty seems harsh.
Well, she was selling heroin.
And I am going to guess that in post-riots Detroit, a judge would think twice about giving a light sentence to a white girl that he would never give to a black man her age.
Seems like her family could have pursued the appeals approach instead of busting her out.
It looks like her family had two factions: one of which busted her out. Her parents were probably going the legal route.
Wonder who fingered her, and why?
Good question. I wonder if it might be an enraged relative of the dead woman whose identity she stole.
You made some good point and I agree with some of them.
I have not read anything indicating that a review of her life since her escape found it to have been “above reproach”. They are probably still investigating; she did use an number of aliases as she moved around. And she did put her family at risk for criminal prosecution instead of pursuing the appeals process and other legal avenues, including doing her time for dealing heroin.
She didn’t get sentenced to 20 yrs for being caught smoking a joint. She was a heroin dealer, probably dealing to other teens.
By the time someone is 19 the taxpayers have invested about $200,000 in them. To have a young person fry their brains before paying back this investment should be a serious crime.
If you want the benefits of being a citizen of a modern civilization then you have to accept the rules and responsibilities that come with it.
Well, we’ve already learned that she has engaged in Social Security fraud, so I wouldn’t exactly call her rehabilitated.
__________
Misappropriating the ID was part of the escape, which is also a crime you can add to her list. Three strikes for her.
Social Security fraud sounds like drawing funds fraudulently, faking disability or some such.
Take her back.
Book her into the county joint for a day or three.
Then grant her 20 years time off for 32 years of good behavior with no repeat offenses, and release her to go back home to the hubby and kids.
Just don’t tell her that’s the plan up front; let her sweat it out for 72 hours or so.
After all this time living clean on the outside, I think all that’d be punishment enough.
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