American Notes Crime

To his neighbors, Leonard Lake, a burly, self-described "survivalist," seemed like an ordinary if slightly ornery fellow. But after a chance arrest in San Francisco earlier this month, Lake committed suicide while in police custody. When officers drove to his two-acre mountain retreat 140 miles northeast of San Francisco, they discovered what was in effect a death camp. Searchers unearthed the remnants of at least five charred bodies and carried away 50 bags of chopped-up bones and other evidence. Police believe that Lake and his accomplice, 24-year-old Charles Ng (pronounced Ing), may be responsible for killing at least 25 people.

The police found photos and videotapes, some of which showed victims pleading for their lives. One tape features a young woman, bound in handcuffs and leg- irons, whom Lake matter-of-factly orders to do what they say or "we will take you out in the back and shoot you." Another tape shows Ng, who is still missing and may have fled to Canada, slashing away the shirt and brassiere of a woman begging for the life of her baby. Officials are not confident that they will be able to identify all the victims. They also suspect that more bodies will turn up beyond the property lines.

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