WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC DETAILS WHICH MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME READERS
Journal entries written by convicted murderer Blake Leggette, and obtained exclusively by CTV News, paint a gruesome picture of how he killed Loretta Saunders, and why.
Leggette was in jail awaiting trial when he wrote several pages of neatly-written notes in pencil, using language marked by frequent errors and a matter-of-fact tone.
His notes were eventually confiscated by jail guards. Many of the entries are addressed to his cellmate.
According to him, Leggette planned to publish a book and make money from the murder of Loretta Saunders.
Later this week, Leggette will be sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Loretta Saunders, after pleading guilty to first-degree murder.
It was Leggette’s cellmate who provided the letters to CTV News.
The first journal entry is dated February 28, 2014.
In it, he describes being brought to court for the first time, and being struck by the number of reporters and cameras present.
“You’d almost think I was famous,” he writes.
“I’m not proud at all. On the inside I am sad and remorseful.”
In his writings, Leggette gives details about his girlfriend and co-accused Victoria Henneberry.
He blames her for their money problems, saying they burned through her student loan in a day.
All she wanted to do was spend money, with no thought of bills or groceries, he writes.
He says even though they frequently fought, he loved Henneberry.
“Never thought I would kill for her,” he writes.
A few weeks after Leggette started writing, his notes were confiscated by guards during a search of his cell.
His writings included a written confession to the murder, which was going to be used against him at trial.
In the end, it wasn’t necessary because Leggette pleaded guilty.
In two pages, the 27-year-old wrote out his memories of the murder.
He and Henneberry were subletting from Loretta Saunders, but they didn’t have the rent money when she came to the apartment.
Leggette recalled his conversation with Henneberry, prior to the killing.
“I said, ‘should I do it?’ Victoria says, ‘you don’t have the balls!’” Leggette writes.
“That made me angry, and I said, ‘really, OK.’”
Leggette writes that he came up behind Saunders, tried to choke her, then asked Henneberry for a plastic bag.
“Loretta put up a fight and tore three different bags I tried to use,” Leggette writes.
“Finally I hit her head twice on the floor to knock her out which worked. I proceeded to wrap her head in plastic wrap to make sure she was actually dead,” he writes.
He goes on to explain how he put Saunders in a hockey bag, carried her into the elevator and out of the apartment.
“Placed her on the sidewalk, and proceeded to get the car to bring to the body. Dead weight is heavy,” he writes.
According to his cellmate, Leggette goes on to write about pinning the case on Henneberry.
A month after his arrest, he states he is growing impatient.
“I'm angry at myself for killing Loretta, and the fact I'm going to be blaming Victoria for it, so I don't do life in prison,” he writes.
But life behind bars is exactly what awaits Leggette, who will be sentenced later this week.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelland Sundahl