Former husband and wife Brandon Craft and Katelyn Zdeb were sentenced Friday morning in Cascade County District Court, marking the end of a homicide and theft case that began with the 2016 murder of 28-year-old Adam Petzack.
Judge Elizabeth Best sentenced 25-year-old Craft to a total of 110 years in the Montana State Prison with no time suspended, and he will not be parole-eligible for 50 of those years.
Craft received 10 years in prison for each of his three other charges with all but one sentence to run concurrently, and he received credit for 1,292 days of time served.
Zdeb, 24, took a plea deal in April 2018, pleading guilty to two counts of felony deceptive practices and agreeing to testify against Craft.
She received two consecutive 10-year sentences to the Montana Women's Prison with no time suspended.
Aside from the homicide, Best's sentence for Craft and Zdeb represented the maximum possible for their crimes.
Adam Petzack was first reported missing in February 2016.
A disabled American veteran, Petzack served as a wheeled vehicle mechanic in the Army from April 2006 to September 2009 and deployed to Iraq from October 2007 to January 2009.
He left the Army as a private first class and received the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon, according to Army records.
More: Murdered veteran's mom: 'I got my closure' following Craft guilty verdict
During the investigation into his disappearance, detectives found that Craft and Zdeb had sold Petzack's truck, set up a Square account using his debit card and siphoned more than $3,500 of his VA benefits over a three-month period.
When Craft was questioned by investigators, he eventually admitted to killing Petzack, claiming he'd found Petzack masturbating near where his daughter was sleeping and "lost it," shooting Petzack in the head and burying him under a barn on the property.
More: Forensic interviewer: Child disclosed no abuse by Petzack
After a long and often bumpy ride through the court system, Craft's case went to trial Nov. 12, 2019. A jury found him guilty on all counts.
More: Letter from Craft to wife's father: 'This is what I was running from'
At his trial, Craft took the stand and claimed Zdeb was the one who committed the murder. Another witness testified that Zdeb had told him several stories that indicated she was involved in Petzack's death.
According to Zdeb's testimony, Craft had told her to sell Petzack's truck and set up the Square account. She said she did not know Petzack was dead until the police questioned her about his disappearance.
More: State rests, defense grills Craft's ex-wife as Petzack homicide trial continues
Adam Petzack's mother, Lori Petzack, took the stand at Friday's hearing.
“I’d like to tell you who Adam is,” Lori Petzack began.
“Adam is a very simple man. Adam will never again fall in love. Adam will never marry, have children or make me a grandma,” she continued. “Adam’s hopes and dreams will never be…made a reality.”
Petzack talked of how the murder had left her with PTSD, nightmares, anxiety, depression and insomnia. She lamented that Craft had disposed of Adam’s belongings when covering up the crime and how some of what was left will stay in police evidence, perhaps indefinitely.
“Everything Adam had owned was destroyed and taken from me,” she said. “All that remains are pictures, an Army sweatshirt, duplicate medals that Adam earned from his military service, letters…his dog tag and Adam’s burial flag for full military honors.”
Petzack broke down multiple times when talking about her son, asking Judge Best, “Two funerals, two eulogies and now sentencing statements—how much more can a parent of a murdered child bear?”
Best had to call for decorum several times as Petzack barraged the defendants with insults and harsh words. At one point, the judge deterred Petzack altogether as she began to direct her statements toward the defendants’ families who were sitting in the gallery, more than one of whom left in tears.
“You are barbarians, both of you,” she said to Craft and Zdeb. “My son fought for your freedom and independence for four years in the U.S. Army. He received a frontal lobe traumatic brain injury in Mosul, Iraq from an IED which fully disabled him for the rest of his life, which you both took away.”
Craft and Zdeb sat through Petzack’s testimony without noticeable reaction as she requested a life sentence for Craft, calling him a “monster, flight risk, thief, liar.”
“After this, I never want to see either of their faces again,” she finished.
No other witnesses were called during the proceedings.
Zdeb's attorney, Travis Cushman, argued for probationary sentences for his client, stating that she had no prior criminal record, she cooperated with the authorities during Craft's trial, has three minor children to support and hadn't been in any trouble in the four years since Petzack's murder.
"I first want to start off by apologizing to Adam and his family for all of the heartache that you guys have endured over this,” said Zdeb in her statement to the court. “Adam was a great man and awesome to me and my children and I am very, very sorry that this has happened."
In accordance with the plea agreement, the state made no recommendation for Zdeb's sentence.
"I did not find a lot of your testimony to have been completely credible," Best said after pronouncing Zdeb's sentence. "I...believe that you had much greater involvement in this homicide than you have admitted.”
Zdeb, who has been free on bail since her initial arrest, was handcuffed and taken from the courtroom.
For Craft, the state recommended a life sentence without the possibility of parole, while Craft's attorney Larry LaFountain argued for 100 years with 40 suspended on the homicide charge and requested that the sentences on all the other charges run concurrently.
LaFountain told Best, "There are many cases where a person is convicted where the person is not actually guilty” and reminded the judge of several overturned homicide convictions in Montana.
Best stated that her sentence took into account the many factors, including Craft's age, education and family situation as well as the fact that Craft was likely using methamphetamine during the time period when the murder occurred and that Petzack was a friend, a military veteran and a person with disabilities that Craft took advantage of and murdered.
In addition, Best said Craft's behavior record while incarcerated “concerns the court on many levels in terms of the ability to be rehabilitated and to abide by court conditions.”
"The seriousness of this offense," Best concluded, "the disregard for this victim and willingness to hide the offense and then make the offense worse by using his property and money cannot be abided.”
Criminal justice reporter Traci Rosenbaum reports on law enforcement issues for the Tribune. Have ideas or questions for Traci on her beat? Reach her at trosenbaum@greatfallstribune.com or 406-791-1490.
Follow her on Twitter @GFTrib_TRosenba.
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