He Killed and Ate His Girlfriend Nearly 40 Years Ago. Here’s Why His Parole Is Now Being Reversed

The California Board of Parole Hearings rescinded their connection of parole to a man who was sentenced to 25 years to life for sidesplitting his girlfriend, raping her corpse and eating a portion of her body. 

Leslie Closner was sentenced to 25 years to life aft pleading blameworthy to first-degree execution successful 1988. He will stay successful situation for nan remainder of his life until different parole proceeding is required by law, nan Sutter County District Attorney said successful a statement. 

On Oct. 16, 1987, Closner and his woman Jan Ferguson checked into a motel for her daughter’s wedding. The mates sewage into a conflict erstwhile Closner shoved Ferguson onto nan level and strangled her to death, according to a parole reappraisal archive obtained by PEOPLE. 

After Closner killed Ferguson, he moved her assemblage to a bed, ripped her apparel disconnected and raped her dormant corpse, according to nan parole reappraisal document. He attempted to springiness Ferguson mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but erstwhile that didn’t work, he fled from nan motel room. 

After leaving, Closner realized that he near his wallet successful nan edifice room, truthful he climbed done an unfastened model to get it, nan parole reappraisal archive said. He past had activity pinch Ferguson’s corpse again and spot disconnected some of her nipples and swallowed them.

According to nan parole reappraisal document, Closner past fled nan motel but turned himself successful to Oregon constabulary 2 days later.

In a 2018 decision to contradict Closner parole, erstwhile California Governor Jerry Brown wrote that this wasn’t Closner’s first fierce crime. During Closner and Ferguson’s 5 twelvemonth relationship, he allegedly inflicted repeated affectional and beingness maltreatment connected her. 

During a short separation, Closner followed Ferguson astir “to nan constituent of obsessing complete her,” nan parole reappraisal archive said. 

Closner told nan committee during a parole hearing, “I was really obsessed pinch her, and this obsession was sexual, um, and it conscionable — it spiraled into moreover much and much heightened hostility betwixt us.”

He was besides successful an abusive narration pinch his ex-wife, nan parole reappraisal archive said. In 1 instance, he attempted to strangle her to nan constituent wherever she couldn’t breathe. Their matrimony ended successful divorce, aft his ex-wife revenge for a restraining order. 

Brown wrote successful his determination to contradict Closner parole that he didn’t deliberation Closner knew why he has convulsive tendencies. When nan committee asked him why he committed specified an appalling crime, Closner said, “My position is that I was dealing pinch some, you know, antagonistic halfway issues that widen backmost from early puerility and successful narration pinch my mother.”

Closner said during a parole reappraisal that he believes his convulsive tendencies came from nan truth that he was physically abused arsenic a kid and saw his mother’s naked body. 

A scientist said successful 2014 that Closner said astir his mother differently, “sometimes pinch anger and sometimes pinch a tasteful voice” and that astatine immoderate constituent during their interview, he "seemed to go sexually excited arsenic he described watching his mother undress,” nan parole reappraisal archive said. 

Former Governor Brown wrote that Closner poses an unreasonable threat to nine if he was to beryllium released. 

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“The group would for illustration to convey nan victim’s family for their dedication each these years, for attending each proceeding and representing their loved 1 truthful fiercely,” nan territory attorney’s agency said successful a statement. “The Sutter County District Attorney’s Office will proceed to correspond nan group of nan authorities of California successful these hearings, speaking up for justness for nan family of his unfortunate and nan well-being of nan community,” 

If you are experiencing home violence, telephone nan National Domestic Violence Hotline astatine 1-800-799-7233, aliases spell to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is disposable 24/7 successful much than 170 languages.