Leann Fletcher Dies Amid a Love Triangle
(“Naked Justice,” Forensic Files)
“Naked Justice” is one of those Forensic Files episodes that make you equally perturbed about a) the murder itself and b) the way the killer insults our intelligence with his cover story.
The case also stands out for the specs on the other woman. Michael “Mick” Fletcher wanted to trade in his wife not for an exotic dancer or a fawning administrative assistant — but rather for a district court judge named Susan Chrzanowski. She made $104,000 a year, was respected for her work helping juvenile offenders, and even got a mention in Time magazine.
Love at First Sight. But instead of starting a new life with his great catch of a girlfriend, the 29-year-old lawyer ended up beginning a life sentence in a Michigan state prison less than a year after he shot Leann Fletcher, also 29.
For this week, I searched to find out whether Fletcher’s legal training has won him any leniency.
So let’s get started on a recap of “Naked Justice” along with additional information drawn from internet research:
Wife the main wage earner. Leann Misener was working in sales and dreaming of finding her Mr. Wonderful when she fell in love with Michigan State University undergrad Michael “Mick” Fletcher at a Halloween party.
They married in 1993. She supported him financially through law school and looked forward to becoming a stay-at-home mom. They moved to Hazel Park, a suburb of Detroit, and had a daughter in 1996.
He went to work as a criminal defense attorney.
It’s not clear which came first, but Judge Susan Chrzanowski started steering a lot of valuable case work his way and the two began having a torrid affair. They worked at the same court complex building in Warren, Michigan, and Fletcher had been a research clerk for her.
Near divorce. Forensic Files maintains that Chrzanowski, then 33 and recently divorced, believed Mick’s classic cheating-husband line about having a platonic relationship with his wife.
At some point, he filed for divorce from Leann, but they reconciled, and he impregnated her again.
He spread some devoted-husband gloss over his infidelity by giving Leann a sweet card about his happiness over their upcoming second child.
It was one of a number of gestures he began making in the months leading up to the shooting, according to Leann’s father, Jack Misener.
“He was sucking up to her and making her all kinds or promises,” Misener said during an American Justice interview from 2004.
Oh, shoot. Surely, no one would suspect a sweet husband like him of plotting to kill his wife, Fletcher must have reasoned.
He even tried to make the murder part of a date night, albeit an unorthodox one. On August, 16, 1999, he left his daughter, Hannah, age 3, with his in-laws, then took Leann to the shooting range to teach her how to use a gun.
They returned home and had sex. He then capped off the evening by calling 911 and, in a performance that redefines sniveling fake spouse-hysterics, pleaded for help after his wife accidentally shot herself while he was out of the room. He claimed she was reloading a gun when it happened.
Odds against him. That part alone strained credibility. How often do you hear of a woman shooting herself by mistake?
According to a CDC study, 86 percent of the 582 people who die of unintentional self-inflicted gun wounds annually are men.
It gets more implausible.
Investigators determined the bullet originated at a distance of at least 12 inches from Leann’s head, entered through her ear, and traveled a straight horizontal line from there. A person would need monkey arms to create that kind of wound, the police maintained.
Cache prize. Oh, and instead of putting some clothes on his wife before the EMT’s got there that night, Mr. Husband of the Year left her half-undressed on the floor.
The police theorized that Fletcher planned the shooting range trip so there would be an explanation for any gunpowder residue on his skin or attire.
But he couldn’t explain away the high-velocity blood splatter on his clothing
Investigators subsequently discovered a trove of steamy notes exchanged between Mick Fletcher and Susan Chrzanowski via both e-mail and good old greeting cards. They even found at least one picture of the judge “disrobed,” if you will.
Small fall from grace. Although the salacious headlines about the case undoubtedly embarrassed the judge, she “tried to put on a brave face” and continued to work and show up at community functions, according to a Detroit Free Press account from October 22, 1999.
Nonetheless, by February 2001, Chrzanowski’s stumble had found its way into a Time story called “Dial M for Misconduct”:
“[She] journeyed from pillar of the community to key witness at her married lover’s murder trial and then to focal point of public rancor over the deceit and misconduct produced by the desires that lurk beneath black robes.
By this time, her former flame Fletcher had been convicted of second-degree murder and gotten a life sentence plus two years on a felony firearms charge on July 28, 2000.
Career continues. Chrzanowski received a six-month suspension in December 2001 for steering cases — which she presided over as a judge — to Fletcher and initially lying about her relationship with him. The authorities never implicated her in the murder, however.
She resumed her position as a judge and stayed in the job until 2003, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Her work history leaves a gap for the three-year period afterward. In 2006, she started her own practice specializing in criminal and family law in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Her LinkedIn profile lists her current job as president of Susan Chrzanowski PLLC.
Former boyfriend Mick Fletcher hasn’t caught any breaks. He lives behind 12-foot-high razor-ribbon fences at the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer, Michigan. It’s a Level II prison, which in Michigan means low to medium security.
Food for thought. He has remained tattoo-free, according to his profile, but prison meals appear to have added around 40 pounds to his once-slender 5-foot-10-inch frame.
Michigan prisons recently ended their contract with food providers Aramark Correctional Services and Trinity Services Group, and Fletcher will have plenty of time to savor the new cuisine.
His request for another trial, based on the claim that reenactments of the crime unfairly influenced the jury, was rejected in 2004.
And the Michigan Department of Corrections lists his minimum sentence as “Life.”
That’s all for this week. Until next time, cheers. — RR
Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube or Amazon Prime
andonline
Mr. Husband of the Year. Love it.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: It’s amazing that people would rather commit murder and risk going to jail than to simply get a divorce. I know that a cheating husband who walks out on his pregnant wife is likely to get taken to the cleaners in the settlement, but still.
Especially considering he had many prime earning years left and a well-to-do girlfriend — a divorce wouldn’t have completely broken him financially
I guess he also wants to preserve his self-image in front of his in-laws. If he gets a divorce, his self-image will have been shattered.
His motive per FF was said to be that he’d lied to his GF that he wasn’t having sex with his wife, as the GF had said she’d leave him if so. The wife’s pregnancy would’ve proved he lied. The judge being thick-as-shit, she said she believed his lies – yet here’s a woman who knows her BF is lying to his wife (chronically), yet assumes he’s honest with her… She KNEW she was seeing a serial liar and adulterer.
Probably, too, there was the divorce cost factor. Having just seen this ep here in UK, I agree with the family member who asked how he could’ve been found guilty of only second-degree murder when premeditation – the gun range, etc – seems pretty clear set-up evidence.
I wonder if the GF was aware that he and the wife split for some time, the wife intent on divorce after correctly suspecting his affair, yet they reconciled? If she did it makes her position (and no-sex condition) implausible and absurd; if she didn’t it makes him even more perverse in continuing the affair and murdering when he was was so near to divorce.
He was a criminal defense attorney yet he convinced himself that he could concoct a diabolical murder scheme to fool the investigators. There were numerous elements of the crime scene that were fundamentally inconsistent with an accidental self-inflicted gunshot. He should be added an additional life sentence just for being incredibly foolish.
Thanks for this, RR. Yet another illustration of the clever criminal who becomes criminally stupid in commission of the crime. As a criminal lawyer, was he ignorant of how murderers are typically convicted forensically? As others ask, given the terrible personal stakes (not to mention the possibility that one’s conscience might eventually be in turmoil at the terrible burden of a murder), why risk it?
Why second-degree, I wonder? There seems to’ve been clear premeditation. And that judge got off lightly. White, educated privilege again? Attempting to pervert the course of justice (as it’s termed here) would be severely punished of a judge here in UK, very probably resulting in a short period in prison, and certain disbarment – rightly so.
Just another example of an arrogant lawyer (is that redundant?) thinking he is so smart and clever, he can get away with murder.
HOW could he not think of ramifications of what he did, not only to the victim, but their child, her family, his family, his love interest and his own life and promising career?
Sandy: One word sums his mentality up: narcissism.
May He never see the free world again and his days be long and painful..
How did that judge get away with it.. should never have been allowed to practice ever again.. And how long is a life sentence??.. Is it 25 years??
Michigan’s Life sentence means for life, no parole.
I’m not that smart but he is Sick .. Dummy..Should have filed for divorce. Left their daughter without a mom. And why didn’t he get double murder charges?? She was pregnant. He killed a unborn baby?? He should be put on stand for the babies murder too..Death penalty! For HIM!! Bastard!!. Why the heck wasn’t the baby involved?? Double murder..
I agree… Plus the dumb girlfriend should have gone to jail too. How can she live with herself… Knowing she was probably why he shot her!!! Disgusting woman!!!!
I appeared before Judge C with my client, also a young woman, shortly after her one year paid vacation. She admonished my client for careless driving…. I wanted to admonish the “Honorable” Susan C for the obvious! Yes, she should be disbarred for life.
Atty Newton, did your client’s carelessness get anyone killed?
(Yes, kidding.)
Yes, disbar.
He was eligible for parole in 2017 according to American Justice TV show.
Amen. Killed a baby. And gets one last quickie before he kills his wife? She’s on cloud 9 finding out she’s having another baby and he pulls a trigger. He is going to go to hell.
Exactly!! WTF
I’m astonished the “judge” did not lose her job. Shouldn’t someone who judges other people have to be at a certain level of morality themselves? She was committing adultery with a married man, whether or not she believed he was not having sex with his wife, he was still married, what sort of lame excuse is that? Story does not make sense at all. She should have lost her position and license to practice law.
She got off unduly lightly – not ‘cos of the adultery but in putting work the way of her lover, which was misconduct. The case showed her up as a poor judge of character (no pun intended), and while she suffered little formal punishment, an otherwise high-flying judicial career may have been lost. I’d like to know HOW she thought they were going to be together if Fletcher wasn’t to divorce? Or was she content with an indefinite affair? None of it says much for her character…
I’m amazed that Chrzanowski got off so easily without at least getting disbarred. At the very least, she knew he was married, she knew she was playing favoratism because she was committing adultry with him, and all of this alone brings up severe ethics and morality questions. Yet, she was allowed to continue to be a judge and today has her own law firm? Really? Geesh… clearly there’s something wrong with this picture. I find it interesting that she handles both divorce and criminal cases in her practice… how ironic.
Are all you people STUPID? Read the transcripts! Mick’s shirt never had a speck of blood on it, they escorted it to New York and the findings were NOT ONE SPECK! All the news crews pulled out that day because the trial should of been OVER ! But Judge Jessica Cooper wanted a jewel in her crown and refused to stop until an innocent man was locked away! Do your research people! There was 360° of bloodspatter in the room, she was alone when she was shot! Tragic, yes, murder, NO!
Judge Cooper: “You have monstrous arrogance thinking you could get away with this,” she told Fletcher. “In all my years on the bench, I don’t think I’ve seen a crime so incredibly cold-blooded or heartless. The jury didn’t buy your story, and neither do I.”
And neither do I. The jury did him a favour finding 2nd degree murder in my view, as I think it was planned per the shooting lesson. He deserves life for killing his wife and unborn child.
And I’ve read the transcript: blood WAS found on his person, just too little to be analysed. Indeed, it was the lack of blood that caused suspicion: Fletcher told police he had tried to find a pulse on Leann, and at a very bloody scene they wondered how there was so little on him.
Excuse me, Michele Kimberling, but are you another one of these sick women that get involved with men that murder their wives for numerous reasons?
I suggest you watch the Forensic Files show called “Naked Justice” In that show, it tells that looking at Mick Fletcher’s clothing it DID not seem (remember the word “seem”okay?) to have any blood spatter on it, however due to the invention of high-powered microscope there was CLEARLY blood spatter on his DARK colored shirt. Apparently you’ve chosen to believe that liar Mick Fletcher. You need to watch the Forensic Files show called “Naked Justice” and when you watch that show, you’re going to learn that Mick Fletcher LIED to you apparently but then it’s pretty ridiculous that you would say what you’ve said in your comment about a man that KILLED his wife and the mother of his children (did you remember his wife was pregnant?)
People like you that go out on a limb for the likes of people like Michael Fletcher disgust me. I think Gloria Misener said it best she said “I hope that he’s found some day in a room in the prison in the same way he left my daughter.”
I agree with Mrs. Misener…..
I agree: the evidence of guilt is overwhelming. But, apparently, someone who wants to sell books via a controversial opinion knows better than the court…
Even a worse cover-up attempt than the Bladerunner! One would have to believe that a newly pregnant woman killed herself. Juries convict, judges don’t. Fletcher and Chrzanowski: are a pox on the judicial system. She should be disbarred, and he got what he deserved. If her dad weren’t a judge himself, she would have been disbarred.
GUILTY AF!!
Perhaps you should take your own advice and do your homework… When stating facts you should stick to the interrogation discovery report and court documents and not spew back false info you read from social media platforms.. See that’s the problem with society today — ppl believe anything and everything they see on social media..
Dummies, read the book A Deadly Affair — this guy was arrogant and a cheat but not a killer. You should not get a life sentence for having an affair.
Why bother with judges and juries when an author has Divine insight into guilt or innocence…
Well said!
While calling everyone else stupid, there must be a part missing in the mind of anyone who did not only see that there WAS blood splatter on his sleeve, there was also blood in the bathroom drain, where he had washed his hands before calling 911, and along with that, her arm had to be almost half a foot longer to have the possibility to shoot herself from where she had been shot, and along with all of that, the lines of all of the blood splatter proved that her head was near the floor when the gun went off.
How on earth, would someone accidentally, or even on purpose, manage to shoot themself that way, especially when their arm is not, nearly long enough to do it. Along with all of that, everyone knows thath the clip of a gun does not fall out of it after someone accidentally shoots themselves and blood does land in the palm of the hand where the gun is when the gun goes off.
There were soo many messes and mistakes that he made, that anyone would have to be brainless to believe that he is innocent. Try at least to see the facts on forensic files instead of reading some mixed up book before calling anyone other than yourself stupid!
Very good points I can confirm. Saw the case on German nitro tv show “Medical Detectives.” Imo it was deliberate first degree murder of the trustful wife he just had sex with. Why should one handle a gun and cartridges in this situation? So stupid or part of the plan like the going to the shooting range for training. But he could have stopped the plan before the deed when thinking about the consequnces: taking the mother from daughter etc.
Having sex was may be part of his diabolic plan. Why shoot a wife one just had sex with? But also why should a woman commit suicide who just had sex and was happily pregnant? So was it an accident while handling with the gun? This was under all circumstances and traces 99,99… % improbable. So Fletcher must have shot his wife in head at the right ear. It’s science and logic.
Imo Fletcher had enough of his wife who had no academic education but earned the common living when he was a student. He was fascinated and obsessed by the judge he had an affair with and could profit professionally from her (earned 17 K $). So he wanted to get rid of his wife by eliminating her. Clearly first degree murder. I hope he will not be released on parole or only after 30 years after having confessed that it was a homicide.
“Surely, no one would suspect a sweet husband like him of plotting to kill his wife, Fletcher must have reasoned.”
Could well be so – together, perhaps, with some old-fashioned guilt. Aren’t women advised to be suspicious when their ‘man’ starts gifting flowers, chocolates, cards, etc that were not always the case? If it really was exclusively to set his alibi up, it’s super cold-hearted – but then someone who’d kill his unborn child, notwithstanding hatred of the mum, has to be just that… The presumption’s that as he’d decided on a parting post-pregnancy, he couldn’t just walk out as he’d be stung for maintenance, so both had to go – yet he was too weak and stupid to avoid sex and pregnancy to prevent just this dilemma. What the judge was putting out appears to’ve been insufficient for him…
What a monster.
She should’ve been charged as well. Judge wow sitting in higher sorts and make your judgment count. It’s bs. She needs to also make retribution to wife’s family. This makes me sick.
Peter’s continuous references to the firearms magazines as “clips” was really irritating in this episode. It would be like him calling fingerprints thumbprints…
Classic chair investigators. Go out for a run or something.
He almost got away with it. I would have tried it too. That clearly was an ‘upgrade’ for him.
Unbelievable Susan Chrzanowski still has a license to practice law, when she is a real criminal herself!
More than likely “Mr. Husband of the Year” (I love your sarcasm, btw!) didn’t unfortunately get charged with the baby’s death (as the scumbag should have been), because the murder happened in 1999. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act didn’t become a federal law until 2004. Michigan is also one of the those states where the murder of the unborn child is a manslaughter, rather than a murder charge, and to even get that the baby must be of “quickening” (ie 4-5 months and movement can be felt) age. I think Michigan allows use of the federal law only in certain situations.
It sucks, and makes me mad that Michigan is like that, but at least they HAVE a fetal homicide statute. A couple states have nothing at all to protect the unborn. Colorado is one of those and as such, POS husband and father of the year Chris Watts was convicted in the murders of Shannan, Bella, and Celeste but had nothing brought against him for baby Nico. THAT makes me even angrier!
As for this case, the judge was an idiot for believing Fletcher and her still having a law career is unethical, at the very least. She may not have murdered LeeAnn and the baby, but she was the catalyst for it. Either way, Mick Fletcher is a waste of space and I agree with the Miseners: he ought to be left to die in the humiliating way LeeAnn did and should burn in Hell.
He is a cheater a liar and a
killer.
And he belongs in prison.
For life. That’s all.
Hope they keep him there.