Court briefs for October 17, 2000

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2000 | 10:38 a.m.

Air Force mom gets 25 years

A 23-year-old Nellis Air Force Base airman was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday for smothering her newborn baby girl to death in December.

Candice Kitto will have to serve at least 10 years before she is eligible for parole.

Kitto admitted in September that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict her of second-degree murder in the death of the child.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Vicki Monroe told District Judge Mark Gibbons that after Kitto gave birth in her bathtub, she placed the baby in a plastic bag, put the bag into a box and shoved it into her closet, covering it with clothes.

Kitto could have received up to life in prison, but her defense attorney argued that she is remorseful, has lost her husband and career as a result of the incident and had been a law-abiding citizen up until the death of the child.

Judge to determine fate of killer

A Las Vegas man whose death penalty was turned over by the Nevada Supreme Court six years ago has agreed to let District Judge Lee Gates sentence him.

Wes Pertgen was sentenced to death for shooting, beating and stabbing his roommate Eugene Kortcamp, 53, to death on July 3, 1986.

However, the Supreme Court overturned his sentence because jurors considered two aggravating circumstances when they should have considered "torture" and "depravity of mind" as one.

Another penalty hearing was scheduled for later this month, but Pertgen agreed Monday to let the judge, rather than a jury, determine his fate. As a result, he no longer faces a death sentence, but will get a life prison term with or without the possibility of parole.

Pertgen will likely never get out of prison, however. He was also convicted of kidnapping, sexual assault and attempted murder for an incident that took place the day after he killed Kortcamp.

He received a no-parole life sentence for that incident, plus 52 years.

Man gets probation in brother's death

An elderly Las Vegas man was placed on five years' probation Monday in connection with the beating death of his Alzheimer's-stricken brother.

District Judge John McGroarty also ordered Ronald Brauch, 73, to refrain from caring for anyone during his probation.

Brauch's 74-year-old brother, Donald, was found dead inside an apartment at 2675 S. Nellis Blvd. on May 16 after Brauch called 911. An autopsy showed he had been beaten to death.

Brauch pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in August.

Defense attorneys believe that Brauch accidentally killed his brother while defending himself or while extremely frustrated.

Former candidate gets prison time

Former presidential candidate Hilary Milko was sentenced to 12 to 30 months in prison Monday on a home invasion charge.

District Judge Jack Lehman was forced to delay Milko's sentencing last month after Milko began screaming at him and was carried out of the courtroom, duct tape over his mouth.

Milko remained calm Monday, although he did read a lengthy statement accusing the Lehman and a variety of other officials of violating his rights.

Milko, who has run for president, governor and mayor countless times, pleaded guilty in August to burglarizing his former girlfriend's home in 1998.

Lehman accepted his guilty plea after a psychologist, who has interviewed Milko numerous times, testified he believes Milko is faking a mental illness.