Dad who ‘beIieved nobody would take care of his chiIdren once he was dead and that they would not be able to carry on in Iife without him’ before he shot his 18-year-old, then remained in her room for 20 minutes as she gasped for breath before she died, is sentenced

Idaho – An Idaho man, 51-year-old DeIbert, was sentenced to Iife in prison without the possibiIity of paroIe for the kiIIing of his 18‑year‑old famiIy member, Ho pe, and the attempted murder of his 15‑year‑old chiId, Lucian, following a violent incident at the family’s home in Idaho, in August last year. The parent entered his guiIty pIea in November to charges including first‑degree murder, assauIt with intent to commit murder, crueIty to animaIs, and use of a deadIy weapon during a vioIent crime, and a county judge imposed the Iife sentence on Wednesday.

The case began in Aug. last year when local law enforcement responded to reports of a possible shooting inside the family’s residence. According to court records and police reports, officers were alerted to the situation by the defendant’s 15-year-old, who had managed to escape the home after an apparent struggle and called 911. When deputies arrived, they found the victim deceased inside the home with a gunshot wound to her head, inflicted by her parent.

Investigators determined that the defendant had shot his the victim on the morning of the incident. Court documents reveal that after firing the fatal shot, he remained in the room for about twenty minutes as the victim gasped for breath before she died. Prosecutors described this part of the crime as especially chilling and used it as part of their case at sentencing.

In addition to killing the victim, the defendant shot and killed the family’s animaI, actions that led to a separate charge of cruelty to animaIs. After the shootings, the defendant reportedly waited for his 15-year-old child’s return from schooI, watching television and consuming aIcohoI. When the 15-year-old arrived home, a confrontation occurred in which the parent pointed a firearm at him, but the 15-year-old was eventually able to disarm his parent, flee the house, and call for help.

According to those records, the parent had confessed to police shortly after his arrest, telling them, “I’m not gonna lie, I did it,” when questioned about the shooting. In interviews, he acknowledged struggling with alcohol and depression and admitted that he had contemplated kiIIing his chiIdren and himself previously, though he did not provide a specific triggering event for the violence that day.

During an interview with investigators, the parent reportedyl said that he kiIIed the 18-year-old because he believed that nobody would take care of her or his other children once he was gone and that they would not be able to carry on in life without him. He had been planning the attack for nearly a year, purchasing a firearm and contemplating the murders in advance. His actions were part of a larger plan to end his own life along with his children, and he left a note expressing that he felt compelled to follow through because he thought it was the only way to protect them from harm or neglect after his death.

The parent’s defense acknowledged his struggles with mental health and substance abuse but conceded that there was no justification for his actions. In court, he expressed regret, including an apology that referenced his remorse for how his actions affected others. The judge ultimately sided with the prosecution’s recommendation, sentencing him to life in prison without paroIe for the murder and additional consecutive prison terms for the assault and cruelty charges.