Have you ever wondered what crosses the mind when someone knows they are about to die? What thoughts would you or a loved one have, knowing the end was near? Well with the Leonard Lake Tapes the hypothetical becomes real In this terrifying series of tapes, serial killer Leonard Lake actually videotapes his victims both at the moment of their deaths and as he explains to them the terrible initial choice laid out before them, a life filled with suffering or brutal death. As the victims struggle to process the information, their inner thoughts are revealed as they attempt to come to terms with the terrifying reality they now find themselves in.
The following information regarding the Leonard Lake Tapes case are extremely disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.
Leonard Lake’s Dark Desires
In these horrifying videotapes Leonard Lake and serial killer soulmate Charles Ng, initially explain to the victims the fate of their loved ones and present them with a horrible choice; either be kept alive as Lake’s sex slave, or be brutally raped, killed, and buried. Hours of recovered footage reveal disturbing scenes of Lake’s victims as he rapes, tortures, and eventually kills them. Let’s just say these tapes are certainly not for the faint of heart.
Additional footage was found of Lake explaining the driving force behind his disturbing behavior as he described to the camera exactly what he wanted, an “off-the-shelf sex partner.” Lake, who was previously diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder, expanded that he wanted someone that he could use and abuse at his leisure, but that when he was tired or bored of them he could put them back “on the shelf.” He explained he wanted to hide them away in a room, out of sight and out of his life, until he felt his desires again. And it turned out that not only did Lake admit to these dark desires, but he also acted upon them and along with his partner in crime (literally) Charles Ng, he began a crime spree, unlike the world, had seen. The tapes and the story behind them were documented in the movie The Miranda Murders: Lost Tapes of Leonard Lake and Charles Ng
Leonard Lake and Charles Ng: A Match Made In Murder
The tapes revealed that the initial threats Lake and Ng made to the victims were not empty. Between the two killers, an estimated 11-25 people were murdered in Lake’s remote cabin that served as a makeshift “dungeon” in Northern California. When police raided the facility they found videotapes of the brutal rapings, beatings, and whippings of his victims. One of the more well-known tapes includes Lake’s kidnapped neighbor, Brenda Bond, as she is told her child will be sent to live with another family. The reality was that her infant son was already murdered along with her husband, Lonnie Bond. Brenda struggles with the impossible choice set out in front of her and breaks into tears as the reality of the situation sinks in.
Another tape reveals footage of Kathleen Allen, a victim of Lake’s who had found her way to the “dungeon” after pursuing a lead to find her missing lover, Michael Carroll. When Kathleen arrived at the cabin she realized Michael was already dead and that she had found her way to hell. The video shows Lake tying her unclothed to a bed and threatening her.
Leonard Lake’s Final Act
The tapes also revealed that the victim’s initial choice was of little consequence as Lake planned to murder all of his victims regardless. After being arrested on an unrelated charge, police realized Lake was using the ID of a man who had been reported missing and became suspicious. When police raided the home and “dungeon” they found over 40 pounds of crushed and burned human remains in Lake’s backyard, along with the victim’s identification and the damning evidence of the videotapes and the journals.
The videotapes were subsequently used to convict Charles Ng on 11 counts of murder, which is a far cry from the possible number of deaths. Leonard Lake also avoided the full extent of the law by taking a cyanide pill he had sewn inside his clothing upon his arrest. He died four days later. Charles Ng remains on death row in California to date.
