Death Penalty No Longer an Option for Man Accused of 2023 Murder in Jerome, ID

An Idaho man who is accused of committing a murder in Jerome and who also walked away from a work camp while in custody, will no longer face the death penalty.

The murder happened in September of 2023.

Man Accused of Murder in Southern Idaho Will Not Face Death Penalty

The man, Kevin N. Kuintzle, was charged on September 20th, 2023, with killing William Eakin, an 84-year-old man who lived in Jerome. He is also charged with other crimes related to the murder, including robbery, kidnapping, and unlawful possession of a firearm. KTVB has a very in-depth report of the crimes.

Kuintzle is also believed to have attempted an armed robbery at CSI in Twin Falls near the pickleball courts. The incident prompted a shelter-in-place order by the college.

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After his arrest, Kuintzle was held on a $1 million bond while being held at the Jerome County Jail. He was transferred to the low-security St. Anthony Work Camp in Eastern Idaho which he walked away from on December 5th. He allegedly then stole a truck from a nearby mechanic and was arrested the following night (Friday, December 6th) by police in Pocatello.

Death Penalty No Longer an Option for Man Accused of Murder in ID

In a status update court appearance via Zoom, we learned that the state is no longer seeking the death penalty against Kuintzle. In the court session, Kuintzle questioned the work done by his defense team, one of his attorneys left the case based on the change in penalty, and an alibi deadline request was made.

It isn't fully clear to many why the State isn't seeking the death penalty for this first-degree murder charge. According to KMVT, the pre-trial will be on April 8th, followed by a jury questionnaire on April 22nd. The trial is set to begin on May 5th.

RELATED STORY: Decades-Old Murders Along Idaho Road Remain Unsolved

What do you think about the State of Idaho declining to seek the death penalty in this case?