Contact:
PAUL D. LOCHNER
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
PHONE: (906) 226-2500

LINKLATER SENTENCED FOR WEDDING NIGHT HOMICIDE

TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2008 - MARQUETTE, Mich. – Derek Joseph Linklater, 26, of North Spirit Lake, Ontario, Canada, was sentenced to 327 months in prison for the murder of Loretta Wandahsega, a member of the Hannahville Indian Community, U.S. Attorney Charles R. Gross announced today.

The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney. After serving his prison term, Linklater will be required to serve five years on supervised release. In imposing the sentence, Judge Maloney noted the brutality of the crime as well as Linklater’s history of substance abuse and violent conduct.

Linklater pleaded guilty to a charge of second degree murder on January 18, 2008. The investigation of the case revealed that Linklater married the victim, Loretta Wandahsega, on July 11, 2007. In the early morning hours of July 12, 2007, Linklater and Ms. Wandahsega got into an argument, which escalated into physical contact. During the course of this altercation, Linklater beat Ms. Wandahsega to death with his bare hands. The crime took place on Hannahville Indian Community land.

U.S. Attorney Gross applauded the joint investigative efforts of the Hannahville Tribal Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Michigan State Police, and the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory in Marquette. “Violent crime in Indian country simply cannot and will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with tribal, federal and state law enforcement personnel to ensure that violent offenders are brought to justice.”

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D. Lochner.