As his marriage crumbled, an Antioch man secretly drafted his wife's suicide note with murder on his mind, police say

"The Leon children never quite believed the story about how their mother died. Something about the way Brenda Leon was found dead in 2015 from an apparent self-inflected gunshot wound in her Antioch home never sat right with her daughters. They suspected the worst: their father had done it. Now a decade later, police and prosecutors have come to the same conclusion."

"On the day she died, the then-52-year-old man left work early, sought counsel from a pastor before meeting with friends, then returned home around 5 p.m. to find his wife dead from a gunshot wound to the head, he'd later tell police, according to court records. He then called 911 to report his wife had died of suicide, court documents show."

"Many of his friends, police and even his own children were deeply skeptical of his account, according to court filings. Brenda's loved ones reported that she recently confirmed plans to take a trip to Oregon, and had recently confirmed a visit with her grandchildren hours before she died. She had another plan in the works too: divorcing Michael, who was described to investigators as controlling and prone to anger, according to court records."

Brenda Leon died in 2015 from a gunshot wound initially ruled a suicide. Her children distrusted that finding and suspected their father, Michael Anthony Leon. New court evidence alleges Michael orchestrated Brenda's death, wrote her suicide note while at work in a Richmond cemetery, and staged a scene to fabricate an alibi. On Sept. 28, 2015, he left work early, sought a pastor's counsel, met friends, then returned home to find her body and called 911. Loved ones reported Brenda planned travel and a divorce, and described Michael as controlling and prone to anger. Michael now faces first-degree murder charges.

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