The Misery Machine - The Case of Leannah Gardipe

Starting point is 00:00:00 On the morning of November 19, 2021, at approximately 8.06 a.m. Deputies with the Missoula County Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call regarding a homicide at a home located on Patty Ann Drive in Missoula County, Montana. The caller, known by her initials, H.O. in official documents, reported that her daughter, 34-year-old Leanna Jean Gardupay had called her and claimed to have saved her babies. Now, Leanna had two children, a five-year-old little boy named Namus Sandberg and a three-year-old little girl named Evelyn Sandberg. Concerned for her grandchildren, the grandmother asked Leanna to clarify what she meant by, saved. When she prodded further and asked if she had killed her children, Leanna began to cry. A few moments later, 911 dispatchers received another call. It was Leanna herself. On that call, the mother stated that she wanted to report a moment.

Starting point is 00:00:57 murder and advised dispatchers that her mother should be calling them too, as she had already confessed to her what she had done. She told dispatchers that the attack had happened that morning in a bedroom, that she had used a steak knife to slit her children's throats. She also asked dispatch to send paramedics as she allegedly could still hear noises coming from one of her children. Leanna explained that she needed to die today, but didn't elaborate further as to what that meant. Lastly, she advised dispatch that she was waiting for law enforcement to arrive, but she didn't see them yet. When sheriff's deputies arrived at Leanna's home on Patty Ann Drive, they were greeted by Leanna, who was still on the phone with 911 dispatchers. They asked the mother to step outside, and Leanna did step outside, but then she stepped back inside and locked the door.

Starting point is 00:01:48 Still on the line, the 911 operator told Leanna that the officers were there to help her. Leanna responded, no, they are not. Not for what I did. Deputies headed around to the back of the house where they found Leanna and detained her. In the bedroom located closest to the front door, they found Namus and Evelyn lying on their backs tucked into their beds. They looked like they were sleeping if it weren't for the significant lacerations on their throats and defensive wounds on their hands and fingers. Neither of them were moving, and there were no obvious signs of life. After a medical examination, both 5-year-old Namus and 3-year-old Evelyn were pronounced dead.

Starting point is 00:02:30 A search of the home uncovered a bloody, serrated steak knife underneath a bed, as well as a pool of blood on the floor in the little girl's bedroom. A cryptic note was also located in the threshold of the bedroom where the children were found. It read, it was the only way that we all wouldn't burn. Now I'm the only one of us that will. Leanna and her children were relatively new members in their community. They only moved into their home during the summer of 2021. But according to neighbor Sandra Talbot, they already made a wonderful impression. She said, and I quote,

Starting point is 00:03:04 They were usually very busy riding their bikes or catching bugs or checking out the plants in the yard or something like that. They were fun to watch, just happy kids, and their mother was always with them, end quote. When discussing their untimely and tragic death, Sandra shared the following. Yeah, there's darkness everywhere, but there's also light, so I'm going to remember the light. Despite the impression that Leanna and her children left on their neighbors, things weren't all sunshine and roses inside of the family home, and had not been

Starting point is 00:03:34 for some time. The children's father, Travis Sandberg, had previously voiced concern about Leanna's mental health. He had filed paperwork to initiate a legal parenting plan on December 18, 2020, following an incident that occurred a week prior. On that particular day, Leanna had suffered a serious mental health episode resulting in a trip to the emergency room. While there, she made a statement saying that she was hurting the children. Leanna later tried to claim that this damning confession wasn't true

Starting point is 00:04:04 and that it was just something she said while in a poor mindset that day. However, child services removed the children from Leanna's care and ruled that they were to live with their father, Travis. At that time, Leanna spent three, weeks at Pathways Treatment Center in the quaint Montana City of Calispell, just outside the Glacier National Park. She later attended weekly therapy sessions in Missoula and met regularly with her doctor. Throughout 2021, both Leanna and Travis attended custody hearings, but ultimately the courts placed Namis and Evelyn back into their mother's care. Travis would receive visitations two weekends a month

Starting point is 00:04:41 and every Wednesday. In the wake of the children's death, a go-fund me was started to cover the cost of Namus and Evelyn's funerals, as well as offset their father's lost wages. As of the date of this recording, the fundraiser is officially closed. It raised $15,580 of its $10,000 goal. Namus and Evelyn's funeral was held on Saturday, December 4, 2021 at Grace United Methodist Church located at 1756 South 10th Street in Missoula. arrangements were made in the care of Sunset Memorial Garden and Funeral Home, also in Missoula. Leanna was arrested and jailed on a $10 million bond. Judge Alex Beale said that he intended to make it unattainable because she is, and I quote,

Starting point is 00:05:27 the greatest threat to society and herself. She was charged with two counts of deliberate homicide, which she initially pled not guilty to. The woman accused of killing her two young children at a Missoula, home last month has pleaded not guilty to murder charges. 34-year-old Leanna Gardopi appeared in Missoula District Court this morning on two counts of deliberate homicide for the deaths of her three-year-old daughter and her five-year-old son. Court documents state Missoula County Sheriff's deputies responded to a home on Patty Ann Drive back on November 19th after getting 911 calls from Gardopi's mother and then Gardopi herself.

Starting point is 00:06:10 Deputies found the children deceased inside the home while a knife was later recovered from underneath the bed. Gartipi is in the Missoula County detention facility on a $10 million bond. Her next court date is set for February 8th. In August of 2023, Leanna changed her plea to guilty. As part of her plea agreement, prosecutors will ask for consecutive life terms in the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, with no time suspended. Leanna also must pay $1,050 in court fees. She's scheduled to be back in court for her sentencing on November 20th, 20, 23 at 10 a.m.

Starting point is 00:06:49 Now, we normally end our episodes with something sentimental about the victims we cover. But sadly, not much is known publicly about who Namis and Evelyn were. Even their obituaries shared no clues whatsoever. We did, however, find a tribute to the children posted by Carrie Soheim on October 27. 2020. You found it rather touching and we'll be sharing that with you now. It read, and I quote, Your little life was so precious and sadly you are gone from us forever. I will never forget hearing you say my name for the first time, for the first time we actually met. Your long hair and carefree attitude. It was a great day for me. I hold you now in my mind, my soul and my heart

Starting point is 00:07:34 forever and ever. Take care of your little sister and never let her go, for you are both with God and together. If we ever get to meet again, I would be so happy and lucky, as I am lucky to have been in your sweet life. Love you, Evelyn, sweet little Evelyn. Such a tender heart and her love for her mommy was so strong. Kiss your mommy as I forgive her for her faults and failures.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Leannah Gardipe

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.