Man pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Sky Valley death case
A man standing trial for killing a woman in Thousand Palms in 2008 has pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter, robbery, and weapons allegations and will serve 16 years in prison as a part of a plea agreement. Edward Lee Leblanc fled the country after the homicide and was detained in Cuyotenango, Guatemala in October of 2016.
Leblanc was extradited to the United States and held in Miami before being transported to Riverside County to face charges.
According to court documents, a woman told police that on the night of Feb. 12, 2008, Leblanc and the victim, Kristen Miner, arrived at the woman’s house. The next day, the woman said she witnessed Miner walking around the property bent over at the waist, holding bloody towels around her midsection.
Leblanc stabbed Miner following an argument, according to court documents.
Following this incident, Leblanc told the woman that he would take Miner to the hospital to treat her apparent stab wounds. Leblanc’s vehicle was later found shot up and abandoned in the desert, according to the court document.
Miner’s body was found burned and buried in a shallow grave north of Dillon Road in July of 2008.
Kim Molina, Miner’s sister, was in court with friends and family of the victim. Molina says she is “working on the stronghold of forgiveness” toward Leblanc, and is working to correspond with him to know more about what happened on the night of her sister’s death.
“I’m asking him to fill in the blanks and it sounds like he’s going to and I hope that he does,” Molina said outside of the Indio courthouse.
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