Man accused of killing wife in Franklin County to be sentenced next month

PRESTON — A man accused of sidesplitting a female successful Franklin County is expected to beryllium sentenced adjacent period alternatively than going to trial. 

Douglas James Gildemeister, 56, was arrested past twelvemonth for nan decease of Gail Gildemeister, 58. Social media showed nan 2 were married. Court documents said he changeable and killed his woman and grounded to study her decease for astatine slightest 12 hours. 

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Douglas was primitively charged pinch felony second-degree execution and felony nonaccomplishment to notify rule enforcement of a death. He was besides facing a sentencing enhancement for nan usage of a deadly weapon. He pleaded not blameworthy past year.

Last month, he took a plea agreement. He agreed to plead guilty, and nan authorities reduced nan original complaint of second-degree execution to voluntary manslaughter and kept nan complaint of nonaccomplishment to notify rule enforcement of a death. The sentencing enhancement was dismissed. 

The plea statement said nan authorities will urge for nan first complaint nary much than 9 years determinate and six years indeterminate. The suspect will work together to a minimum of 7 years determinate pinch 8 years indeterminate. 

For nan 2nd charge, nan suspect and authorities will urge 5 years determinate and 5 years indeterminate to beryllium concurrent. 

The statement is binding to nan court. 

Gildemeister is scheduled for sentencing connected Oct. 24 astatine 1 p.m. astatine nan Franklin County courthouse. 

He remains successful nan Cache County jailhouse connected a $500,000 bond. 

Background

According to nan affidavit of probable origin revenge by nan Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, connected May 1, 2023, a lawman met pinch Douglas aft he requested to speak pinch rule enforcement astir a conflict that happened nan erstwhile night. 

Police called it a “domestic unit incident” successful a erstwhile news release. 

The lawman met pinch Douglas successful an question and reply room, and Douglas said he did not do thing wrong. He said Gail pulled a weapon connected him and that she tried to “kill him,” tribunal documents said. 

Idaho State Police collected grounds astatine nan segment northbound of Preston, wherever they recovered a woman’s body—which was Gail’s.

During ISP’s investigation, they advised of respective concerns pinch nan position of nan unfortunate on pinch different forensic grounds that they felt did not corroborate pinch nan suspect’s statements that Gail pulled a weapon connected Douglas aliases that it was self-defense, tribunal documents said.

Documents indicated that Douglas told witnesses an argument, and nan shooting took spot nan nighttime earlier reporting nan incident. It is estimated that it was reported “approximately 12 hours later.”