A former Idaho Death Row inmate who was later exonerated is headed back to prison.
69-year-old Donald Paradis was sentenced this week to serve at least 3 years of a 15-year sentence after pleading guilty to charges of aggravated assault with a firearms enhancement for an incident involving a handgun in his Boise home in September 2017. The victim told police he was in an argument with Paradis inside the home, culminating in Paradis pulling out a gun and pressing to the back of the victim’s head.
Lawyers for Paradis painted a different picture, saying the victim – a homeless man Paradis had allowed to stay with him for several weeks – was intoxicated at the time and had become belligerent and threatening.
A Fourth District Court Judge retained jurisdiction, meaning Paradis could be released sooner.
Paradis served 20 years in prison – including 14 years on death row – for the 1980 murder of 19-year-old Kimberly Palmer. He was exonerated in 2001. (KTVB, AP)
