GUILTY ND - Savanna Lafontaine-Greywind, 22, pregnant, Fargo, 19 Aug 2017 #3

[imstilla.grandma]

Linda Shearer's home sits by the Red River, next to the bridge where it’s believed a hollowed-out dresser hiding the body of 22-year-old Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind was dumped in the water two years ago.

“We can’t help but think about her every time we cross the bridge,” Shearer said.

A white cross with Savanna’s name is nailed to a tree near the bridge. Not far from the memorial is a sprawling field of sunflowers, Savanna’s favorite. They’re placed around her grave in south Fargo where grass has yet to fully grow over her final resting place.

After LaFontaine-Greywind’s murder and the abduction of her baby, Haisley Jo, who was cut from her mother's womb, former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., proposed Savanna’s Act.

The bipartisan bill seeks to address gaps in data collection and law enforcement related to missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW). It passed the Senate unanimously at the end of 2018, but was stopped in the House by former Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, without time to make changes.

Now, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has taken up the bill in the new session, with 22 signing on as co-sponsors, including Tina Smith, D-Minn., John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who unseated Heitkamp in the last election.
Savanna's murder 'still very fresh'

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The brutal murder of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, 22, a pregnant Native American in North Dakota in 2017, started a conversation around the crimes that Native American women are vulnerable to. However, it appears that there may have been many more like LaFontaine-Greywind who went unreported.

A non-profit organization has now sued a number of government bodies for failing to "report" native American homicides. The Murder Accountability Project (MAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other federal law enforcement agencies for failing to obey a 31-year-old Congressional mandate that homicides and other major crimes must be reported to the Uniform Crime Report (UCR), the nation's official accounting of major crimes.
US non-profit sues FBI for not reporting native American homicides, cites brutal murder of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind

 

[Rocco]

Life sentence overturned for man convicted of kidnapping Savanna's baby | West Fargo Pioneer

 

[MsMarple]

Life sentence overturned for man convicted of kidnapping Savanna's baby | West Fargo Pioneer

So it looks like he'll get 20 years max instead of life with a chance of parole? While I'd like to see more time IMO it was Brooke Crews who did the planning, the murder and most of the dirty work. She got LWOP. I don't think Hoehn would have done anything to Savanna without Crews and her nasty plan but does that exclude him from being a dangerous offender? I dunno; if he blindly followed a killer and did her bidding then it seems like it didn't take much to get him to break the law. MOO.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

https://psmag.com/social-justice/searching-for-indigenous-woman-savanna-lafontaine-greywind

 

[imstilla.grandma]

S.1942 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Savanna's Act

 

[imstilla.grandma]

State Supreme Court Tosses Life Sentence For Man Whose Girlfriend Cut Baby From Neighbor’s Womb

 

[MsMarple]

State Supreme Court Tosses Life Sentence For Man Whose Girlfriend Cut Baby From Neighbor’s Womb

From your link:

Crews, 40, supposedly cut Greywind’s stomach open and extracted the woman’s unborn child. When Hoehn stumbled upon the bloody scene at home, he tied a rope around Greywind’s neck to make sure the woman was dead, according to the Associated Press. An autopsy couldn’t confirm if Greywind died from blood loss or strangulation.

Apparently prosecutors used the 2012 child abuse conviction to argue Hoehn qualified as a dangerous special offender. It seems to me - and I'm not a lawyer - that the DA could have filed an attempted murder charge against Hoehn if he *intended* to make sure Savanna was dead. Which IMO would be a felony so wouldn't that mean he could have been charged with felony murder? You know, where someone dies during the commission of a felony?*

Clearly the DA knew the best way to proceed so I'm just whistling in the dark. I feel sad for Savanna's family. There's a two week window for the prosecution to file for a re-hearing. But I'm not holding my breath.

* Since Hoehn disputed Crews' testimony about the rope maybe the prosecution felt there wasn't enough evidence for a charge.

 

[Niner]

Update! One article I read said he would be re-sentenced in 2 weeks - I calculated that to be on Sept. 5th. The next article which was posted above (post #527) says within the month. So only 4 more days left in August. So if anyone "sees" anything - please post!

2 Weeks from 8/22/19 re resentencing:
Thursday, Sept. 5th:
*Re-Sentencing Hearing (@ am CT) - ND - Savanna Marie LaFontaine-Greywind (22) (Aug. 19, 2017, Fargo) - *William Henry Hoehn (32) indicted (8/19/17) with conspiracy to commit murder (Class AA Felony). Plead not guilty. $2M cash bond. Plead guilty (9/4/18) to conspiracy to commit kidnapping (Class A Felony) & giving false info to LE (Class A Misdemeanor).
Trial was set for 5/15/18 but cancelled, continued to 9/18/18.
9/4/18 Update: Hoehn pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of kidnapping and providing false information to law enforcement in the August 2017 death of Savanna. Hoehn is still scheduled for trial on Sept. 18 on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. Felony Jury Trial 9/18 thru 9/28.
9/28/18 Update Day 9 of trial: The jury has found William Hoehn not guilty in the conspiracy to murder Savanna. Sentencing date for other charges has not been announced, should be in about a month.
10/29/18 Update: Hoehn has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for conspiring to kidnap and lying to police in the death of a woman whose baby was cut from her womb.
5/28/19: Appeals his life sentence.
8/22/19 Update: A ruling came on Thursday and orders that Hoehn of Fargo be resentenced. Hoehn plead guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping in the August 2017 attack on Greywind, who died of her injuries but whose baby survived. He entered the plea before a jury acquitted him of conspiracy to commit murder. The North Dakota Supreme Court has ruled that a judge overstepped by giving a life prison sentence. A new sentencing date should be set in two weeks, depending on whether prosecutors file for a rehearing. North Dakota Supreme Court judge Jerod Tufte stated that Cass County prosecutors misled Hoehne ahead of his guilty plea and disagreed with the criteria used to enforce the dangerous special offender statute. Tufte stated that the 2012 child abuse case bore no similarities to the conspiracy kidnapping charges, which constituted an incorrect appilcation of the statute. Hoehn, who is currently in federal custody, is expected to re-sentenced within the month.
*Brooke Lynn Crews (38) also charged with same counts, plead guilty on 12/11/17 & sentenced on Feb. 2, 2018 to life without parole.

 

[margarita25]

I saw on ID I think it was, a preview for a (new?) show which showed a picture of Savanna.

 

[Niner]

FYI - just checked the court site - no update on the hearing date....

 

[imstilla.grandma]

https://cases.justia.com/north-dakota/supreme-court/2019-20180400.pdf?ts=1566488030

 

[MsMarple]

https://cases.justia.com/north-dakota/supreme-court/2019-20180400.pdf?ts=1566488030

In a nutshell the State Supreme Court's decision was based on the lack of similarity between Hoehn's previous conviction for child abuse and his current conviction for kidnapping.

Ironically, in point 15 (page 6) it's noted that in the child abuse conviction the baby was seriously harmed but in the kidnapping case baby Haisley was not seriously harmed. So it's possible that if she had been seriously harmed the court would have upheld the dangerous offender designation. But Haisley would have been harmed. Of course we all would choose the outcome of Haisley *not* being seriously harmed over more punishment for Hoehn.

So Hoehn isn't "dangerous" because Haisley came out of the situation without any physical harm. IMO the mere fact that Hoehn went along with Crews instead of doing the right thing and calling 911 tells me he had little concern for Savanna and Haisley's well-being but got "lucky" in that Haisley wasn't physically harmed or didn't die.

I understand the reasoning but that doesn't mean I agree. And it's looking like the prosecution may not file for a re-hearing.

 

[Niner]

@MsMarple - have you read or heard "when" this court hearing will take place? Only have 3 days left in August if it's supposed to happen this month.

And totally agree with your post above. Understand the "reasoning" for decision, but don't agree. Haisley WAS harmed.... she doesn't have her mother!

 

[MsMarple]

@MsMarple - have you read or heard "when" this court hearing will take place? Only have 3 days left in August if it's supposed to happen this month.

And totally agree with your post above. Understand the "reasoning" for decision, but don't agree. Haisley WAS harmed.... she doesn't have her mother!

I don't think any dates have been set just yet since it kind of hinges on whether or not the prosecution will ask for a re-hearing on the court's decision. BTW, that doesn't seem likely according to Cass County prosecutor Leah Viste:

However, the Supreme Court’s opinion hasn’t become official, she noted. It will remain open for two weeks, which gives prosecutors the opportunity to request a re-hearing. That, though, appears doubtful, according to Cass County prosecutor Leah Viste.

“I don’t think that’s likely at this point,” Viste told Oxygen.com.

State Supreme Court Tosses Life Sentence For Man Whose Girlfriend Cut Baby From Neighbor’s Womb

In a nutshell, I believe any court date for re-sentencing will be set after the two weeks so we should have that date sometime after September 6.

 

[Niner]

Thanks! I do recall reading that quote from the prosecution....

I shall put him on 9/6 then unless anyone hears anything different!

 

[Niner]

09/03/2019 Notice of Hearing Index # 303
Status Conference
09/03/2019 Request Index # 304
for Telephonic Appearance
09/03/2019 Proposed Order Index # 305
for Telephonic Appearance-defendant
09/03/2019 Service Document Index # 306
Certificate of Service on Leah Viste
09/03/2019 Order Index # 307
Request for Telephonic Appearance DENIED
09/03/2019 Assignment Index # 308
Reassignment of Counsel - Scott Brand
09/03/2019 Notice of Hearing Index # 309
Rescheduled Status Conference

09/06/2019 Status Conference (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Olson, Tom)

09/04/2019 Reset by Court to 09/06/2019


link: http://publicsearch.ndcourts.gov/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=3817444

 

[Niner]

*Status Conference Re-Sentencing Hearing (@ 9am CT) - ND - Savanna Marie LaFontaine-Greywind (22) (Aug. 19, 2017, Fargo) - *William Henry Hoehn (32) indicted (8/19/17) with conspiracy to commit murder (Class AA Felony). Plead not guilty. $2M cash bond. Plead guilty (9/4/18) to conspiracy to commit kidnapping (Class A Felony) & giving false info to LE (Class A Misdemeanor).
Trial was set for 5/15/18 but cancelled, continued to 9/18/18.
9/4/18 Update: Hoehn pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of kidnapping and providing false information to law enforcement in the August 2017 death of Savanna. Hoehn is still scheduled for trial on Sept. 18 on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. Felony Jury Trial 9/18 thru 9/28.
9/28/18 Update Day 9 of trial: The jury has found William Hoehn not guilty in the conspiracy to murder Savanna. Sentencing date for other charges has not been announced, should be in about a month.
10/29/18 Update: Hoehn has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for conspiring to kidnap and lying to police in the death of a woman whose baby was cut from her womb.
5/28/19: Appeals his life sentence.
8/22/19 Update: A ruling came on Thursday and orders that Hoehn of Fargo be resentenced. Hoehn plead guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping in the August 2017 attack on Greywind, who died of her injuries but whose baby survived. He entered the plea before a jury acquitted him of conspiracy to commit murder. The North Dakota Supreme Court has ruled that a judge overstepped by giving a life prison sentence. A new sentencing date should be set in two weeks, depending on whether prosecutors file for a rehearing. North Dakota Supreme Court judge Jerod Tufte stated that Cass County prosecutors misled Hoehne ahead of his guilty plea and disagreed with the criteria used to enforce the dangerous special offender statute. Tufte stated that the 2012 child abuse case bore no similarities to the conspiracy kidnapping charges, which constituted an incorrect application of the statute. Hoehn, who is currently in federal custody, is expected to re-sentenced on 9/6. He could faces a maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for kidnapping and one year for lying to authorities. Parole hearing after 25 years.
*Brooke Lynn Crews (38) also charged with same counts, plead guilty on 12/11/17 & sentenced on Feb. 2, 2018 to life without parole.

 

[Niner]

New sentencing date set for man involved in grisly killing

FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- A new sentencing hearing has been set for a man convicted of helping to cover up the death of a North Dakota woman whose baby was cut from her womb.
[.....]
Defense attorney Scott Brand tells The Associated Press he has yet to receive evidence in the case. The hearing is Oct. 7.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

She created a 6-foot-by-4.5-foot painting titled “She Brings Them Home,” now displayed at her gallery in Grand Forks. In the piece, bright colors swirl in the background, but are overshadowed by dark shades to symbolize the grief of losing Savanna. In the middle, a woman is walking away, “carrying Savanna to the stars,” Wilson said. In the foreground are the faces of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

“I put a lot of bright colors and motion in the painting to keep your focus,” she said. “I didn’t want a passive grief. I wanted the energy to stay, so you look at it and really have conversations.”
Artist 'deeply' hurt by Greywind's murder raising awareness of missing and murdered indigenous women | Duluth News Tribune