Last Defendant Sentenced for Sauk Rapids Murder

FOLEY -- The third man involved in a Sauk Rapids murder in February 2018 has been sentenced.

Twenty-one-year-old Willie White has been sentenced to 32 years and 8-months in prison.

A Benton County jury found White guilty of 2nd-degree intentional murder, 2nd-degree murder committed during a felony assault, 1st-degree assault with a deadly weapon and 2nd-degree arson.

A second defendant, 38-year-old Vance Laster pleaded guilty to a charge of aiding an offender and being an accessory after the fact. He was sentenced to 13 years behind bars.

The third man, 27-year-old Nokomis Jefferson was given a stayed sentence of 23 months in prison. He was acquitted on being an accomplice on all counts except 2nd-degree arson.

The men were charged in the shooting death of 25-year-old Joe Ditthideth and wounding 29-year-old Nathan Phrachomphonh, then torching Ditthideth's car.

The shooting happened after an argument broke out at 3466 Old Creek Place in Sauk Rapids.