FARGO (KFGO) – Arthur Kollie, the man found guilty in September of murdering 14-year-old Jupiter Paulsen in June of last year, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Friday.
Judge John Irby handed down the sentence.
Paulsen was roller-blading between her parents’ homes when she was attacked by Kollie in the parking lot of Party City. Prosecutors said Kollie stabbed and strangled the girl to death.
Kollie’s mental health-stability and use of methamphetamine were highlighted during the trial. His attorney, Eric Baumann, leaned heavily on the testimony of a counselor who gave Kollie a preliminary diagnosis of psychosis just days before Paulsen was murdered.
Ultimately, he told the jury that prosecutors had not proven that Kollie could comprehend his actions on that day.
Assistant Cass County State’s Attorney Ryan Youngren told the jury that Kollie demonstrated awareness of his actions by his attempts to cover up the crime when he changed into stolen clothes at Walmart and threw his bloody clothes in a dumpster, as well as during his interviews with police.
