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Prosecutor asks court to deny killer John Lee’s sentence-reduction request

Booking mug of Moscow, Idaho shooter John Lee. Lee is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in connection to the January 2015 deaths of his adoptive mother, 61-year-old Terri Grzebielski; his landlord, 71-year-old David Trail; and Moscow Arby’s manager 47-year-old Belinda Niebuhr. (Whitman County Sheriff)
By Chelsea Embree Lewiston Tribune
Booking mug of Moscow, Idaho shooter John Lee. Lee is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in connection to the January 2015 deaths of his adoptive mother, 61-year-old Terri Grzebielski; his landlord, 71-year-old David Trail; and Moscow Arby’s manager 47-year-old Belinda Niebuhr. (Whitman County Sheriff)

MOSCOW – The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office is asking the court to deny a sentence reduction request made by a Moscow man convicted of killing three people last January.

John Lee, 30, filed motions last week to shorten his sentence, have an oral arguments hearing and be appointed new counsel. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson filed his response to the shorter sentence request Tuesday.

Lee was sentenced in May to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2015 shooting spree that killed his adoptive mother, Terri L. Grzebielski, 61; his landlord, David M. Trail, 76; and Moscow Arby’s manager Belinda G. Niebuhr, 47. Seattle resident Michael M.M. Chin, 40, was also injured in the incident.

The documents come after Lee filed an appeal with the Idaho Supreme Court in July, despite a plea agreement that waived his right to appeal. Thompson makes note of the concession in the prosecutor’s response, adding that the plea agreement formed the basis for Lee’s sentence.

As part of the plea agreement that spared him the death penalty, Lee entered Alford pleas to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery. By entering Alford pleas, Lee did not admit guilt but acknowledged there was enough evidence to convict him.

Thompson argues that all sentencing factors were considered and addressed at the time of sentencing.

According to his response, “the court was fully advised as to all of the circumstances surrounding the defendant’s offenses and the defendant himself; that the defendant was afforded a full and complete opportunity to allocute and to offer whatever argument and/or evidence in mitigation existed; and that the sentence imposed by the court was in all ways lawful and proper.”

In response to Lee’s motion to be appointed counsel, Judge John R. Stegner wrote that Lee was already appointed representation by the state appellate public defender. Stegner denied Lee’s motion this week.

No hearing dates have yet been set.