After listening to remarks from the prosecution and defense attorneys, along with the accused, Northeast District Judge Donovan Foughty, Devils Lake, ordered that Chad Legare be sentenced to 13 years for attempted murder. The sentence was handed down in a courtroom here shortly before noon Monday.

Legare, 43, Alexandria, Minn., was arrested Feb. 8, 2018, on charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and burglary in connection with a Jan. 30, 2018, attack on Father Robert Wapenski at St. Francis Xavier Church in Anamoose. Wapenski became unconscious during the attack in which computer speaker wire was wrapped tightly around his neck. He was also beaten.

Legare was first stopped by law enforcement in Minot the day the attack was discovered. He told Minot Police he came to Minot to visit his girlfriend and had traveled from his home in Alexandria via Bismarck and not through Anamoose. That story unraveled as investigators obtained video evidence of Legare stopping at a convenience store located between Anamoose and Minot shortly after the attack took place.

“There is no defense for this crime,” Josh Frey, McHenry County state’s attorney told the court during Monday’s sentencing. “Mr. Legare has demonstrated that, if he is to break the law, it will be violent.”

Kim Fundingsland/MDN Deacon Stuart Longtin, Fargo, right, took the stand in Northeast District Court in Towner Monday to refute statements made by defendant Chad Legare. Listening is Judge Donovan Foughty, Devils Lake.

Legare entered an Alford plea of guilty to attempted murder in November 2018. The charges of aggravated assault and burglary were dismissed at that time.

In an earlier court appearance Legare maintained that his actions were in defense of his girlfriend, whom he believed had been abused by Wapenski. Legare’s attorney, William Hartl, told the court Monday that the allegations against Wapenski had been reported to law enforcement by Legare prior to the attack and that Legare “had been told by a female and it wasn’t the first time he was told that.” Furthermore, said Hartl, “Mr. Legare believed he was justified in defending the female.”

Legare addressed the court, saying that he was acting in defense of another but that Wapenski has nothing to fear from him because the “woman is out of state and recovering from her experience here.”

Judge Hartl responded by asking, “Are you still a threat to him?”

“I am not, your honor,” replied Legare.

Moments later Deacon Stuart Longtin, Fargo Diocese, took the witness stand on behalf of the prosecution. In an emotional response directed at Legare, Longtin declared, “He is claiming his actions were righteous. It is not righteous to attack another person and do them bodily harm. Of all the information that Mr. Legare claims, there is no evidence to support it. He is claiming something that didn’t happen.”

Longtin reminded the court that facts proved that Legare came to Anamoose days before the attack and that Legare broke into Wapenski’s residence, disabled a light and attacked from ambush.

“If you were coming to confront him, knock on the door and talk to him,” said Longtin. “His life has been made miserable by this. Admit you acted wrong.”

Foughty told Legare, “You didn’t do harm to a person because you were involved in a crime. You went to a person to commit a crime. Do you understand the difference?”

“Yes, your honor,” said Legare quietly.

A pre-sentence investigation ordered last November determined that Legare was a “low risk” offender. However, noted Foughty, “I don’t know if that is relevant in this case because you went after a particular person.”

Foughty then agreed with the prosecution’s recommendation that Legare receive a 13-year sentence with 10 to be served behind bars. The additional three years would be a probationary period upon Legare’s release from prison. Legare was given credit for time already served since his arrest and will be allowed to accumulate “good time” while at the state penitentiary.

Monday’s sentencing was the third scheduled attempt to do so. Legare’s original sentencing date of Jan. 29 of this year was postponed due to extremely cold weather. A second sentencing date of Feb. 4 was called off due to a Winter Weather Warning that resulted in “no travel” conditions in the Devils Lake area. Foughty is assigned to Devils Lake. Legare has been held at the Heart of America Correction Center in Rugby since his arrest.