Lady In The Harbor

A Woman With Dreams Of Becoming A Star Finds A Gruesome Hollywood Ending

(CBS)  Three years after a painful divorce, Bruce and Barbara, now just roommates, along with their teenage daughter Rachael, were all living under one rather dysfunctional roof. Rachael says there were arguments, mostly about money.

"She would say somethin' to Rachael, like, 'Well, you know, your dad is spending too much money. So he's gonna whore you out on the streets so he can pay the bills,'" Bruce says.

Asked why he let Barbara move in with him in the first place, Bruce tells Moriarty, "Rachael begged me, Rachael asked me."

But, Rachael says, things went way beyond that. "I was known at school as the girl with alcoholic parents."

Both parents, but her mother was what they call a "mean drunk."

So it was no shock that Rachael turned to alcohol to escape her parents' divorce. "I started drinking. I didn't know what else to do, where else to turn."

She turned on herself, cutting her body with razor blades.

Rachael's friend Kelsey Douglas was often around the Mullenix household in those tense teenage years. "She tried really hard to please her mom. And when she couldn't she just cried. It just made her really upset. I never heard her say anything bad about her mom. She loved her mom. She really did."

Kelsey says she would have described Barbara's behavior toward Rachael as mentally abusive.

But Rachael says she never really blamed her mother. "My mom had a really difficult life ever since she was born. She had a really difficult life."

For example, Rachael knew that when her mother was a teenager she had been raped. Perhaps that's why Barbara was so understanding when at 15, Rachael herself became pregnant and eventually had an abortion.

But little things would send Barbara into a rage. Detective Mack wondered: did Barbara's drinking cause Bruce to snap and kill her?

There was one problem with that theory: Bruce's story that he was out of town the night of Barbara's murder checked out. That left investigators at square one. They took a closer look at what was going on inside the Mullenix home and learned Rachael had a new boyfriend, Ian Allen, and Barbara was feeling left out.

"She began to get a little more worried about being alone at some point and that’s why she was trying to control Rachael," Mack says. "And I think that was the big source of the friction between the two."

Ian Allen, 21, was four years older than Rachael. "He was a great catch," Rachael says. "I fell hard and fast."

Early in the budding relationship, Ian would do chores for Barbara, then hang around their house. But the atmosphere soon changed. "As things became more intense and Ian and Barbara started to compete, if you will, for control of Rachael, then that's when Ian started to get a taste of who Barbara really was," Bruce says. "Barbara was very intimidating."

Within a few short months, Rachael, then 17, and Ian, 21, announced their engagement, and Rachael pushed her parents into signing a very unusual document. "In July of 2006, they wrote a note to whom it may concern - I give permission to Ian Allen to date our daughter," Detective Mack explains.

Ian carried it in his wallet, not wanting to risk arrest for statutory rape.

Bruce says Ian was adding to Barbara's anxiety over losing Rachael. "The more serious that Rachael was getting with Ian, Barbara thought that this idea that she's gonna kind of have Rachael to help her survive after Rachael turns 18 or when my money stops, I think that was, now, being threatened. And the threat was Ian," Bruce says.

Then late one summer night in 2006, when Rachael failed to meet her strict 1:00 a.m. curfew after a date with Ian, her mother exploded.

"My mom shows up at his house. And just humiliating," Rachael remembers.

She says her mom was angry and making a scene. Asked how Ian felt about Barbara showing up, Rachael says, "Ian was livid. He was livid."

Just ¬four days later, Barbara's body was found floating in Newport Harbor. Police wanted to question Rachael and Ian, but they were nowhere to be found.

"If Ian did this, then Rachael's in danger. And that's why she didn't call me. That's the first thing I thought. 'Where is Rachael?'" Bruce says.

Detective Mack says they couldn't find Ian. "I put out an all points bulletin to be on the lookout for Ian and Rachael and their pickup truck."

[Sunnyskiesinmyeyes]

Does anybody know what prison Ian Allen was sent to? I have been trying tirelessly to locate him. Any help would be appreciated. The cause of all of this is Greed Hatred and Delusion, and it's time to teach people how to deal with these defilement's in skillful ways rather than destructive ways. Ian made a poor choice and failed to recognize cause and effect with his actions, but now I can imagine he understands the concept quite well with his punishment. I want to teach Ian and give him an opportunity to learn from/let go of his past, and develop virtue wisdom and concentration from present day on. If anybody could give me any information or know of someone who can lead me to Ian please email me at [e-mail]. (www.dhammasala.org)

[LisaK13]

Too bad Rachael didn't just wait another six months to be 18 and then move out. If she hated her mom, then she could have just not spoken to her anymore after that. Ian must really love her a lot to cover up for her and try to take all the blame.

[goofydood]

Exactly! why oh why didn't she just stick it out until she turned 18 and then move out! Rachael is hott and Ian was used by her.

[cepe10-2009]

"tuesday" a code. what a joke. the prosecutor was really grasping at straws making things up with no basis and probably withheld evidence as well to get two convictions - one innocent person and one guilty. I hope the prosecutor rots in He!!

[nmast2383]

Run or Tuesday...Rachael says she mean''t to put an "n" oh come on!! There was never any mention that she ran, jogged, or leaped regulary.

Posted by renra78 at 12:48 AM : Jan 25, 2009

I don't recall her mentioning that "Run or Tuesday", intending to be on instead of or, meant she was a jogger? I completely agree that she was correctly found guilty, but you obiviously didn't pay very much attention to what she said this was supposed to mean. She says that Run on Tuesday meant run away, as in leave because she was underage.

[carolcape]

I remember this case previously. This was a terrible violent murder against Rachel's mother. She is a very evil person. Evil looking and took part in the grusome murder of her own mother. I am in agreement, if she was able to be living with her father, his life would be in danger also. I think this woman should serve every day of the 25 years. It was all about herself at the end of the show, what am I going to do, my life is ruined. Well she should have thought of that before murdering her mother along with her demented boyfriend and throwing her remains away in a cardboard box. Those two people are right where they belong. I saw her father crying at the end of the show, but what about the victim, nobody deserves to die like that and most of all, by someone they trusted and loved and looked after.

[stickdog3]

This was a horrible case. I live here in L.A. and remember when this broke. Out here you see some bizarre cases, but this one touched a nerve with everyone. To the blogger who put up a post saying he lived in that complex, and how come know one heard Barbara scream? Thats an excellent point, like you said the walls are razor thin, it was summer and a lot of people had their windows open. One thing you forgot my friend, this is Southern Cali, I hate reinforcing stereotypes, but there is a lot of jadedness out here. They even brought this up on the telecast, that Barbara didn't interact much with the neighbors. Nor did the neighbors interact much with each other. I've lived Condo complexes like that myself here in L.A. and I hated them. Everyone it seemed had that air about them. I sold that place very fast.
Anyways the pathlogist said there was more than 1 type of knife used. If thats the case, one would surmise that 2 people were stabbing her. How awful. I don't care how mean or socalled my parents could have been theres no way, I would choose that recourse to remedy the situation. NO WAY. This girl was the puppet master. Looking at her she looked like a fully develped woman. She had a quick mind and a very pronounced s*e*x*u*a*l air about her as well. So she easily flipped Ian. It all falls on the father though, he never should have let them come stay with him. That had to be a miserable living arrangement. Your roomate is your ex wife. That means you can't have a social life at all. Regardless of how Barbara was, she didn't deserve to that like that. Leaving that butter knife in her right eye socket was a statement being made. That was up close and personal. I copuldn't imagine me watching some woman kill my mother that way and I don't try and stop it, If i have to get cut so be it, I'm not letting it go down like that. And than 4 hours later you call your boyfriend and tell him "I love You" In other words you helped me rid me of this evil. Whats so sad, she'll probably get paroled way before 25 years is up.

[stickdog3]

Hey MalloryDavis - I just read your post you put up at 3:24 am yesterday. I feel for your parents, if they're still around. Based on your post they better not ever cross you.

[MalloryDavis]

STICKDOG3: Glad you read what I wrote and I thank you for your comment. No one knows what abuse is until you actually live it.

[get_down]

Both Ian Allen and Rachael Mullenix deserve the death penalty for cold-bloodedly murdered Rachael's mom - Barbara. 25 years to life in prison for both of them is not sufficient punishment! This is a law-abiding society - trashes like them need to be disposed of pronto and swiftly!

[MalloryDavis]

Personally, I believe in matricide and patricide. There are those times when abuse is so abhorrent that the abuser deserves to be eliminated.

[phone_jockey]

Based on the evidence shown I believe she was a willing participant, either in the murder or the cover up. Her childhood sounded hellish. I wonder why her father didn't try to gain custody of her if the mother was that abusive. It sounded like he also had alcohol problems, but not to the extent of the mother.

On a technical side to the show, I get tired of these crime shows twisting and moving the photos around for dramatic effect. It tends to make the viewer seasick.