Melissa Jenkins may not have testified against Daniel Ehrlick in his just-completed trial for murdering her 8-year-old in 2009, but now they will share a courtroom in September when they find out how long they will go to prison.
The 31-year-old Jenkins, who pleaded guilty in February to aiding and abetting the second degree murder of her son Robert Manwill, was supposed to be sentenced Aug. 11. The hearing has now been rescheduled for Sept. 2 — the same day Ehrlick will be sentenced.
Ehrlick, who could be sent to prison for life after an Ada County jury found him guilty in June of first degree murder, is scheduled to begin his sentencing hearing at 9 a.m. in front of 4th District Judge Darla Williamson.
Jenkins’ hearing will begin after Ehrlick’s is finished on Sept. 2.
Jenkins’ Aug. 11 hearing was moved over scheduling conflicts with defense attorneys.
It is unclear if there will be victim-impact statements or any other testimony at either hearing, but both Ehrlick and Jenkins will get a chance to address the court — or victims — if they want to.
Jenkins has agreed to serve a 25 year prison sentence as part of a deal with Ada County prosecutors, who dropped a first degree murder charge in exchange for her guilty plea. Prosecutors want Jenkins to serve the 25 years without possibility of parole, but Jenkins can ask for less fixed time.
When Jenkins pleaded guilty, she said she felt prosecutors could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ehrlick killed her son. She also admitted that she helped hide her bruised son from Idaho Department of Health and Welfare workers. She has never said publicly if Ehrlick ever admitted to killing the boy or disposing of his body.
Ehrlick’s trial took almost two months. Much of the evidence police developed against Ehrlick was through statements Jenkins made to police and others, and prosecutors worked to make sure they could call her to testify against Ehrlick if they wanted her to. But they never did.
Ehrlick has consistently denied killing the boy and even testified on his own behalf at the end of the trial. Jurors weren’t convinced. It took them less than three hours, following a two-month-long trial, to convict him of first degree murder.
