A man convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 2012 was sentenced Friday to 45 years in prison.

Jason D. Flett, 28, was found guilty of murder in August. A jury also imposed two deadly weapon enhancements because Flett was armed with a knife and shovel during the crime.

A witness told police that Flett stabbed Ramona Childress, 27, and hit her in the head with a shovel before burying her near Elk. According to court documents, Flett told the witness that he killed Childress to keep her from going to police with information about several burglaries he was involved in. Childress was the mother of two young children.

Flett previously served seven years in prison for stabbing a man at a home near NorthTown Mall in 2005.

Nina Culver

Providence sued over buyout negotiations

A surgeons group in north Spokane claims in a lawsuit that Providence Health Care schemed to disband the practice through sham negotiations to obtain patients without having to actually pay for a buyout.

The suit by Orthopaedic Specialty Clinic refers to Providence’s actions as predatory. Providence is the dominant health care provider in Eastern Washington with a large network of primary care providers and clinics, specialists and hospitals, including Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital.

The suit states Providence initially courted the group for a buyout. At the same time, however, Providence secretly met with some of the doctors and key employees individually and offered them employment, the suit claims.

Those hirings, according clinic leader Dr. David Scott, undercut the negotiations.

Providence said the lawsuit is without merit.

“We plan to vigorously defend these unfounded allegations as stipulated in the suit,” Providence spokesman Joe Robb said in a prepared statement.

John Stucke