Travis D. Ellenwood, who pleaded guilty to the October 2020 beating and strangulation death of his girlfriend, Bessie A. Blackeagle, was given the maximum sentence for second-degree murder in Indian country during a sentencing hearing Monday in U.S. District Court in Coeur d’Alene.
The 44-year-old Ellenwood was sentenced to 235 months, or nearly 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. The sentence, by U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Richard C. Tallman, followed several anguished and emotional pleas from Blackeagle’s family members, who described her as a talented, optimistic and “bright light” to the Nez Perce Tribe and her close-knit family.
According to court testimony, Ellenwood beat and strangled Blackeagle during a domestic argument following a night of drinking alcohol. Ellenwood admitted to extensive drug and alcohol abuse in the past. (Lewiston Tribune)
