UPDATE: Plude Sentenced Today

From WAOW-TV's website:

The Northwoods man who admitted to drowning his wife in a toilet will spend an additional 19 years behind bars before being released. Douglas Plude was sentenced to 25 years for the reckless homicide. However, the past 5 1/2 years Plude has already served will be deducted from the 25 years.

Plude is currently being held in Vilas Co Jail and will be transferred to the Wisconsin State Prison System.

Douglas Plude was convicted of intentional homicide in 2002 after his wife, Genell, was found drowned in a toilet. During the trial, Plude claimed his wife took the pills and committed suicide on her own. However, prosecutors said Plude poisoned Genell and pushed her face into the toilet to drown her while she vomited.

As I've posted before, Plude's original conviction on the charge of Intentional Homicide was overturned when an expert witness for the prosecution was caught exaggerating his credentials. By the time the re-filed charges finally came to trial (delayed a full year on the basis of the defense's attorney withdrawing from the case due to "conflict of interest" alone, a conflict never really explained anywhere), Plude apparently felt it was time for a deal--and surprisingly, he got one.

The deal was that he plead guilty to Reckless Homicide (if I remember right the difference is that this type wasn't planned by the murderer--it was a result of behaving in a dangerous way rather than plotting out a way to kill someone and carrying it out), with sentencing set for Wednesday, accompanied by talk that he would be given 20 years probation and sentenced to time served.

For once, a judge recognized a bad idea when he saw it--even this judge, with a reputation for leniency concerning crimes against women, realized his liver would be fried with onions and fed to him while he was still alive if he let the most notorious murderer in this part of the state in a very long time walk with time served and a keeper required to see him only once a week. Whatever the reason, for once the criminal got what he deserved, a sentence severe enough to make Douglas Plude answer for the killing of his wife: 25 years behind bars, with the 5 1/2 years he's served so far counting as time already served on that sentence.

This is one of those times I'm glad to be wrong--if you're tired of your ex-bitch, killing her isn't as nifty an option as it looked a month or so ago when the talk of "Probation and time served" was the sentencing guess floating around the area when the plea bargain was announced.

I have to say the best thing that came from the plea bargain wasn't making sure a dangerous, nasty man isn't turned loose on an unsuspecting world. It was watching him admit to killing a fine, sweet, hard-working young woman who died far too soon at his hands. I didn't see it but that was the high point named by many of those who did see it when they were interviewed by the papers and TV stations.

As for me, it will be nice to know this is put to bed for real this time--when he asked for the plea bargain opportunity, he made sure there would be no further reason for re-trial or conviction overturns. He's going to prison, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.

And on that note I'm going to bed. I know I'll sleep just a little better knowing it's all done and I won't have to testify again and I have no worries about him being cut loose to come "visit" those who did testify against him at his first trial. I did tell my bf that wasn't on my mind, but I'm pretty sure I lied. I'm already yawning way earlier than most nights. So sleep well, and be ready to stuff your faces if you live in the US later today--but remember the turkey will make you nap-ready so don't forget your pillow.

Goodnight :)