North Dakota senator's son to serve 28 years in prison for crash that killed deputy

Ian Cramer, 43, will serve 28 years in prison for the death of 53-year-old Mercer County Sheriff's Deputy Paul Martin, which took place on Dec. 6, 2023.

State District Judge Bobbi Weiler sentenced Cramer to 38 years with 10 suspended, three years of probation and credit for time served. She said he probably will not serve the entire sentence since these are not mandatory minimums, according to The Associated Press.

"These are not mandatory minimums, which means that you're probably going to serve a small portion of that 28 years and be out on parole, so that'll ... give you an opportunity to have a second chance that Deputy Martin does not have, nor does his family have," Weiler said, adding that he seek treatment for addiction and mental health.

Mercer County State's Attorney Todd Schwarz said Cramer admitted to using methamphetamine and bath salts the day of the incident, and was experiencing long-term effects of "taking drugs to put himself into a mentally ill state."

The day of the crash, Cramer's mother was taking him to a hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota, because of mental health concerns. When she got out of the car, he slid over into the driver's seat and drove off, smashing through a closed door in the hospital's ambulance bay.

The crash took place when Cramer swerved to avoid more spikes and hit Martin's patrol vehicle head on. The deputy was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The charges included homicide while fleeing a police officer, fleeing a police officer, preventing arrest, reckless endangerment, driving under suspension, possession of meth, possession of cocaine, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

Cramer's mother, Kris, apologized in court on Monday and said she feels "responsible for what happened" the day Martin was killed, The AP reported.

Sen. Cramer has said previously that his son "suffers from serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations." He told reporters on Monday that while he commends the officers, court and jail, he is "somewhat disappointed that mental health is so casually dismissed both by the court and by the prosecutor."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.