Convicted murderer Erik Ohlson appeals to Idaho Supreme Court for sentence reduction
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DRIGGS — A Jackson, Wyoming, man who was sentenced to more than two decades in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend is looking to reduce his sentence.
Erik Ohlson, 43, shot and killed 39-year-old Jennifer Nalley, who was eight to 12 weeks pregnant, at a cabin in Driggs on July 5, 2016. Ohlson is serving a minimum of 25 years in prison after a plea deal with the Teton County Prosecutor’s Office. Ohlson agreed to plead guilty in return for the county prosecutors agreeing not to seek the death penalty.
Ohlson is eligible for parole in 2041.
During his May 2019 sentencing, his defense team argued that he should be sentenced to 10 years in prison while the Teton County Prosecutor sought life in prison with a 40-year fixed term. District Court Judge Bruce Pickett sentenced Ohlson to 25 years to life in prison.
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In September 2019, Pickett upheld his decision after the defense’s first appeal for sentencing relief.
Now Ohlson is taking his case to the Idaho Supreme Court. In the Supreme Court appeals brief, Ohlson is asking that his sentence be reduced to 10 years.
The brief asserts that parts of the presentence investigation used in the initial court hearings were beyond the scope of the case. It also contends that the district court gave Ohlson an excessive sentence based on several mitigating factors in the case.
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The brief highlights Ohlson’s family’s testimony that he is “a good person who did a terrible thing that is certainly deserving of punishment. But in light of the mitigating factors that exist in this case, including the support he receives from family and friends, his lack of criminal history, the role alcohol played in his crime, and his remorse for his conduct, Mr. Ohlson asserts the district court imposed an excessively harsh sentence.”
Ohlson was arrested in 2016 for a DUI by the Teton County Sheriff Office. He later confessed to killing Nalley. The confession was ultimately thrown out due to a misstep by the Idaho State Police in the investigation. The plea deal was reached in February 2019, and Ohlson began his prison sentence the following May.
The deadline for a response from the Attorney General’s Office is Sept. 8.
State appellant lawyer Jason Pintler, who represents Ohlson, did not immediately return a request for comment from East Idaho News.
