Prosecutors announced Thursday they will seek the death penalty for a white supremacist gang member accused of killing an 83-year-old man during a violent prison break that left three corrections officers wounded.
Nicholas Umphenour faces murder charges in the March death of James Mauney of Juliaetta, who disappeared while walking his dogs on a local trail. The announcement comes just weeks after Umphenour received a life sentence for his role in helping fellow gang member Skylar Meade escape from a Boise hospital.
“Seeking the death penalty is appropriate in this case considering the defendant’s complete lack of regard for the life of Mr. Mauney,” Nez Perce County Prosecutor Justin Coleman said in a statement.
Umphenour, appearing via video from county jail for Thursday’s hearing, is scheduled for arraignment December 12. He remains held without bond, and his attorney, Brian Marx, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The case stems from a violent chain of events beginning March 20, when Umphenour opened fire on corrections officers escorting Meade from a Boise hospital where he had been treated for self-inflicted injuries. Two officers were directly shot by Umphenour, while a third was wounded when another officer mistakenly identified him as the shooter. All three survived.
After fleeing north-central Idaho, investigators say the pair encountered Mauney, whose body was later found near Leland, Idaho. Police tracked the men to Twin Falls in Mauney’s stolen minivan, where they were arrested.
Umphenour has already pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting escape and aggravated assault and battery on law enforcement officers in the prison break case. Meade, also sentenced to life for the escape, faces similar murder charges and potential death penalty in Mauney’s killing. He has entered a not guilty plea.
“We’ll continue to fight in both this case and the co-defendant’s case to get justice for the victim,” Coleman added.
