Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Co-owner of historic Butte Creek Mill remembered for her generous spirit ... Jackson County firefighters train for 'mayday' scenarios ... Medford pair sold phony health device ... Co-owner of historic Butte Creek Mill remembered for her generous spirit ... Jackson County firefighters train for 'mayday' scenarios ... Medford pair sold phony health device ... Woman gets 10 years in ex-cop's killing Meixner pleads no contest to manslaughter charge A Medford woman who shot and killed her boyfriend, a former Medford police officer, will serve 10 years in prison after accepting a manslaughter plea agreement Monday afternoon in Jackson County Circuit Court. Comment By Sanne Specht MailTribune.com By Sanne Specht Posted Sep. 13, 2011 at 12:01 AM Updated Sep 13, 2011 at 12:29 PM By Sanne Specht Posted Sep. 13, 2011 at 12:01 AM Updated Sep 13, 2011 at 12:29 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Failure to Mirandize boots key evidence • TOXIC UNION • Woman charged with murder tries to fire her public defenders • Portrait emerges of couple in fatal shooting • Shooting death of former officer elevated to murder • Police stored gun later used in shooting ex-cop • Woman jailed in shooting death of ex-officer » Social News A Medford woman who shot and killed her boyfriend, a former Medford police officer, will serve 10 years in prison after accepting a manslaughter plea agreement Monday afternoon in Jackson County Circuit Court. "I loved Ray, and I miss him, and I'm sorry that I failed him. ... I'm just sorry that I disappointed everyone," Charlene Leuzetia Meixner said in court. Meixner, 46, was facing a murder charge and three lesser manslaughter charges for allegedly shooting Ray Glen Leach, 61, once in the chest on the evening of Oct. 20, 2010. She pleaded no contest to a Measure 11 charge of first-degree manslaughter. The murder charge and two of the manslaughter charges were dismissed per the plea negotiations. Meixner also was sentenced to three years' post-prison supervision. Calling the plea agreement "a just resolution," Jackson County Deputy District Attorney David Hoppe thanked Meixner's son, Andrew Alexander, a reserve police officer with the Phoenix Police Department, for having the courage to "be truthful in his testimony" about his mother's habit of mixing alcohol with prescription drugs, and her history of violence toward Leach. "That took a lot of courage," Hoppe said. Meixner and her defense attorney, David Orf, were in court on July 31, listening to her son and other witnesses lay out their pending testimony against her. It was the second pretrial hearing that month before Judge Lorenzo Mejia to determine what testimony and evidence would be presented during the murder trial, slated to begin Sept. 13. During the hearings, Alexander discussed his mother's troubled and abusive relationship with Leach. He said his mother had a habit of mixing Ambien, a prescription sleep aid, and alcohol. When Leach would try to stop her from exceeding her dosage or from drinking, Meixner would sometimes lash out violently, striking and kicking Leach, Alexander said. According to other witnesses and court documents, Meixner had stated a suicidal Leach had forced her to shoot him in the heart by holding the gun to his chest and begging her to pull the trigger. She also had told witnesses she shot Leach accidently after the gun misfired while she was walking. In a July taped phone call from jail, Meixner stated she never shot Leach at all. At Monday's sentencing hearing, Meixner stopped short of saying she had shot Leach. But she said her last minutes with Leach "were horrible." Orf said Meixner was accepting the manslaughter plea agreement because, based on the evidence that would have been presented at trial, the prosecution may have been able to prove the murder charge. Meixner understood that her plea of no contest would incur the same Measure 11 penalty as a guilty plea, Orf said. Leach's tenure with Medford police ended abruptly in 2002 after he was sentenced to 10 days in jail for driving under the influence of intoxicants when he smashed his car into a parked Medford police cruiser. It was Leach's second drunken-driving conviction in two years. He resigned from the force. Alexander said he was concerned Leach might be suicidal during that period, but that Leach was not suicidal at the time of the shooting. Hoppe said Leach remained addicted to alcohol, and that he regretted this addiction "consumed (Leach) at the end." In August 2010, just weeks before the killing, police were called to Leach's home for a domestic dispute during which a .38-caliber handgun — the same gun Meixner allegedly used to shoot Leach — was taken from Meixner. The gun was returned to her eight days later. Prior to sentencing, Leach's former wife, Stephanie Smith, read a statement written by their teenage daughter, Shyonna Leach. Shyonna and her father had last communicated via text after a track event. She said the days seemed long without her dad by her side. And she spoke of the milestones she and her father would miss out on together. "My dad, he won't be there at the door" for her first prom, she wrote. "He won't be able to walk me down the aisle." Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 541-776-4497 or email [email protected]. By Sanne Specht MailTribune.com By Sanne Specht Posted Sep. 13, 2011 at 12:01 AM Updated Sep 13, 2011 at 12:29 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501