Officer Gets 2 Terms of 15 Years to Life in 2 Murders

A former Los Angeles police officer, once dubbed “the most corrupt cop in L.A.,” was sentenced Thursday to twin prison terms of 15 years to life, closing a lengthy criminal case that reached its climax last month when he pleaded no contest to two felony charges of murder for hire.

Former traffic officer William Leasure, 44, of Northridge, has been held in Los Angeles County Jail since his arrest in 1986. He was accused of accepting thousands of dollars from two people in exchange for arranging the murders of their spouses.

Leasure has never admitted guilt, but his lawyer said he delivered a letter of apology to Superior Court Judge Stanley M. Weisberg on Thursday. The former officer agreed to the plea bargain shortly before the start of his second trial. The first ended in June with a deadlocked jury that voted 10 to 2 in favor of conviction.