Sentence issued for murder

A emotional courtroom audience heard the sentence handed down in the case of Jacob Tripplet.

He’ll be going to prison and won’t be getting out any time soon.

Triplett pleaded no contest in May to six felony charges, including second-degree murder, related to the abuse and neglect of his four children.

He was sentenced to between 128 and 166 in prison, 40-50 years of which will be served concurrently and 88-116 years will be served consecutively. Triplett was initially charged with first-degree murder, but that charge was reduced to second-degree murder after a plea agreement he made with the Sweetwater County Attorney’s Office in May, where he pleaded no contest to three counts of child abuse, two counts of aggravated child abuse and the second-degree murder charge.

According to Deputy County Attorney Teresa Thybo, Judge Nena James divided the sentence to reflect each of Tripplet’s four children. She said the county attorney’s office initially asked for 81-100 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge. Thybo said they asked for at least 81 years to reflect the average lifespan of a woman in the U.S.

Thybo said the two days of testimony during the argued sentencing was extremely emotional for those attending.

Thybo said the adoptive mother gave a victim impact statement and additional testimony was given by others, including the responding officer, emergency room nurse, Wyoming Department of Family Services social worker and Triplett’s wife, Amanda.

The sentencing stems from a September 2014 incident where the Rock Springs Police Department was dispatched to 883 Moccasin Lane to a report of an infant who had stopped breathing.

When the girl, Susan, was taken to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, she was found to be dehydrated and malnourished. She was later taken to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City with her twin sibling, where she later died.

A subsequent examination discovered Susan suffered from rib fractures, which was suspected to result from abusive handling.

The other children were placed in protective custody and a search of the Triplett home revealed the older siblings’ room had two bare mattresses, a single blanket and filthy pillows.

The infant twins’ room was bare, with the exception of a play pen in the middle of the room with a single blanket inside and a television on a stand.

Amanda will be sentenced Nov. 21 at a hearing scheduled to start at 9 a.m.