Sentencing delayed in PR slayings
SANDPOINT — Sentencing is being postponed for a Priest River man accused of killing his wife and their unborn child to determine if a traumatic brain injury he suffered factored into the crime.
Jeremy Keith Swanson was to be sentenced this month on one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder, but the state and the defense jointly moved for a continuance so Swanson can undergo quantitative brain mapping at Neuropathy Northwest in Spokane Valley, Wash., court records show.
Swanson’s sentencing in 1st District Court is planned for August, although a date for the hearing is still pending. He is being held at the Bonner County Jail.
The charges against Swanson arose from a premeditated attack on his wife, Jennifer, last December. Jennifer Bosch-Swanson, 27, was stabbed to death in bed in the couple’s Priest River home.
The attack also killed their unborn child, who was 15-18 weeks in utero, according to court documents.
Swanson, also 27, was originally charged with two counts of first-degree murder, although the count involving his unborn child was amended downward during plea negotiations. Swanson entered his guilty pleas in April.
In exchange for the pleas, Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall agreed not to file charging enhancements or seek the death penalty.
Marshall is recommending a fixed term of life in prison without parole. Chief Public Defender Isabella Robertson remains free to argue for a lesser sentence.
Neither of the recommendations, however, are binding upon the court.
The continuance in the case comes after Jeremy Swanson’s mother indicated that her son suffered a traumatic brain injury, although the date and cause of the injury are not disclosed in court records.
The injury could serve as a mitigating factor in the crime, which has the potential to lessen the sentence that’s imposed.
The disclosure comes amid a growing body of scientific research linking head injuries to incidents of later violence.
A 2011 University of Michigan study suggested that young adults who’ve suffered head injuries are more likely to take part in violence, Reuters news service reported.
Previous research has shown that brain injuries can also cause changes in memory, reasoning and emotions, including impulsivity and aggression.
Jeremy Swanson has no prior criminal record and did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when the killings occurred.