New Hampshire
Last man sentenced in killing of police informant
NORTH HAVERHILL, N.H. (AP) - A New Hampshire man has been sentenced to 13 to 30 years in prison for his role in the killing of a confidential informant for Bethlehem police.
Authorities said Nicholas Skidmore plotted with two others to kill 22-year-old Robert Pierog in May 2016 in Littleton.
The Caledonian-Record reports Skidmore pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in 2017. The agreement was that he would not be sentenced until the cases of Quade Kadle and Damion Yeargle were resolved.
Yeargle, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy, was sentenced to at least 36 years in prison. Kadle's serving a 13-to-30-year sentence.
Skidmore was sentenced Thursday in Grafton County Superior Court. With credit for time served and his cooperation with police, he could be released after five years.
North Dakota
Convict in1995 shooting to argue for lighter sentence
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The North Dakota Supreme Court will hold a hearing later this month to consider whether a man who fatally shot a West Fargo woman in 1995 should receive a lighter sentence.
Barry Garcia is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing Cheryl Tendeland while she, her husband and a friend were sitting in a car. Prosecutors at the time said Garcia and other gang members had stolen a sawed-off shotgun and were casing a house to rob when Tendeland was killed.
It's not the first time Garcia has asked the court for a lighter sentence. Garcia based his 2017 argument on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that a life sentence without parole for juveniles was cruel and unusual punishment. Garcia was 16 at the time of the shooting.
A hearing is scheduled for March 26.
Oklahoma
Court OKs conviction of ex-cop who fatally shot black man
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - An Oklahoma appellate court has upheld a white former police officer's conviction on a misdemeanor weapons charge related to the fatal off-duty shooting of his daughter's black boyfriend.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Thursday rejected former Tulsa officer Shannon Kepler's appeal of a reckless-conduct-with-a-firearm conviction. A jury found Kepler guilty on that charge in the first of four trials involving the case.
He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced in 2017 to 15 years in prison following three trials in which juries deadlocked. An appeal on that conviction is pending.
Kepler shot 19-year-old Jeremey Lake in 2014. Kepler claimed Lake was armed and he fired in self-defense. Police never found a weapon on Lake or at the scene.
Kepler's attorneys said he was trying to protect his adult daughter .
Virginia
Man sentenced to 3 years in 'celebgate' hacking case
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A former Virginia high school teacher has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for hacking into private digital accounts of celebrities and others.
Christopher Brannan was the fifth person charged in the 2014 "celebgate" scandal in which hackers obtained nude photographs and other private information from more than 200 people. Actresses Jennifer Lawrence and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are among the celebrities who've said they were victims.
Brannan pleaded guilty in October to aggravated identity theft and unauthorized access to a protected computer.
He apologized Friday before being sentenced to 34 months in prison. He said he suffered from anxiety and depression, and became addicted to pornography.
The 31-year-old Brannan was a special education teacher at Lee-Davis High School in Mechanicsville from 2013 to 2015.
Alabama
Police: Man tried to blow up mother with propane
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (AP) - An Alabama man is jailed on charges of trying to blow up his mother using a propane tank in a booby-trapped storage shed.
Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office tells news outlets a woman called police saying she was worried her son was both on drugs and storing propane in a shed.
Harnen says an officer went to the home and a small explosion occurred when the officer and the man's mother entered the building. Harnen says a small device was supposed to explode and ignite the propane, but the gas wasn't turned on. No one was hurt.
Records show 45-year-old Roger Dale Johnson of Woodville is charged with attempted assault and possession of a destructive device.
It's unclear whether Johnson has an attorney.
Ohio
Judge: Teachers don't need police-level gun training
HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) - A judge has ruled an Ohio school district's policy allowing trained teachers and staff to carry concealed weapons in school doesn't need to require the many training hours required of police.
A Butler County judge ruled Thursday in a lawsuit parents filed against Madison Local Schools. The suit sought to prevent arming employees completing fewer than the 700-plus hours required of peace officers. The district policy requires fewer than 30 hours.
The judge did allow parents to have policy documentation they sought.
The parents' co-counsel, Rachel Bloomekatz, said in a statement they're grateful for the documentation but disagree with the training hours ruling and are considering all options.
A statement from the district, where a student shot and injured two classmates in 2016, says students' safety remains its primary concern.
Iowa
Man accused of setting stepson aflame takes plea
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A man accused of setting his stepson aflame in Des Moines has taken a plea deal and avoided a murder trial.
The Des Moines Register reports that 42-year-old Randy Miles Jr. pleaded guilty Friday to involuntary manslaughter and fleeing the state to avoid prosecution. Prosecutors dropped charges of arson and first-degree murder in return for Miles' pleas. Prosecutors say he'll be sentenced later this month to up to 30 years in prison.
Authorities say Miles fled to Grand Forks , North Dakota, following his confrontation with 26-year-old Christopher Lenhart on Aug. 25, 2017. Witnesses told police that Miles had argued with Lenhart and then threw gas on him while Lenhart was inside a vehicle. The gas then ignited. Lenhart died two days later at an Iowa City hospital.
Published: Mon, Mar 04, 2019
