Sentencing has been set for August 21st in Kossuth County for 43-year-old Kyle after he was convicted of killing Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram.
Ricke faces a mandatory life sentence on the first-degree murder conviction. Prosecutor Scott Brown says he was pleased with the outcome. “No doubt in my mind that we had a murder in the first degree and the verdict here was about 60 minutes is about what it took the jury to deliberate. So we were satisfied with that it appears to me they did their job and we’re happy with the result and being in murder in the first degree,” he says.
Brown says having dash and body cam video of the shooting was key in the state’s case against Ricke. “That was obviously a huge part of this; the jury can actually see what happened. We had direct evidence of it. So, I’m certain that that was a huge factor for them,” Brown says. Ricke’s defense had argued the shooting was not premediatated. Brown says they proved otherwise. “The defense was making an issue out of the fact that it was sort of spur the moment or there wasn’t a lot of deliberation or time that went into the thinking on the defendants behalf. Ninety-six seconds as we demonstrated in the courtroom, at least I think we did, was an eternity and you can think of a lot of things and make a lot of decisions in that that timeframe. So I think it was pretty significant,” Brown says.
Brown says the family of Officer Cram is relieved that Ricke is being held accountable, but there is still a ways to go in the healing process. “You know they still have to live with the hurt and the pain that go with that,” he says. “This is a step in the healing process for them, it’s holding the person accountable, but I don’t know that that really ever closes it for them.” Brown says waiting through the trial was not easy for the family. “They’re tired, you know, and it’s been a long road even though it’s less than a year to get this to trial, but it was still tough for them, and it will continue to be difficult,” he says. Brown says the family will have a chance to share their feelings during sentencing next month.
The punishment for first-degree murder in Iowa is life behind bars without parole. The trial was held in Dickinson County on a change of venue due to pre-trial publicity.
(By Brian Wilson, KLGA, Algona/Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio)