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Background: News footage of Christopher Milke (in orange) successful tribunal connected March 19 for his sentencing (KOLN). Inset: Tammy Leslie (Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel).
A Nebraska antheral who murdered his longtime spouse and the parent of his children volition walk the remainder of his beingness down bars.
Christopher Milke, 53, was convicted of first-degree murder and different charges successful transportation with the fatal shooting of 52-year-old Tammy Leslie, his longtime partner and the parent of his 2 children. During the September 2024 incident, Milke besides held the couple's 2 children, past aged 11 and 19, hostage successful their home. After a assemblage recovered him blameworthy successful February, a justice handed Milke two beingness sentences positive decades of further clip for the different charges — and Milke was not particularly blessed astir it.
According to courtroom reporting by section CBS affiliate KOLN, Milke had respective outbursts arsenic Gage County District Judge Rick Schreiner delivered his sentence. KOLN reported that Milke claimed grounds was missing during his trial, adding connected Thursday, "There wasn't thing just astir this trial, not 1 godd— thing."
Milke told the tribunal erstwhile Schreiner fto him speak, "What happened successful that country that night, I privation my kids believed successful maine similar I judge successful them. It wasn't murder, and that's each I'm gonna say."
That was not each Milke was going to say, arsenic KOLN reported that the convicted murderer repeatedly interrupted Schreiner portion helium work the sentence. He warned Milke, "Mr. Milke, I'm not going to perceive to your outbursts. You person the close to look astatine sentencing, oregon I tin region you from this room, person you strapped to a seat astatine the sheriff's bureau and work my condemnation from there."
Schreiner told the tribunal that Milke showed nary remorse and threw his ain words backmost astatine him. "'I yet killed somebody.' Those are your words arsenic you went to get different brew retired of the refrigerator. This isn't a whodunnit, Mr. Milke. It's a you-dunnit."
According to tribunal documents obtained by KOLN, Milke changeable Leslie respective times successful the caput and thorax successful the aboriginal greeting hours of Sept. 8, 2024. Police responded to the country aft a 911 telephone from the couple's then-19-year-old daughter, who got backmost to the family's location astir 1:30 a.m. When she saw her father, helium told her helium killed her mother.
The couple's 11-year-old lad was location astatine the clip successful his chamber and told constabulary helium heard 4 gunshots astir 1 a.m. After the lad heard the shots, Milke ordered him to manus implicit his telephone and spell to the surviving room. When the older girl came home, Milke asked for her telephone arsenic well.
The girl took her telephone backmost a fewer hours later, aft Milke fell asleep. She told constabulary that her begetter had sealed each exit to the home, preventing the 2 children from leaving the house. Milke reportedly suspected Leslie of infidelity and was attempting to support her from leaving. He had been screwing the exits to the location unopen each nighttime for astir a period earlier the murder.
Police said they believed Milke was abusing intoxicant during this time.
After getting the telephone from the daughter, authorities agreed that they would effort to breach the location aft 6 a.m. At 6:20 a.m., authorities made their mode wrong and got the 2 children retired safely. Milke had a 9 mm pistol connected him erstwhile helium was taken into custody.
Leslie was recovered successful the couple's bedroom, dormant of respective gunshot wounds.
Milke was recovered blameworthy of first-degree murder, kidnapping, mendacious imprisonment, committee of a felony with a firearm, and tampering with carnal evidence. He received 2 beingness sentences positive further decades successful prison.
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