Salmon man sentenced for manslaughter after jury trial

SALMON — A 29-year-old Salmon man was sentenced after being found guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

District Judge Stevan Thompson sentenced Tel Pethtel on Feb. 2 to a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Pethtel pleaded not guilty to felony voluntary manslaughter, two counts of felony unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, one count of felony failure to notify or delaying notification of a death, one count of felony destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence, and one felony enhancement for being a persistent violator.

Pethtel was found guilty of all charges during a jury trial, and the prosecution dismissed count three for felony failure to notify or delaying notification of a death.

“I’m grateful for the teamwork of this successful prosecution,” said Attorney General Labrador. “I thank the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho State Police for their diligent investigation, as well as my Deputy Attorneys General Pendrey Trammell and Arielle Collins, who led the prosecution.”

According to a news release from the office of the Attorney General, during the trial, Pethtel admitted that he was involved in the fight that led to the victim’s death.

“Though Pethtel claimed he acted in self-defense, he also admitted that he had moved the victim’s body away from the scene of the shooting,” says the news release.

Background of the case

According to the release, evidence presented at trial showed that in October 2021, officers were called to the Panther Creek area in Lemhi County where witnesses had found the deceased body of the victim.

“The law enforcement investigation led to Pethtel, who was staying at a cabin in the area and had been with his wife and the victim the night before,” says the release.

Pethtel initially told law enforcement that he had not seen the victim since the night before. But during the trial, evidence showed that after the victim’s death, Pethtel had messaged friends and family, including the victim, “feigning concern for his well-being and claiming that the victim had run off.”