Marcella Leach
Encyclopedia
Marcella Nicholas Leach (b. August 15, 1929) is an American
victims' rights advocate based in Southern California
and the mother of technology entrepreneur
and victims’ rights leader Henry Nicholas
. After the murder of her daughter, Marsalee (Marsy) Nicholas in 1983, she helped build Justice for Homicide Victims, one of California's early victims' rights
organizations. Her late daughter is the namesake for Marsy's Law
, the California
Constitutional Amendment and Victims' Bill of Rights, which appeared on the November, 2008, ballot as Proposition 9
.
when Conley, with whom she had broken up, shot her to death.
Conley was subsequently convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 17 years to life in prison, where he died in 2007. In the nearly 2-year interim between the murder and the trial, Conley remained free on bail
, a fact that was particularly painful to his victim's family, as he was frequently seen around the neighborhood where Marcella Leach and her husband, Bob Leach
, still lived. In one particularly wrenching incident, Marcella Leach recalled being shocked when she encountered Conley in a neighborhood grocery store shortly after the murder.
Among those who comforted the Leach family was Ellen Griffin Dunne, the mother of actress Dominique Dunne
, who had been strangled to death by a spurned ex-boyfriend the year before Marsy's death. When Dunne decided in late 1983 to create a local support organization for the survivors of homicide victims, the Leaches were among the founding members, along with Henry Nicholas. The California Center for Family Survivors of Homicide was formed as a nonprofit, with a subgroup, Justice for Homicide Victims, as its public face.
The Leaches assumed leadership of Justice for Homicide Victims in 1990, after Dunne who suffered from multiple sclerosis
, moved to Arizona
, where she died in 1997. Bob Leach
served for many years as the president of Justice for Homicide Victims, and Marcella Leach remains JHV's executive director.
During the 1990s, the organization continued to push for improved law enforcement
and longer penalties for convicted felons, including California's Three Strikes Law
. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, with Leach as executive director
, the group claimed some 10,000 members.
In recent years, the organization was further built and refocused as an educational non-profit. In 2008, Marcella Leach was a signatory on the Marsy's Law
ballot initiative, which was led and sponsored by her son
. The constitutional amendment was enacted by voters in November 2008 and became law.
In addition to numerous awards by three governors, the Los Angeles
District Attorney's office and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, the Leaches have been honored by the National office of Victims of Crime and two Presidents. In 2005, Marcella Leach was awarded the National Crime Victim Service Award from the U.S. Department of Justice.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
victims' rights advocate based in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and the mother of technology entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and victims’ rights leader Henry Nicholas
Henry Nicholas
Henry Thompson “Nick” Nicholas, III , is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and leader of the victims’ rights movement. He is the co-founder, and former Co-Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Broadcom Corporation, a Fortune 500 company.Nicholas served Broadcom in...
. After the murder of her daughter, Marsalee (Marsy) Nicholas in 1983, she helped build Justice for Homicide Victims, one of California's early victims' rights
Victims' Rights Amendment
In the United States, the Victims' Rights Amendment is a provision which has been included in some state constitutions, proposed for others, and additionally has been proposed for inclusion in the United States Constitution. Its provisions vary from state to state but are usually somewhat similar...
organizations. Her late daughter is the namesake for Marsy's Law
Marsy's Law
Proposition 9 is an Amendment to the California Constitution enacted by California voters through the initiative process in the November 2008 state elections...
, the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Constitutional Amendment and Victims' Bill of Rights, which appeared on the November, 2008, ballot as Proposition 9
Marsy's Law
Proposition 9 is an Amendment to the California Constitution enacted by California voters through the initiative process in the November 2008 state elections...
.
Victims’ Rights
On November 30, 1983, Marcella Leach's daughter, Marsalee Ann (Marsy) Nicholas, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, Kerry Michael Conley. Marsy, then 21, was a senior at UC Santa Barbara and had come home to Pt. Dume, Ca., for ThanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
when Conley, with whom she had broken up, shot her to death.
Conley was subsequently convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 17 years to life in prison, where he died in 2007. In the nearly 2-year interim between the murder and the trial, Conley remained free on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
, a fact that was particularly painful to his victim's family, as he was frequently seen around the neighborhood where Marcella Leach and her husband, Bob Leach
Bob Leach
Robert Warnes Leach was an American journalist and Hollywood screenwriter who became a leading figure in California's victims' rights movement after the death of his stepdaughter, Marsalee Nicholas in 1983....
, still lived. In one particularly wrenching incident, Marcella Leach recalled being shocked when she encountered Conley in a neighborhood grocery store shortly after the murder.
Among those who comforted the Leach family was Ellen Griffin Dunne, the mother of actress Dominique Dunne
Dominique Dunne
Dominique Ellen Dunne was an American actress.Dunne made appearances in several made for television movies, television series, and films, and played a supporting role as the oldest daughter, Dana Freeling, in the 1982 film Poltergeist...
, who had been strangled to death by a spurned ex-boyfriend the year before Marsy's death. When Dunne decided in late 1983 to create a local support organization for the survivors of homicide victims, the Leaches were among the founding members, along with Henry Nicholas. The California Center for Family Survivors of Homicide was formed as a nonprofit, with a subgroup, Justice for Homicide Victims, as its public face.
The Leaches assumed leadership of Justice for Homicide Victims in 1990, after Dunne who suffered from multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, moved to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, where she died in 1997. Bob Leach
Bob Leach
Robert Warnes Leach was an American journalist and Hollywood screenwriter who became a leading figure in California's victims' rights movement after the death of his stepdaughter, Marsalee Nicholas in 1983....
served for many years as the president of Justice for Homicide Victims, and Marcella Leach remains JHV's executive director.
During the 1990s, the organization continued to push for improved law enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
and longer penalties for convicted felons, including California's Three Strikes Law
Three strikes law
Three strikes laws)"are statutes enacted by state governments in the United States which require the state courts to hand down a mandatory and extended period of incarceration to persons who have been convicted of a serious criminal offense on three or more separate occasions. These statutes became...
. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, with Leach as executive director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
, the group claimed some 10,000 members.
In recent years, the organization was further built and refocused as an educational non-profit. In 2008, Marcella Leach was a signatory on the Marsy's Law
Marsy's Law
Proposition 9 is an Amendment to the California Constitution enacted by California voters through the initiative process in the November 2008 state elections...
ballot initiative, which was led and sponsored by her son
Henry Nicholas
Henry Thompson “Nick” Nicholas, III , is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and leader of the victims’ rights movement. He is the co-founder, and former Co-Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Broadcom Corporation, a Fortune 500 company.Nicholas served Broadcom in...
. The constitutional amendment was enacted by voters in November 2008 and became law.
In addition to numerous awards by three governors, the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
District Attorney's office and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, the Leaches have been honored by the National office of Victims of Crime and two Presidents. In 2005, Marcella Leach was awarded the National Crime Victim Service Award from the U.S. Department of Justice.
External links
- http://www.justiceforhomicidevictims.net - Justice for Homicide Victims website
- http://www.marsyslawforall.org/ - Marsy's Law for All website