MINOT — A Minot man has been resentenced for killing his ex-girlfriend with a kitchen knife in 2017, but not before he tried to withdraw his guilty plea.
Ward County Judge Douglas Mattson gave 32-year-old Bradley Joe Morales a 35-year prison sentence on Friday, Feb. 17. He has credit for about 5½ years of time served.
Court documents said Morales stabbed 25-year-old Sharmaine Leake in the neck with a knife on Aug. 16, 2017, during a domestic fight at her Minot home. She died from her injuries six days later at a hospital.
A jury found him guilty of murder in 2018.
Mattson initially sentenced Morales after the trial to 40 years in prison. The North Dakota Supreme Court overturned the conviction in July 2019 after finding that closing the court to the public during his trial violated his constitutional rights.
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Morales got a second trial in May, but it ended abruptly on the fourth day when he pleaded guilty.
In another twist, Morales filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea during the Friday sentencing, a motion which Mattson denied.
Morales must serve 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
The Trust Project
