A Bay Area mother-of-two whose death was long considered a suicide was actually murdered by her husband, prosecutors now say — and he’s finally facing charges.
Michael Anthony Leon, a former Antioch mayoral candidate, has been charged for the death of his wife Brenda in 2015 after an investigation uncovered “previously unknown digital evidence,” according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
“Brenda Joyce’s family never lost faith that the truth would come to light,” said District Attorney Diana Becton on Friday. “Today’s filing in Contra Costa Superior Court honors that perseverance and demonstrates that cold cases are never forgotten, regardless of how much time has passed.”
Brenda Joyce Leon was 52 years old when her husband allegedly staged her suicide back in 2015. Contra Costa CountyPolice discovered Brenda’s body with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, alongside a suicide note on September 28, 2015, according to SF Gate.
Brenda’s two adult daughters, Michelle Wonders and Monica Tagas, had their suspicions about their mother killing herself, and filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2021 claiming a male killer identified as “John Doe” faked the suicide and set the scene before cops arrived, the outlet reported.
“After an extensive investigation, the District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit determined that Brenda Leon’s death on September 28th, 2015, was an act of homicide,” the DA’s Office said. “The investigation uncovered previously unknown digital evidence and new factual details that were central to the decision to file charges.”
Wonders and Tagas filed a new lawsuit on Friday naming their father as the defendant, the family’s attorney, Matthew Guichard told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Michael Anthony Leon, 66, who described himself as a “simple family man,” faces up to a maximum of 50 years to life in prison if convicted of murdering his wife. Contra Costa County“The family is ecstatic,” he told the outlet. “The family first reached out to me in 2017. … It’s been a long, hard road.”
The new evidence has not been released, but Guchard told the Chronicle it is not DNA and centers around “electronics.”
Brenda, 52, married a “loving husband” who was a “friend to all and carried the qualities of loyalty, selflessness, and unconditional love,” according to an obituary. She was also a grandmother who leaves behind two young grandchildren.
The 66-year-old accused killer came in last place in his run for mayor, amassing just 1,700 votes. He described himself in an Op-Ed as a “simple family man.”
“I’m under-employed, lost most of my savings and seen my home values go down, but hell if I’m going to let those timid souls in city government sit and do nothing or think they can solve problems just by raising taxes,” Leon said.
Jail records show Leon was arrested around 4pm on Thursday and is being held on $1 million bail at the West County Detention Facility.
If convicted, Leon faces up to a maximum of 50 years to life in prison. He is scheduled to be arranged in court on January 26.
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