The Investigation Discovery series “Death By Fame” is set to return on January 22, 2024, for its second season, focusing on the disturbing case of Blake Leibel. In 2016, Leibel, a Canadian graphic novelist aspiring to make it in Hollywood, brutally tortured and killed his fiancée and the mother of his child, Iana Kasian.
Blake Leibel, the son of wealthy Canadian Olympic sailor and construction industry executive Lorne Leibel, had moved to Los Angeles in 2004, living on his parents’ wealth while attempting to break into the entertainment industry. During his time in L.A., Leibel met Iana Kasian, a Ukrainian woman who moved to the U.S. in 2014 to work as an interpreter.
The gruesome events unfolded in 2016 when Kasian’s mother, Olga Kasian, took custody of Leibel and Iana’s child, hoping the couple could mend their relationship. During this time, Leibel inexplicably trapped Iana in their West Hollywood apartment, subjecting her to malicious torture and dismemberment while she was still alive. Leibel’s actions were reportedly fueled by jealousy towards his newborn child, mirroring a scenario from his 2010 graphic novel, “Syndrome.”
At Leibel’s trial, Superior Court Judge Mark E. Windham deemed the case “unusual only in its savagery” and characterized Leibel’s acts as demonstrating “inconceivable cruelty.” Iana’s official cause of death was ruled as exsanguination or severe blood loss.
In 2018, Blake Leibel was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated mayhem, and torture, receiving a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. He was also ordered to pay millions to Iana Kasian’s family. As of 2024, Leibel is serving his sentence at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, near Bakersfield.
Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman, during Leibel’s trial, described the case as an act of depravity, stating that Iana Kasian suffered a slow and painful death, and Leibel discarded her remains like trash. “Death by Fame” from Investigation Discovery, covering this chilling story, will be available for streaming on January 22, 2024, on platforms such as Max, Apple TV, and others.
