William Earl Cunningham was convicted in Aug. 2020 of deliberate homicide in the 2014 death of 40-year-old
Nathan Horn. It was the second time Cunningham was convicted for killing Horn.
BREAKING NEWS: William Cunningham was found guilty for the deliberate homicide of Nathan Horn in 2014. Cunningham was initially found guilty in 2015, but was granted a re-trial in 2018.
Tune in to @KULR @ 5 & 6PM as I bring you live coverage of the trial. pic.twitter.com/M4BMtvJruj
The Montana Supreme Court overturned Cunningham’s 2015 conviction and initial 80-year sentence, granting him a new trial after the court reasoned that he was denied the opportunity to question the background and credibility of one of the prosecution’s witnesses. The court also found that Cunningham was not permitted to testify about the circumstances that may have supported his self-defense plea, including why he may have had reason to fear Horn.
(Getty Images/selimaksan) The Associated Press
BILLINGS, Mont. A Montana man who was twice convicted of killing another man during a drunken argument over which branch of the military was better was sentenced Friday to 80 years in prison.
William Earl Cunningham, 69, of Laurel was first convicted of deliberate homicide in March 2015 in the 2014 death of Nathan Horn, 40.
Horn claimed to be a Marine veteran, though defense attorneys said in the second trial that he hadn t actually served. Cunningham served in the Army.
The Montana Supreme Court overturned Cunningham s conviction and 80-year sentence in 2018, saying he was denied the chance to question the professional history and credibility of a state witness and not allowed to fully testify about why he was afraid of Horn. He testified he killed Horn in self-defense.
Army Vet Gets 80-Year Sentence for Killing a Man in Argument Over Which Military Branch Was Best msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.