Colusa Teen Killer's Sentence Upheld After State-Mandated Review
COLUSA COUNTY (CBS13) — A man convicted of murdering his best friend when he was a teenager will remain behind bars for the rest of his life.
The courts had to revisit the case after the passage of a new state law.
The Colusa community showed they are still strong and still supporting each other 20 years after the heinous murder when they showed up at court Friday.
Family and friends of Erik Ingebretsen gathered outside the Colusa County Courthourse Friday morning to pray together. And their prayers were answered once again.
"We did you justice. Amen, thank you!" said Dionne Collins.
A Colusa County Superior Court judge upheld the life sentence for Nathan Ramazinni who was convicted of murdering his best friend Erik Ingebretsen back in 1997.
"We feel the Colusa DA did everything in their power to see just how heinous this crime was," said family friend, Heather Call.
A then-16-year old Ramazinni and another teen lured Erik to a spot along the Sacramento River, then Ramazinni beat him with a baseball bat, stabbed him in the chest and slit his throat. Ramazinni was serving his time for the crime when Senate Bill 9 was passed giving teen offenders sentenced to life without the possibility of parole a second chance.
Chad Nall said, "We went through all of this when we were teens and now going through it again has brought back so many terrible memories."
Judge Jeffrey Thompson said he was obligated to hear testimony and review court records but ultimately found Ramazinni showed no remorse and was quote "calculating, deceitful and dangerous" and doubted he could be rehabilitated. John Poyner, the former DA who tried the original case, is challenging the law in court.
"It's terrible if Jerry brown and the liberal legislators would quit thinking more about inmates than victims I mean we should not have to go through this bulls---," said Poyner.
Under current law, this case could come before a judge again. Erik's family hopes that doesn't happen but knows Erik will be with them if it does.
"I was only able to do this because he was watching over me and I know it," said Devin Lombardi, Erik's sister.
The victim's family is ready to get back to their lives, careers and kids. Everything has been on hold while this case is revisited.