Laguna Man Gets 15 Years to Life for Murder of Girlfriend

A 26-year-old Laguna Beach man was sentenced to 15 years to life Friday after being convicted of second-degree murder last month in the slaying of his Mission Viejo girlfriend.

David Leitch, who was surrounded by numerous family members and friends throughout his trial, has already served four years in the Orange County Jail and is expected to be out before he is 30.

His co-defendant and former roommate, however, Thomas Thompson, is sitting on Death Row in San Quentin for his role in the same slaying. Thompson, 30, was convicted two years ago at a separate trial.

The two were charged with murder in the slaying of Ginger Fleischli, 20, who was found buried in a shallow grave near El Toro Marine Corps Air Station on Sept. 13, 1981. She had last been seen with Leitch and Thompson two days before. The two men were arrested shortly after the slaying, but Leitch’s trial was delayed by a variety of appeals and legal motions.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Mike Jacobs, who prosecuted both men, was disappointed in the Leitch case because he had sought a first-degree murder conviction. Jacobs bluntly told Leitch’s jurors that in his opinion Leitch was the one who actually wanted Miss Fleischli killed, and that Thompson killed her on Leitch’s orders.