Kevin Kilmer, 27, was sentenced by Judge Mark Kozisek in Cherry County District Court, Valentine, Nebraska, for the 2021 murder of Ruth Wittmuss, 52, which occurred in Kilgore. The trial took place in August of this year. 

Kilmer was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and an additional 10-14 years for the use of a weapon to commit a felony. 

The case was investigated by the Cherry County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, with the assistance of the Valentine Police Department and other local agencies. The Cherry County Attorney’s office and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case.