Thurman Should Die, Judge Told Prosecutor Says Murder Of Youth Showed ‘Utter Disregard’ For Life

Convicted killer Wayne Thurman has no regard for human life and should be put to death for shooting a 15-year-old boy, said Boundary County Prosecutor Denise Woodbury.

She formally asked a judge this week to impose the death sentence on Thurman, 19. A jury took only three hours to find Thurman guilty of murdering Cedar Pfenning. He shot the teen four times last August and left his body on a remote hillside in Boundary County.

“Cedar Pfenning … was shot once through the heart, twice in the back and once through his head. The victim begged (Thurman) not to shoot him, but (Thurman) ignored his pleas, continuing to shoot Cedar Pfenning as he attempted to flee for his life,” Woodbury wrote to the judge.

“These facts show an utter disregard for human life. The state requests this court sentence the defendant to death.”

Several of Thurman’s friends heard him threaten to kill Pfenning. One testified that Thurman confessed to the murder, giving details about how it happened.

Thurman told his friend he shot Pfenning once, that the boy pleaded with him to stop, then turned to run when he was shot in the back.

As Pfenning lay wounded on the ground, authorities said Thurman stood over him and at close range fired one more bullet into the boy’s head. It was seven days before authorities found Pfenning’s body.

“Having denied the victim any dignity in life, (Thurman) also denied the victim any dignity in death, leaving the victim’s body on a … hillside,” Woodbury wrote.

Thurman was angry with Pfenning over a drug deal gone awry. He also thought Pfenning was going to tell police about Thurman’s drug habits.

Pfenning was at the police station the morning of his death. He told authorities he tried to buy marijuana for Thurman and knew about other criminal activity Thurman and his brother, David Thurman, were involved in, Woodbury said.

Thurman, who was 18 at the time, got drunk with Pfenning then took him on a walk into the woods near Naples, Idaho. That is where Thurman shot the teen four times with a .44-caliber pistol he kept holstered on his hip.

Thurman “manipulated the situation to get the victim to go with him, away from witnesses, to be murdered,” Woodbury said. “In this tragic instance the defendant killed without the slightest bit of provocation or threat by the victim.”

Thurman was arrested by police at the scene of the murder. He drove out to the area the day searchers found Pfenning’s body. Thurman still had the murder weapon holstered to his waist and confessed to investigators. He asked officers to let one of his friends go, saying “I’m guilty. I’m guilty, man.”

Thurman’s sentencing is scheduled for July 31 at 10 a.m.

, DataTimes