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Wilder is appealing sentence of life without parole

Former Minot kindergarten teacher Cynthia Louise Wilder, 27, Minot, is appealing her sentence to the North Dakota Supreme Court.

Judge Stacy Louser sentenced Wilder to life in prison without parole last month for conspiracy to commit murder. Wilder had pleaded guilty to helping her husband, Richie Wilder Jr., plan the Nov. 13, 2015 brutal stabbing murder of his ex-wife, Angila Wilder, and afterwards of covering it up. Richie Wilder Jr., who had an acrimonious relationship with Angila Wilder and frequently battled with her over custody of their children, was convicted of the murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in May 2017. Cynthia Wilder was arrested and charged in May 2017 after she told an old lover about her role in the crime. Her old lover was working with Minot police and recorded the conversation. Cynthia Wilder later pleaded guilty. Judge Louser gave her the maximum sentence, after saying she could not overlook the amount of planning that Cynthia Wilder did and that Cynthia Wilder could have stopped the murder. Cynthia Wilder had backtracked on what she told her old lover and testified at her sentencing hearing that she did not actually know her husband was going to kill Angila Wilder that day and that she had lied about a lot of things when she talked to her old lover. She had wanted to resume a relationship with that man.

Angila Wilder’s two children with Richie Wilder Jr. were staying with Richie Wilder Jr. and Cynthia Wilder on the night of the murder. Angila Wilder’s 2-year-old son was in her house during the murder and was discovered unharmed in another room when his father came home hours later after working the night shift at Wal-Mart. Cynthia Wilder’s stepchildren are living out of state with their maternal grandmother. She has been forbidden to have contact with them.

David Ogren, a public defender in the Grand Forks public defender office who is representing Cynthia Wilder, filed a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court with the district court this week.

– Andrea Johnson

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