LEWISTON, ID – A 58-year-old Lewiston man who killed two people more than two years ago appeared in Nez Perce County Second District Court for a Change of Plea Hearing today. Richard B. Ross pled guilty to two counts of Murder in the First Degree for the deaths of his former brother-in-law Michael Devin, and Devin’s mother, Edwina “Eddy” Devin.
Eddy’s body was found on September 30, 2021 in her Grangeville home, The following morning first responders found Michael’s remains inside a burning pickup in Lewiston. Officials say they were both strangled and had duct tape on their faces.
Due to the plea deal, Mr. Ross will not face the death penalty but will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for each count.
“I firmly believe this was an appropriate death penalty case, but ensuring the defendant is in prison for the rest of his life and eliminating countless years of appeals is definitely a win,” Prosecutor Justin Coleman says.
Ross is also a suspect in the 1994 strangulation deaths of Bruce and Lynn Peeples, who died in their Grangeville home.
