Dark Downeast: The Suspicious Death of Leslie Buck (Connecticut) – Part Two

Host: Kylie Low
Date: September 4, 2025
Podcast: Dark Downeast – Maine and New England’s True Crime Podcast

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the perplexing case of Leslie Buck’s suspicious death in Mystic, Connecticut, in 2002, following her miraculous escape from a violent kidnapping just two days before her passing. Host Kylie Low investigates the years-long struggle to determine how Leslie died, exploring conflicting medical opinions, family suspicions, messy legal battles, and the eccentric cast of people at the case’s heart. The episode emphasizes not only the pursuit of truth and justice, but also honors Leslie’s life and enduring legacy.

Key Discussion Points

1. Background: The Kidnapping and Immediate Aftermath

[02:34]

• Summary:
  Leslie Buck, aged 57, survived a brutal kidnapping by Russell Kirby—once a family friend—who stunned and assaulted her before tying her up and kidnapping her in her own car. Leslie’s courage allowed her to escape and return home, but less than 48 hours later, she was found dead at the bottom of her own staircase.
• Unresolved Questions:
  • What motivated Russell Kirby’s attack?
  • Did Leslie’s death result from her prior ordeal, an accident, or murder?

2. Initial Investigation: Conflicting Medical Opinions

[03:30–06:41]

• Autopsy Inconclusive:
  • Dr. Melka Shah, local medical examiner, couldn’t definitively determine Leslie’s manner of death: accident, homicide, or natural causes.
  • Dr. Michael Baden (NY State Police) opined it was homicide, likely by asphyxiation, not blunt force trauma.
    • Quote: “Dr. Baden was, ‘concerned about the minimal brain injuries despite Leslie’s skull fracture,’ and believed ‘the injuries to Leslie’s neck were due to asphyxiation.’” (06:05)
• Civil Suit Filed:
  • Leslie’s family, frustrated by official findings, filed a wrongful death suit against her husband, Charlie Buck, alleging an affair, and even solicitation of Kirby to kill Leslie.
• Expert Divergence:
  • Dr. Barbara C. Wolf found the injuries inconsistent with an accident, pointing to blunt force trauma and asphyxia by neck compression:
    • Quote: “Her death was in fact caused by blunt head trauma and asphyxia due to neck compression.” (07:45)
• Result:
  With no determination of homicide, criminal investigation stalled for years.

3. Legal Proceedings: Arrests, Trials, and New Evidence

[08:11–18:26]

• Russell Kirby’s Legal Rollercoaster:
  • Initially convicted of kidnapping and assault, but conviction was overturned due to a confrontation clause violation (08:45).
  • Retried, convicted in a second trial for second-degree kidnapping and assault, sentenced to 21 years (18:00).
• Suspicion Moves to Charlie Buck:
  • Police focus on inconsistencies in Charlie's statements:
    • Timeline disputes about workplace, home, and fire department stops
    • Lack of documentation for “paperwork” he claimed to have done the day of Leslie’s death
    • Witnesses recalled suspicious comments about using a wire as a weapon and discussions about divorce and finances
    • Evidence of a close (possibly romantic or financial) relationship with Carol Perez
  • “Carol also testified that Charlie bought her a house...After Leslie died, Charlie even proposed and gave her a two or three carat ring.” (15:44)
• Arrest and Charges:
  • Despite lack of homicide ruling, Charlie arrested and charged with murder in January 2009—evidence almost entirely circumstantial.

4. Expert Testimony Battle: Heart Condition vs. Homicide

[20:11–28:41]

• New Medical Theory Emerges:
  • Dr. Steve Downing (Yale): Leslie died from lymphocytic myocarditis—a heart condition.
  • The defense argues Leslie’s prior trauma from kidnapping and existing heart issues triggered a fall down the stairs, leading to her death.
• Trial Shifts to Panel of Judges:
  • Defense requests a bench trial, believing medical testimony is better evaluated by judges than jury.
• State’s Case:
  • Focus on circumstantial evidence:
    • Motive: Alleged affair, financial motives, evidence of romantic gestures and gifts to Carol Perez.
    • Means and Opportunity: “Equalizer” wire kept by Charlie, comments about using it to harm, witnesses’ observations of odd behavior.
    • Medical Testimony: Dr. Barbara Wolf again points to altered scene and inconsistency with fall; Dr. Baden testifies asphyxiation (possibly strangulation with Leslie’s own shirt) was the proximate cause of death.
      • Quote (Dr. Baden): "It is my opinion to a reasonable degree of medical certainty that the major cause of Mrs. Buck’s death was asphyxia." (23:51)
    • Inconsistencies: Timeline disputes, unexplained activities, and financial records.
• Defense’s Case:
  • Argues death from a heart condition:
    • Testimony from respected pathologists (DeMaio, Dragovic) contesting homicide theory and tying injuries to accidental fall following sudden cardiac event.
    • Points to Leslie’s own complaint of chest pain during 911 call post-kidnapping.
    • Challenges validity of “strangulation” evidence (neck marks as post-mortem artifacts).
      • Quote (Dr. DeMaio): “Leslie lost consciousness and fell forward and up the staircase...They were caused when her body was exposed to cold air in the morgue.” (29:29)

5. Final Verdict and Aftermath

[38:55–39:40]

• Deliberation and Decision:
  • Judges find the circumstantial case compelling, but insufficient to convict. Charlie Buck is acquitted after three hours of deliberation.
    • Charlie Buck to reporters (after verdict): “The best Christmas gift I could ever get...the best would be to get Leslie back.” (39:05)
• Civil Case Settled:
  • Leslie’s estate withdraws suit, splitting insurance with Charlie.
• Ongoing Fallout:
  • Charlie faces ostracism; his business and life suffer. Sells family home to pay legal bills; home is eventually demolished.
  • Later makes awkward joint TV appearance with Carol Perez on Dr. Phil before dying after a fall in 2016.
• Community Remembrance:
  • Leslie is remembered for her selfless dedication as a teacher; her legacy continues through scholarships and memorials.
    • Kylie Low: “Whatever you believe about Leslie’s death, one truth: it came far too soon. She had more to give, more to teach, more lives to touch.” (40:10)

Timestamps for Pivotal Segments

• 02:34 – Leslie’s kidnapping & escape; discovery of death
• 06:05 – Medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden’s alternate theory: asphyxiation
• 07:45 – Dr. Barbara Wolf: injuries not accidental, points to homicide
• 14:51–16:24 – Carol Perez testifies about relationship and alleged gifts from Charlie
• 20:11 – New heart condition theory emerges before trial
• 23:51 – Dr. Michael Baden: “major cause...was asphyxia”
• 29:29–30:19 – Dr. DeMaio: death due to myocarditis and accidental fall
• 35:10–36:48 – Defense’s recorded wire conversation with Charlie: “I had nothing to do with it”
• 39:05 – Acquittal and Charlie’s statement to press
• 40:10–41:29 – Leslie’s enduring legacy and memorials

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “Dr. Baden was, ‘concerned about the minimal brain injuries despite Leslie’s skull fracture,’ and believed ‘the injuries to Leslie’s neck were due to asphyxiation.’”
  (Host quoting Dr. Michael Baden, 06:05)

• “Her death was in fact caused by blunt head trauma and asphyxia due to neck compression.”
  (Dr. Barbara Wolf, 07:45)

• “He’d hold up a piece of 500 MCM circular mills wire...‘if you wanted to hurt someone, you hit them in the head with this.’”
  (Witness recalling Charlie Buck, 21:24)

• “It is my opinion...the major cause of Mrs. Buck’s death was asphyxia.”
  (Dr. Michael Baden, 23:51)

• “Leslie lost consciousness and fell forward and up the staircase...They [neck marks] were caused when her body was exposed to cold air in the morgue.”
  (Dr. Vincent DeMaio, defense witness, 29:29, summarizing defense medical theory)

• “I could not ever hurt my wife. I had nothing to do with Russell Kirby trying to hurt my wife. I did not hire him. I had absolutely nothing to do with it.”
  (Charlie Buck, surreptitiously recorded, 35:10–36:48)

• “The best Christmas gift I could ever get… the best would be to get Leslie back.”
  (Charlie Buck, after acquittal, 39:05)

• “Whatever you believe about Leslie’s death, one truth: it came far too soon. She had more to give, more to teach, more lives to touch.”
  (Kylie Low, 40:10)

Tone and Style

Kylie Low maintains a compassionate, investigative, and ethically grounded tone throughout. She centers Leslie’s humanity and legacy, acknowledges the deep divides these cases leave in small communities, and leaves listeners with a sense of unresolved tragedy—one that overshadows even the final court verdicts.

Conclusion

The Suspicious Death of Leslie Buck (Connecticut) – Part Two explores the dark complexities that surround an unsolved death: fraught family relationships, muddied medical evidence, competing expert testimony, and the burdens of suspicion. The episode honors Leslie as a beloved educator and resilient survivor, even as her true cause of death remains shadowed by mystery and divided expert opinion.

For further information, resources, and photos, visit darkdowneast.com, or follow the show on Instagram: @darkdowneast.