The adult son of North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer was sentenced Monday to 28 years in prison in connection with a wild chase in which he fled a hospital and drove into a deputy’s vehicle, killing the deputy.
Ian Cramer, 43, pleaded guilty in September to all charges against him, including murder while fleeing a peace officer, evading arrest, reckless endangerment, fleeing an officer and drug and driving-related offenses .
The chaos occurred in December 2023 during a chase and crash that killed Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Martin.
State District Judge Bobbi Weiler handed down the sentence of 38 years, with 10 years suspended, three years probation and more than a year in prison.
She also mentioned recommended treatment for addiction and mental health. But he likely won’t serve the full 28 years, the judge said.
“The (state) Department of Corrections has its own policy on how much time you have to serve,” Weiler said.
“These are not mandatory minimums, which means you will probably serve a small portion of those 28 years and be on parole, so that will give you the opportunity to get a second chance like Deputy Martin does.” not, and neither is his family.’
Cramer, wearing orange and sitting quietly next to his public defender, apologized to Martin’s family when asked if he wanted to speak.
Officers lead Ian Cramer (center) out of a courtroom at the Mercer County Courthouse in Stanton, North Dakota, after he was sentenced to 28 years in prison
Cramer was involved in a wild chase in which he fled a hospital and crashed into the vehicle of 53-year-old Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Martin, killing the deputy.
Ian Cramer, right, sits in court during his sentencing proceedings as Mercer County State’s Attorney Todd Schwarz, center, returns to his seat in Stanton, North Dakota, on Monday
‘I didn’t plan on doing any of this. It was an accident and I only hope that one day they can forgive me. I think the best thing for me is to go to a hospital and just get more help,” Ian Cramer said.
Much of the sentencing focused on Cramer’s addiction and mental health.
Mercer County State’s Attorney Todd Schwarz, citing doctors, said Ian Cramer suffered the long-term effects of “taking drugs to put himself in a mentally ill state.”
Cramer admitted to using methamphetamine and bath salts the day of the crash, Schwarz said.
Cramer’s mother, Kris Cramer, read a statement saying her son “suffered a lot of brain injuries on his own” and is dealing with mental illness. She apologized and said, “I really feel responsible for what happened on December 6, 2023.”
Bismarck police said they took him to a hospital for mental health issues.
Court documents show he got into the driver’s seat of his parents’ vehicle after his mother got out and backed through the closed garage door of the hospital’s ambulance bay.
He later fled from officers when someone confronted him in Hazen, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) from Bismarck, authorities said.
Morton County District Judge Bobbi Weiler, left, and Ian Cramer, right, appear on a zoom call during the September hearing
This photo shows the main vehicle entrance and ambulance garage of the Sanford Health Emergency Department that sustained damage in connection with Ian Cramer’s drive away from the hospital
Ian Cramer, 43, pleaded guilty in September to all charges against him, including murder while fleeing a peace officer, evading arrest, reckless endangerment, fleeing an officer and drug and driving-related offenses .
According to court documents, Cramer reached speeds of more than 100 mph and kept going even after a spiked device flattened two tires.
More spikes were deployed and Cramer swerved and then crashed head-on into Martin’s patrol vehicle, launching him about 100 feet, authorities said.
Martin was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Schwarz said Martin was well-liked by his colleagues and will be remembered for his friendly nature, which was reflected in his regular check-ins with a young girl who had a troubled father and was afraid of officers.
A week before the crash, Martin shared his retirement plans with Schwarz, who had known him since the 1990s.
Cramer pleaded not guilty in April in the murder case. He was initially charged with manslaughter, later converted to murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
He is being held at the McLean County Jail in Washburn on $500,000 bail.
All of the crimes to which he pleaded guilty carry a maximum penalty of just over 38 years in prison, according to the verdict the prosecutor filed earlier in December.
GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer, pictured Monday, has said his son ‘suffers from severe mental disorders manifesting in severe paranoia and hallucinations’
Ian Cramer, right, is seen with his father Kevin in a 2016 family photo
In March, Ian Cramer pleaded not guilty to separate charges of theft, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment in connection with the events at Bismarck Hospital. A jury trial is scheduled for January.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican, has said his son “suffers from severe mental disorders manifested by severe paranoia and hallucinations.”
The senator told reporters that his family commends the officers, the court and the prison, but said he is “somewhat disappointed that mental health care has been so casually dismissed by both the court and the prosecutor.”
“But I don’t think there’s any doubt that there isn’t one person, including Ian, who doesn’t know that it was his choices that led to this, whatever they may be, under whatever circumstances, choices that took many years going back,” said Kevin Cramer, who handily won reelection and served a second term in November.