Lady In The Harbor

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

(CBS)  Even veteran detectives were shocked by the brutality of Barbara's murder. Just as disturbing is where the clues were leading. With Barbara’s ex-husband Bruce cleared, Det. Mack began looking at two other suspects: Rachael and Ian.

"And he said, 'I think Rachael and Ian did it,'" Bruce remembers. "I couldn't process that."

He says he doesn't know where Rachael was at that moment, and that she had not tried to call him.

Both Rachael and Ian had been missing since Barbara's body had been found. The detectives believed that wherever they were, they were together.

Investigators got a break when they checked the computer at Ian's home. They discovered that just hours after the crime someone had printed driving directions to Tampa, Fla.

Cops got another break when they learned that Ian's credit card had been used at a gas station in Sulphur, La. - about 1,700 miles from home. Surveillance cameras there recorded his truck pulling up to a gas pump. Authorities began moving in.

"So we called the next town over, which is Lafayette Parish, and they set up on the I-10, looking for Ian's truck. And he was stopped," says Orange County, Calif., prosecutor Sonia Balleste.

"I was thrown on the ground, handcuffs on," Rachael remembers. "That was a very scary situation, treating me like I'm some criminal."

Forty-eight hours later, detectives Cartwright and Mack were in Louisiana to question Rachael and Ian.

"You are under arrest for the murder of your mother," Det. Mack told Rachael in a recorded interrogation.

"Do you know that I was kidnapped? Do you know that?'" she replied.

Rachael says she was shocked she was going to be charged with murder, and insists she didn't kill her own mother. "She claimed that Ian Allen had murdered her mother," Mack says.

"I was asleep. It was the middle of the night. I heard my mom scream my name. I ran into her room and I saw Ian standing there on top of her, stabbing her. I tried to push him off and he pushed me off and knocked me out," Rachael told investigators during her interrogation.

Rachael claimed she remembered nothing after that until she regained consciousness in a nearby motel, bound and gagged by Ian. But when police checked out her story, Mack says there was no record of them being there.

"She doesn’t have a single wound to be consistent with even being shoved against furniture," Balleste says.

By now authorities were beginning to believe Rachael had made up the entire story. She continued to insist that she was only a bystander to murder, that Ian forced her to help clean up the crime scene, dispose of her mother's car and body, along with several bags of her mother's personal belongings. Rachael says Ian's plan was to make it appear as if Barbara had suddenly moved away.

"And you had a woman who actually wouldn't be missed. …She didn't have a job that she had to go report to every day. She didn't have that sort of interaction with her neighbors," Balleste says.

The prosecutor says Rachael was no kidnap victim. In a surveillance video taken at the Louisiana gas station, Ian is seen using an ATM, while Rachael is be seen freely roaming about the store. "And then, going about her way, meeting up with Ian again, sort of in a very loving manner," Balleste explains.

Asked why she was so calm, and didn't ask anyone for help or leave a note for someone, Rachael says, "Nobody knows what they're gonna do in this situation. Nobody. And I was scared.' …I didn’t know what he was gonna do next."

But Detective Mack doesn't believe Rachael was just trying to keep Ian comfortable and prevent him from getting angry.

Rachael says that she was only cooperating with Ian because he had threatened her with a gun he'd taken from his home. But that's another claim, the prosecutor says, that doesn't hold up.

"When you examine the gun for DNA, the major contributor is Rachael Mullenix," Balleste says.

But when Ian Allen meets with California detectives, incredibly, he backs up Rachael's story. "Ian told me that he was, in fact, totally responsible for the attack on Barbara Mullenix," Mack says.

"I was going there intending to threaten her. To scare her. And it got out of control very quickly," Ian told police in a taped confession. "I held the knife right to her throat and she started screaming: 'Rachael, Rachael, help me! He’s trying to kill me.'"

"Why would Ian kill Barbara Mullenix?" Moriarty asks Mack.

"Ian was being fed part truth and mostly lies by Rachael that her mother was out to ruin his life and his family’s life," the detective says.

Ian refused to talk to 48 Hours, but authorities believe he continued lying to them to protect Rachael.

"She didn't need to be locked up or anything. I made her come with me, so if I can get her back home to her dad, where she belongs," he told police.

"She didn’t care what happened to Ian Allen anymore. Because he's no use to her. Now she's been caught," prosecutor Sonia Balleste says. "Rachael Mullenix thinks that people are disposable to her."

Asked how she'd describe Rachael, Balleste says, "A sociopath. One of the most manipulative people I've ever met."

Not only does Balleste think Rachael participated in the murder, she believes the sweet-looking teenager planned it. But Rachael - even after being caught in a lie about the kidnapping - insists she would never kill her mother.

"But if you would lie to the police then why should people believe you now?" Moriarty asks.

"Really look and evaluate the evidence," Rachael replies. "They have no proof that I killed my mom, because I didn't."

But is Rachael lying? Is it possible this teenage girl helped murder the mother she claims was the most important person in her life? Rachael will get a chance to tell her story to a jury. She and Ian will both face trial, separately, for first degree murder.

[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.