A man was sentenced Monday to life in prison after being convicted of fatally shooting his girlfriend's ex-husband in an ambush.
Joshua Alberts was convicted of second-degree murder for the February 2016 killing of Joshua Warren.
According to prosecutors, Alberts shot Warren at least 12 times in the face, neck, and torso while Warren was unarmed.
Alberts shot Warren when he went to the apartment complex where his ex-wife lived to pick up his two children.
According to trial testimony, Alberts waited for Warren, gun in hand, before the attack. Alberts claimed in testimony that his then-girlfriend told him she still had feelings for Warren and wanted to be with him.
Ada County deputy prosecutor Kai Wittwer said the crime was motivated by jealousy, anger, hatred and the defendant's desire to "give (Warren) what he thought he deserved."
Alberts was set to be sentenced in March, be he attempted suicide by overdosing on prescription drugs just before his sentencing date.
Prosecutors said Alberts had been hoarding drugs in jail.
In a pre-sentence psychological evaluation, the doctor who interviewed Alberts diagnosed him as having an anti-social personality disorder and having narcissistic and psychopathic characteristics, according to Wittwer.
"He placed beyond the 99th percentile, meaning that less than one in every 100 offenders who completed that evaluation . scored higher than the defendant," Wittwer said.
Defense attorney Eric Rolfsen argued his client knew that what he did was wrong and noted Alberts had a minimal criminal record.
Rolfsen recommended a sentence of 10 or 15 years of indeterminate prison time, the Idaho Statesman reported.
Before sentencing, Alberts apologized to Warren's family and his own, saying he always tries to protect the ones he loved and had expected this to be a manslaughter conviction.
"What I did that day is beyond regrettable, but it is not representative of who I am," Alberts told the judge. "I am sorry about this. This is the worst thing I have ever done."