From the September 2000 Idaho Observer:

Leas saga takes unexpected turn

MOSCOW -- Just when it appeared justice would finally prevail in the seven-year-long Leas child custody nightmare, Judge Greg Kalbfleisch reversed his order which gave Helmer man Fred Leas, 51, custody of his two daughters until closure of the matter could be obtained with the girls' long awaited testimony in open court. Rather than permit the state to once again return his girls to the custody of their mother and stepfather, Leas has gone into hiding with them.

Leas has been living a father's nightmare since his ex-wife accused him of beating her after she took a fall on the ice in February, 1994. Since that time, she has gotten remarried to Paul Mohr, a man who has spent time in prison for taking sexual liberties with minors, is a known drug dealer and has reportedly shown tendencies for serious drug and alcohol abuse and violence. The girls, who are now 12 and 13 years old, have indicated that life with their mother is one of drugs, violence and physical and sexual abuse.

The Mohrs, who violated a court order and moved out of state to Roswell, NM, in September, 1998 and have filed false police reports in an attempt to frame Leas with perverse and serious crimes, have been protected by the Latah County Sheriff's Department, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, District Judge James Stegner, various Child Services Division employees, Child Psychologist Greg Wilson and University of Idaho Law School Legal Aid Clinic Attorney Maureen Laflin.

We have been covering the Leas saga since November, 1998. It would appear that certain Latah County officials were forced to participate in a conspiracy to ruin Leas' life and subject two young girls to unspeakable horrors in order to protect an underworld relationship with the Mohrs.

It is interesting to note that the Mohrs have never had to hire a private attorney because the University of Idaho Law School Legal Aid Clinic has continued to provide all of their legal representation, even after the Mohr's left the state. Since the University of Idaho is a public university, Idaho taxpayers have essentially been paying to ruin Leas' life and provide legal services to people who have demonstrated a pattern of perverse and criminal behavior.

Before going into hiding with his girls and before Judge Kalbfleisch reversed his child custody order, witnesses state that an FBI agent interviewed the girls. The FBI agent reportedly filed a report with the court which states that he believes the girls' stories of drug abuse, drug dealing, mental, physical and sexual abuse by their mother and stepfather are true.

Apparently, there is no warrant for Leas' arrest, but there is no doubt that he will be detained as soon as he is found.

The Leas saga continues and we can include one more player, Judge Kalbfleisch, in the conspiracy to persecute a man whose only crime is that he loves his daughters more than he loves himself.