Man who shot and killed woman sentenced to prison
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CHALLIS — A judge sent a Challis man to prison Tuesday for shooting a 75-year-old woman in the back of the head.
District Judge Stevan H. Thompson ordered Mark Charles Wilson, 54, to spend 30 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder. In March 2018, the heavily intoxicated Wilson shot Pat Brown and left her to die in the basement of their Challis home.
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Thompson ordered Wilson pay $7,245.50 in fees and fines while giving Wilson credit for the 520 days he’s sat in jail.
During interviews with investigators, Wilson said he initially intended to shoot himself, but as an argument ensued things changed. With Brown’s back turned to him 15 feet away, Wilson pulled the trigger, firing a single bullet that pierced her skull.
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When first responders arrived at the home, Brown was still alive, struggling to breathe, Custer County Coroner Chad Michael Workman said at the trial.
During the trial, prosecutors say Wilson, a previously convicted felon, borrowed a neighbors .22 caliber rifle to commit the murder. Because Wilson is a convicted felon, a second jury trial for is scheduled for Sept. 18 on the charge of being in possession of a firearm. The trial will take place in Bonneville County after a judge approved a change of venue request.