Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Glendale Man Gets 16 Years for Killing Wife, Microwaving Dog to Death

johnlevin.jpg
John Levin, as posted on his Facebook profile in 2009

Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.

John Levin, 47, was found guilty last month of murdering his wife Michelle and microwaving his Pomeranian to death, and yesterday he was sentenced to 16 years in prison, plus parole for life after release, according to the Glendale News-Press.Friends and relatives of Michelle Levin have no love lost for John. "You are evil," said one friend of his late wife's to John Levin in court. Said Michelle Levin's father:

“I am told that it is a sin to not forgive and to harbor vengeance in your heart. If that be true, then I will die a sinful man. I want you to spend a long time in jail.”

Michelle Levin was stabbed fatally in the couple's home in September 2009. Her body, and the dog's, were found three days later, and John Levin was caught attempting to cross the border into Canada.

John Levin, once a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Montrose Search and Rescue Team, claimed he was under the influence of muscle relaxants.

However, asserted the prosecutor: “He knew exactly what he was doing.”

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible year-end gift today

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right