A district judge denied a post-conviction relief petition to change the sentence of a man given life in prison after pleading guilty to murder.
Cole Marcell pled guilty to first-degree murder in May 2021 for the killing of Sarah Warden in July 2018 by stabbing her with a knife. He was sentenced to life in prison for at least 30 years with no possibility of parole. Marcell was one of three to take part in the killing of Warden, along with Gabriel Mattingly and Amanda Jones.
Marcell filed a petition for post-conviction relief Dec. 13, 2021, seeking to have his sentence vacated.
According to the Lewiston Tribune, in his petition, Marcell alleged that his attorney misrepresented expectations when he pleaded guilty, the motions he requested weren’t filed, his request to go to trial was neglected, he wasn’t advised to continue the sentence, wasn’t advised to get his guilty plea back and his attorney didn’t tell the prosecutor about certain evidence.
Second District Court Judge Adam Green dismissed the case July 20 deciding that Marcell isn’t entitled to post-conviction relief and granted a motion for summary dismissal.
According to the prosecution, Marcell orchestrated the killing of Warden to steal her $800 Social Security check.
