Sentence stands in Jacobson killing

SANDPOINT — The Idaho Court of Appeals is rejecting yet another effort by a Sandpoint man to have his life sentence reduced for his role in the killing a U.S. Forest Service law officer in 1989.

Joseph Earl Pratt is serving the sentence for his involvement in the murder of Brent “Jake” Jacobson, who tracked Pratt and his brother, James, to the Smith Creek drainage following a failed home-invasion robbery in Sagle.

Jacobson and Bonner County Sheriff’s Deputy Steven Barbieri trudged through waist-deep snow in the rugged drainage and found the brothers sleeping under a tree after a lengthy search. James Pratt opened fire with a 12-gauge shotgun, which left Jacobson mortally wounded.

The Pratts later surrendered to police and were ultimately convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery and other charges.

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