LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE Sarah Carpenter sentenced for Jan. 2017 murder of Travis Gillett

Sarah Carpenter was sentenced in Montana 19th Judicial District Court Monday to life without eligibility for parole for the homicide of Travis Gillett in January 2017.

She was also given 10 years with no parole restrictions for tampering with evidence. The sentences will run concurrently, and Carpenter also must pay $2,491 in restitution.

Judge Matt Cuffe did not impose the $11,055.82 cost of Carpenter’s jury trial, which Lincoln County Attorney Marcia Boris had requested.

“This is the sentencing hearing for a long, difficult trial,” Cuffe said before the sentencing, detailing that he would not tolerate any kind of outburst or even gesturing during the hearing.

When Cuffe asked the prosecution and defense about testimony, Boris said that the Gillett family was not present. After sitting through every day of the trial, Boris said they told her they could not endure any more.

“They cannot and will not spend another minute in the same room with the person who took away a son, brother, nephew and grandson,” Boris said.

Carpenter’s attorney, Greg Rapkoch from Kalispell, did call her father, Gregory Carpenter, to testify.

Gregory Carpenter told the courtroom that he missed out on years with his daughter after he separated from her mother. He said she suffered abuse during those years, and expressed regret he wasn’t there for her and for the difficulty he’d had attempting to rebuild a relationship with her.

Carpenter also returned several times to his desire to have contact with his grandson, the child that Gillett and Sarah Carpenter had together.

“This is pretty surreal,” he said. “This happens to other people.”

“This is going to last a really long time for a lot of people,” he said.

A few seconds later, Gregory Carpenter broke into tears before turning to his daughter. “Sarah I love you, and I wish I was there more,” he said.

After the testimony, Boris outlined the actions Sarah Carpenter took leading up to the moment she shot Gillett to death along the side of the road in the Yaak, saying that her actions were premeditated and that she had taken no responsibility throughout the investigation and trial.

“She has shown no remorse. She has taken no accountability,” Boris said.

Boris requested that Cuffe sentence Carpenter to life without parole for deliberate homicide and 10 years — running consecutive — without the possibility of parole.

“Travis Gillett’s death was planned, orchestrated and carried out by Sarah Carpenter, and the worst part about it is it didn’t need to happen,” Boris said. “She could have walked away at any time and started her new life with Ezra Skinner.”

While Rapkoch offered no sentence recommendation, he asked that Cuffe not make any substantial parole restrictions.

“This is an emotional time for everybody. These are hard proceedings to sit through,” he said.

Rapkoch said that it was possible that at some time in the future, Carpenter had the potential to return to regular life to be a contributing member of the community.

“Parole restrictions are not a thing of revenge or anger,” he said. “Montana law says they are a thing of pure community safety.”

When Carpenter was given her opportunity to address the court, she declined.

Before sentencing Carpenter, Cuffe noted the factors he had considered in reaching his decision, including the evidence presented in court.

“The circumstances surrounding this case are disturbing. They’re disturbing to everybody who heard them,” he said.

Cuffe detailed the evidence that the jury heard in deciding to convict Carpenter.

“Mr. Gillett was drugged, bound, kidnapped, driven around for hours with his child in the vehicle,” Cuffe said. “[He was] walked down an embankment, shot multiple times — the final shot being execution-style in the back of his head.”

Cuffe said he also considered things such as Carpenter’s age, criminal history and statements submitted to him by Rapkoch. He said that the sentence he would give had to protect the public and hold Carpenter accountable for the crime of which she had been convicted.

“There are multiple victims, as we’ve heard today,” he said. “Those victims include Travis Gillett and Travis Gillett’s family. In addition to Travis Gillett’s family is your family, it’s your children — the child you and Mr. Gillett shared.”

Cuffe said that the case offered no mitigating excuses or reasons for Carpenter’s actions. Carpenter took no accountability or responsibility in her testimony.

“As we sit here today, I still have not heard any type of appreciation for the injury, the victims, or any sort of accountability for any part of the circumstances,” he said.

Noting the circumstances, the interest of justice and the victims, Cuffe rendered the sentence of life in the Montana Women’s Prison without the possibility of parole for deliberate homicide.

“I think that’s what has to happen, given the circumstances,” he said. “Simply put, there is no other way to ensure public safety.”