BOULDER - A Jefferson County District Court sentenced a woman to 50 years to a mental health treatment facility for smothering her 5-year-old son to death at a residence near Whitehall in April.
Kathryn Garaas struggled as she read a brief statement saying she was broken and eternally sorry during her sentencing hearing on Aug. 12th. In June, Garaas pleaded guilty but mentally ill to deliberate homicide.
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Under the plea agreement, she was sentenced to 50 years with the Department of Public Health and Human Services, which would then recommend her to the Montana State Hospital.
“The sentence for her is essentially a life sentence. Forty years old, the sentence would expire when she was 90,” Garaas’ defense attorney Marisa O’Sullivan said.
Garaas was suffering from extreme mental illness on April 24th when she killed her son Reign.
“The best to come out of this is to get Kathryn the help she needs. The Montana State Hospital is the only place in Montana that’s equipped with the tools to help treat her mental health as well as ensure the safety of the community,” O’Sullivan said.
The judge accepted the plea agreement and noted she could not be considered for parole until 25 years of her sentence was served. The judge added this was a difficult case.
“I mean, yes, mental illness is the reason that we’re here. But also, the reason that we’re here is a truly unexplainable darkness that I can’t grasp,” District Judge Luke Berger said.
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