Charles Crane/MDN Mathew Anderson enters courtroom 301 on Thursday afternoon before being sentenced to life without parole for the murder of Wade Goodale.

The man convicted earlier this year for the murder of his girlfriend’s estranged husband was sentenced in North Central District Court on Thursday to life without the possibility of parole. District Court Judge Todd Cresap handed down the sentence to Mathew Anderson after saying he had gone back and forth on which way to rule on the matter.

“It was a complete set up. This was not a murder of circumstance. It was a cold-blooded set up,” Cresap said. “I think I do have to factor in the prior record, but I don’t think that overcomes what occurred and the way in which it occurred.”

Anderson, 35, was found guilty of AA felony murder in June, along with accomplice and co-defendant Regina Goodale, 35, Minot, the estranged wife of the victim, Wade Goodale. The pair were found guilty by the jury in less than three hours.

The family members of Wade Goodale appeared in person and via Zoom for the sentencing on Thursday afternoon, providing their statements on their lost brother, son and father. Wade Goodale’s brother Christopher Miller participated in the hearing over Zoom, saying the death of his brother has required his mother, Mary Kay Miller, and him to provide and care for Wade’s children. He concluded saying that he was hopeful the day’s proceedings would allow the family to move on.

Goodale’s stepfather Randy Miller also provided a statement, which was read by his sister Brenda Miller. In his statement, Miller described his stepson as, “a blessing in my life.”

“Wade came into my life when he was two years old. A darling handsome, blue-eyed boy was sent to me that day. I needed him as much as he needed me,” Miller’s statement read. “Wade was their security. He was Mr. Mom. He was their rock. Wade’s eyes sparkled when he was with those children. The day of this senseless tragedy destroyed many people’s lives. Please consider the max penalty for Regina and Mathew. They certainly weren’t thinking about the consequences of their actions.”

Anderson’s attorney William Hartl appealed to Cresap for leniency, saying his client lacked a criminal history before the murder and that Goodale’s death was the result of unintended consequences born from poor decisions caused by an addiction to alcohol and daily methamphetamine use. Anderson would speak on his own behalf, beginning by saying he was “truly sorry.”

“He did not deserve that. It was an accident.I didn’t mean to take him away from his children or his family. I am deeply sorry,” Anderson said.

Ward County State’s Attorney Roza Larson pushed back, citing evidence and testimony from trial that supported the notion that the setup and murder of Goodale was orchestrated and planned. Larson disregarded Anderson’s prior record, alluding to two writeups while in custody for possessing a shank and directing his wife in a text message to have his son “rape” the daughters of a correctional officer.

“Frankly, it sickens me every time I hear him say it was an accident. The defendant’s criminal conduct resulted in the death of Wade Goodale,” Larson said. “For the defendant to say it was an accident, I don’t buy it. He intentionally brought a gun to the scene, and he intentionally shot Wade point blank. The defendant cannot pay the cost of Wade’s life other than with his own.”

Larson asked for a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, and Cresap ultimately followed the state’s recommendation

“I cringe when I hear this was never intended. This was intentional. The stalking of him, the beating and shooting of Mr. Goodale – all of it was intentional. Mr. Goodale was just going about his business and was set up. Prison is a hardship on everybody. But I don’t think it would be an undue hardship on Mr. Anderson,” Cresap said. “It’s chilling to me the way Mr. Goodale was hunted down. There was a complete lack of humanity. He was just some type of big game to be bagged and that’s the part of this case that bothers me so much.”

Wade Goodale’s family celebrated briefly when the sentence was read, with Christopher Miller openly weeping over the call from his home. Anderson also was assessed $1,025 in costs and fees. Regina Goodale will be sentenced Nov. 1.