Judge Denies Sentencing Delay For Convicted Murderer Markus Kaarma [YouTube]

District Judge Ed McLean has denied a delay in the sentencing date for convicted murderer Markus Kaarma.

The court document states 'It is hereby ordered that the sentencing hearing shall be held on February 12 at 9 a.m. Should a hearing on defendant's motion for a new trial be deemed necessary, it shall be held immediately prior to the hearing at 8:30 a,m. "

Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul said on Wednesday, that the order simply means that the sentencing hearing will go on as scheduled.

"The defense had asked to continue the sentencing hearing," Paul said. "I filed an objection and the court denied their motion for a continuance. That means we will proceed to sentencing on February 12th at 9:00 a.m."

Kaarma was convicted in December of deliberate homicide in the shotgun slaying of German exchange student Diren Dede. He was remanded to the Missoula County Jail without bond until sentencing.

Kaarma's attorneys have filed several motions with the court, asking for a new trial, and that Judge McLean would amend the conviction from deliberate homicide to mitigated deliberate homicide. Judge McLean has not yet issued a ruling on those motions.

Dede's father has stated that he will be in the courtroom for Kaarma's sentencing on February 12.

Below is the Montana Code Annotated mandated sentencing guideline for deliberate homicide.

A person convicted of the offense of deliberate homicide shall be punished by death as provided in 46-18-301 through 46-18-310, unless the person is less than 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the offense, by life imprisonment, or by imprisonment in the state prison for a term of not less than 10 years or more than 100 years, except as provided in 46-18-219 and 46-18-222.