Last month, an Idaho judge returned a woman convicted of attacking a Port Townsend woman to prison after breaking her parole. BackgroundA near-death assault involving the one female and three male …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you had an active account on our previous website, then you have an account here. Simply reset your password to regain access to your account.
If you did not have an account on our previous website, but are a current print subscriber, click here to set up your website account.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
* Having trouble? Call our circulation department at 360-385-2900, or email our support.
Please log in to continue |
|
Last month, an Idaho judge returned a woman convicted of attacking a Port Townsend woman to prison after breaking her parole.
Background
A near-death assault involving the one female and three male subjects occurred on June 15, 2000, when Port Townsend resident Linda LeBrane was on her way to her family's cabin at Bear Lake, Idaho. She was driving on Interstate 84, with her windows rolled down.
Suddenly, a car pulled up alongside, traveling at freeway speed. A man leaned out and began hitting her car with a baseball bat. Forced to stop, a man pushed his way into LeBrane's car, stabbing her with a knife. He drove the car to an exit and off to a side road, demanding: "Where's the money?! Where's the drugs?!"
Begging for her life, LeBrane was pulled from her car, hit and stabbed repeatedly.
She was left to die, but the assailants returned minutes later, while she was lying with her legs under the car, they set her car on fire.
She had been stabbed 23 times, beaten with a metal baseball bat and left for dead with her throat slashed. However, the gravely injured woman crawled and rolled away from the burning vehicle. Two Idaho teens saw the flames from the freeway, went to investigate, heard her cries and called for help.
LeBrane remained in the intensive care unit of a Boise hospital for 10 days. Then she stayed at Jefferson General Hospital for another six days.
After the incident 18 years ago, LeBrane’s four attackers had been sentenced and fined for their actions.
Update
One of the attackers, Sarah Pearce was sentenced in 2003 for the crime. She had since been let out on probation.
According to a press release issued April 19, Caldwell, Idaho, District Court Judge Juneal Kerrick commuted Pearce’s sentence to 231 days and imposed the remaining sentence to be served in the custody of the Idaho Department of Corrections.
“I have finally received justice,” LeBrane told The Leader tearfully after the 15-year-old sentence was ruled to be served.
She spoke of the last 18 years and said she still has nightmares of the attack, but could “sleep a little easier” knowing one of the attackers was back in prison.
