Wife Beater Sentenced To 15 Years Victim Defends Her Husband To The Very End, But Judge Delivers Maximum Sentence

A 47-year-old Spokane Valley man who bloodied his wife and left her near death on the floor of their cabin cruiser last June was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison.

At the sentencing hearing, prosecuting attorney Rick Baughman stared straight at James Loss and told him he “killed his wife’s soul” that night on Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Minutes later, Judge Gary Haman ruled that Loss must serve at least five years of his sentence without the possibility of parole. He was convicted of aggravated battery on March 26.

“This case is akin to attempted homicide,” Haman told Loss before announcing the sentence.

Only the timely work of deputies and the medical staff at Kootenai Medical Center saved the life of Jerrene Loss. At one point that evening, they were forced to cut open her skull to relieve pressure.

But the 49-year-old woman recanted original statements that her husband of 15 years had beaten her. The pair had reconciled, and she testified on his behalf throughout the trial. That didn’t change at Wednesday’s sentencing.

“I believe that Jim has suffered even more than me,” Jerrene Loss told the judge. “Your honor, my husband doesn’t belong in jail. I do. I have lied so often, and Jim has forgiven me.”

Lawyers for the prosecution dismissed her testimony as classic “spousal abuse syndrome.” They described James Loss as a “manipulating and conniving” man whose grip on his wife extended beyond the walls of the Kootenai County Jail.

“He has brainwashed her,” Baughman said in his sentencing recommendation. “The maximum in this case is 15 years; 15 years is a pittance for what this man has done.”

Across the courtroom from where Jerrene Loss sat with her family, Carolyn Weldon was watching the proceedings with particular interest. Weldon, who lives in Deer Park, was married to James Loss for nine years and lived with him for 13.

“The reason I left him was because one of us was going to die, and I was afraid it was going to be me,” Weldon said during a recess. “He does have a charming side. If you met him on the street, you might think Jim is a wonderful guy. But he’s a sociopath.”

Shortly after the proceedings started, Jerrene Loss told the judge she had delivered a number of “reference letters” to the court on Monday from family friends. But a frantic search of the court records office during a 20-minute recess turned up nothing.

“The clerks ransacked (the records room),” said Haman, obviously frustrated. “They have no record or even any recollection of letters being received.”

Haman allowed the sentencing to proceed without them.

Asked whether he were planning to appeal the stiff sentence, defense attorney Glen Walker said he would have to talk over the matter with James Loss.

“Now that we have the actual sentence, I will discuss that with him,” Walker said. “I believe there certainly are appealable issues. I also believe that for a charge like this the sentence was not unexpected.”

Baughman said following the proceedings that he wasn’t unhappy with the judge’s decision. He also spoke of the tragic nature of the case, and the unusual twist of events that arose with Jerrene Loss sticking by her husband until the end - even after he nearly killed her.

“I think the circumstances warranted a stiffer sentence, but I’m confident that Judge Haman gave the case all the consideration it’s due,” Baughman said. “It was tough on us all the way around.”

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