Bio

William Ernest Leasure was born in 1946 in the United States. He later became a Los Angeles Police Department officer and worked mostly as a traffic officer. He was assigned to the Central Traffic Division. Among other officers, Leasure was known as “Mild Bill.” Reports described him as calm and quiet. Before his crimes became public, he did not have a strong public reputation for violence or misconduct while working as a police officer.

Leasure joined the LAPD in 1969 and worked there for about 17 years. During that time, he appeared to have a steady career. Later parole records said he had no major public complaints or serious discipline during his police service. Behind that public image, prosecutors later said Leasure was involved in serious crimes. These included contract killings, stolen yachts, vehicle theft, and insurance fraud. Prosecutors said he used his police status and connections to help hide his criminal activity.

His crimes began to come to light in 1986 after a stolen-yacht investigation. On May 29, 1986, Leasure and others were arrested near Oakland while trying to sell a yacht believed to be stolen. Investigators then uncovered a larger theft and fraud operation involving expensive boats and vehicles.

After his arrest, police looked more closely into Leasure’s past. Dennis France, an admitted hired killer, became an important witness. France said he and Leasure had committed several crimes together, including burglaries, boat thefts, and murders. France later testified that Leasure helped plan and pay for killings. He said Leasure usually stayed in the background as the organizer or getaway driver.

Leasure was fired from the Los Angeles Police Department in 1988. By the time his murder case went to trial in 1991, he was no longer a police officer. Prosecutors described him as a corrupt officer who lived two lives: a quiet traffic cop in public and a criminal planner in private.

Murder Story

The first killing linked to William Leasure was the 1977 shooting of Gilberto Cervantes. Cervantes was the wealthy stepfather of Tony de los Reyes, who was later also killed. Leasure was not convicted of Cervantes’s murder, but later records and testimony connected him to the case. Dennis France, an admitted hired killer, said he drove the car during the Cervantes shooting. He testified that another man carried out the shooting and told him a police officer wanted the killing done. Later parole records said Leasure allegedly paid money connected to this murder. Because Leasure was not convicted in this case, Cervantes should be listed as a linked victim, not a confirmed conviction victim.

The next confirmed murder was Ann Smith in May 1980. Smith was the wife of one of Leasure’s friends. France testified that Leasure paid him $3,500 to kill her and make it look like a robbery. Smith was shot inside her mother’s beauty shop in Highland Park shortly before a divorce-related court hearing. France said Leasure drove the getaway car.

The third killing was Tony de los Reyes in September 1981. De los Reyes was the husband of a woman connected to Leasure. France said Leasure hired him again to kill de los Reyes. According to France, Leasure waited in a car while France approached de los Reyes with a shotgun. France testified that Leasure told him to shoot, and France killed de los Reyes. For several years, the murders remained unsolved. Leasure continued working as a Los Angeles police officer while the cases stayed open. His criminal activity began to come to light only after a stolen-yacht investigation in 1986.

After Leasure’s arrest in the yacht case, investigators looked into his wider criminal activity. Dennis France became the main witness against him. France told authorities that he and Leasure had committed crimes together, including burglaries, boat thefts, and murders. On May 22, 1987, Leasure was charged in connection with two contract killings. These charges were separate from the yacht theft and fraud case. Prosecutors said France’s testimony was central to the murder case.

Leasure went to trial in 1991. France testified against him after receiving immunity from prosecution. The defense argued that France was not trustworthy and attacked his history of lying, theft, and other crimes. The first trial ended in a mistrial because the jury could not agree on a verdict. Before a second trial was completed, Leasure entered a plea. On November 1, 1991, he pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree murder. The plea covered the murders of Ann Smith and Tony de los Reyes.

On December 12, 1991, Leasure was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. He remained in prison for many years and later appeared before parole officials. California Governor Gavin Newsom reversed parole decisions for him in 2020 and 2021. Leasure’s case became known as a serious police-corruption murder case. He had worked as a quiet traffic officer while prosecutors said he was also helping arrange killings and taking part in major theft schemes.