Idaho man involved in hospital ambush faces a murder charge. He could get the death penalty
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Carolyn Komatsoulis, Idaho Statesman
BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against one of the men involved in the ambush at a Saint Alphonsus hospital in Boise earlier this year if he’s found guilty of the first-degree murder of a North Idaho man, according to a news release from the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office and online court records.
Nicholas Umphenour was accused of killing 83-year-old James Mauney, of Juliaetta, in North Idaho when he ran from law enforcement alongside prisoner Skylar Meade. He made his initial appearance for the Nez Perce County murder case Thursday afternoon, and his arraignment was set for December.
Umphenour shot Idaho Department of Correction officers in March while helping Meade escape from custody. Meade had been at the hospital receiving treatment for self-inflicted injuries, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting. They fled together in a vehicle, prompting a 36-hour statewide manhunt, which is when police said they were involved in two homicides in North Idaho.
Mauney was found killed while the two were at large, according to previous reporting. Police later caught and arrested the two suspects in the Twin Falls area.
Law enforcement also linked another homicide in North Idaho to the two suspects. Don Henderson, a 72-year-old man who lived just outside of Orofino and knew Umphenour, was found dead in his cabin, according to previous Statesman reporting. That case is still under investigation, Idaho State Police spokesperson Aaron Snell told the Statesman.
In June, the two men were indicted and charged with the murder of Mauney, according to previous Statesman reporting. The Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office issued a missing persons alert after Mauney didn’t return to his home from a walk with his dogs. Police found his body in a “desolate area” near Juliaetta.
“Seeking the death penalty is appropriate in this case considering the defendant’s complete lack of regard for the life of Mr. Mauney,” Prosecutor Justin Coleman said in the release. “We’ll continue to fight in both this case and the co-defendant’s case to get justice for the victim.”
Umphenour is being held at the Nez Perce County Detention Facility with no bond, according to the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office.
Umphenour was sentenced to life in prison in Boise last month for crimes related to the ambush. Umphenour pleaded guilty in Ada County in September to charges of assault or battery upon certain personnel, unlawful possession of a firearm, escaping and use of a deadly weapon during a felony, according to previous Statesman reporting. In that case, he could be eligible for parole in 40 years.
Both Umphenour and Meade are members of the white supremacist prison gang called the Aryan Knights, authorities have said.