Seduced to Slay on Investigation Discovery: Where are Leslie MacKool and Mike MacKool Now?

Seduced to Slay is a true crime series on Investigation Discovery that chronicles cases surrounding people who were seduced and manipulated into committing deadly crimes.

Leslie MacKool and Mike MacKool are the subjects of Seduced to Slay season 1 episode 5. The killer couple was charged with the homicide of Janie Ballard (Leslie's mother) in September 2003. Leslie MacKool was initially brought in by the police for questioning about the crime since they suspected Mike MacKool was involved.

She admitted to the gruesome murder and claimed that she was pressured into it by her husband, Mike. The couple are currently serving their jail sentences at McPherson Unit and Varner Unit, respectively, after being convicted of the crime.

The Seduced to Slay episode titled Good Girl covers how authorities uncovered the crime. The official synopsis of the episode reads:

"When recently widowed Janie Ballard is found brutally murdered in her home, police suspect it's a home invasion gone wrong; when detectives learn that Janie's husband left her with a sizable estate, their list of suspects turns personal."

Seduced to Slay first aired on Investigation Discovery in 2024 and is currently being re-aired on the channel. The fifth episode concerning the murder by Leslie and Mike MacKool is scheduled to re-air on Saturday, May 11 at 8.00 PM ET.

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Where are Seduced to Slay season 1 episode 5's killer couple Leslie MacKool and Mike MacKool now?

A picture of Leslie MacKool and her parents (image via Peacock)

Leslie MacKool and Mike MacKool were convicted for the murder of 58-year-old Janie Ballard. The couple was found guilty of the murder of Janie in May 2004. As per Fox News, Leslie MacKool received a life sentence with no provisions for parole along with an additional 60 months sentence for property theft.

Mike MacKool was tried separately and found guilty of first-degree murder, resulting in a 40-year prison sentence and an additional 20 years for property theft.

As per the Arkansas Department of Corrections records, Leslie is serving her life sentence at McPherson Unit in Newport, Arkansas. Mike MacKool is serving his prison sentence at Varner Unit in Arkansas, as reported by the Cinemaholic. The killer couple is housed at maximum security prisons used to hold people facing death row too.

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Why did Leslie MacKool and Mike MacKool murder Janie Ballard?

A still of Leslie and Janie (image via Instagram/@southernfriedtruecrime)

Investigators were shocked by Leslie's confession about murdering her mother. Leslie was the daughter of Lester and Janie Ballard, affluent business owners from Little Rock, Arkansas. However, she ended up killing her mother under Mike's influence in an attempt to inherit an estate of around $1.5- $2 million.

When Leslie was 24, she met Mike, who was 23 years older than her. She eventually married Mike and changed her entire personality to suit him. This was not taken kindly by Leslie's parents who disliked Mike entirely.

When Leslie's father passed away in August 2003, Janie Ballard cut off Leslie from the family business and her inheritance. This angered Leslie, who initially thought that she would inherit around $750,000. However, she and her husband planned to murder Janie Ballard. As per their understanding of Lester Ballad's will, Leslie would be eligible to inherit all of her parents' assets if her mother died 30 days after her father's death.

This prompted Leslie to carry out the murder of her mother, in September 2003. She stabbed Janie 70 times and stole jewelry from the house. Leslie ultimately slashed her mother's throat before leaving the crime scene. During her confession to the police, Leslie claimed that Mike forced her to commit the crime. Details about the involvement of Mike are discussed promptly in the ID series Seduced to Slay.

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Seduced to Slay season 1 episode 5 is scheduled to re-air on ID on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 8 pm ET.