A Belwood, Ont. man has been sentenced to 25 years behind bars after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit murder and arson in North Dakota.
Prosecutors describe the case a love triangle and life insurance scheme that ended with the murder of a Bismarck, N.D. man, and his home being set on fire.
Chad Entzel was found fatally shot in January 2020. It was later determined he had been killed in his sleep.
Not long after, Entzel's wife, Nikki Sue Entzel, was arrested and a warrant was filed for Earl Howard of Belwood, Ont. – then 41 years old.
Howard was arrested at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron as he tried to cross from Canada back into the U.S.
He was sentenced by a Bismark, N.D. court on Monday.
Accepting a plea deal, Judge Douglas Bahr sentenced Howard to 50 years in prison with 25 years suspended for conspiring to commit murder. He also received a 10-year suspended sentence for conspiring to commit arson and five years suspended for conspiring to tamper with evident.
The victim's sister was among those who spoke at the sentencing hearing.
"You stole something so precious to us and I am physically sick to my stomach most days," said Lori Kraus, Chad Entzel's sister.
Judge Bahr said he had not been provided with any mitigating circumstances like mental health issues.
Howard will have to serve at least 85 per cent of his sentence before he's eligible for parole, at which time he’ll be about 64 years old.
"This is by no means a slap on the wrist type situation or anything along those lines," said defense attorney Philip Becher. "Twenty-five years of his life is a very significant sentence."
State Attorney Julie Lawyer said if Howard "doesn't change his thinking… while he is in prison or on probation, there's still a significant time hanging over his head regarding these offenses."
Howard's co-accused, Nikki Sue Entzel, has pleaded not guilty.
Her trial is scheduled to begin at the end of the month.
