The 42-year-old North Dakota man who admitted to killing 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson by running him over with his SUV because he was “part of a Republican extremist group,” faces a maximum of just ten years in prison.
Shannon Brandt was initially charged with vehicular manslaughter, but prosecutors upgraded the charge to murder in September.
Brandt said he was afraid Ellingson was “part of a Republican extremist group and that he was afraid they were ‘coming to get him,’” according to reports. He then hit and ran over Ellingson with his car, killing him.
As Valley News Live reported at the time:
After visiting the scene where the incident happened, deputies went to Brandt’s house in Glenfield, ND, which is about 12 minutes from the crash scene. Brandt admitted to consuming alcohol before the incident, and stated he hit Ellingson with his car because he had…
