Kilgore man to spend rest of life in prison for 2021 murder

CHERRY COUNTY, Neb. — A Kilgore man will spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering a woman in 2021.

VALENTINE MAN CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER FOLLOWING NSP INVESTIGATION

According to Cherry County District Court records, Kevin Kilmer, 28, was sentenced Friday to life in prison for first-degree murder. He was also sentenced to 10 to 14 years on one count of use of a weapon to commit a felony, which will be served consecutively to the first-degree murder sentence.

A jury found Kilmer guilty of the charges in August after about five hours of deliberations.

JURY CONVICTS KILGORE MAN OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER

The charges come after the Cherry County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol received a report in August 2021 of a disturbance in Kilgore.

According to an arrest affidavit, the Cherry County Sheriff’s Office was advised by dispatch that a woman reported Kilmer was in her residence south of Eli. She told law enforcement Kilmer was only in his underwear and had blood on his arms and hands.

The woman said Kilmer asked her to use his shower to clean up and later told her he killed 52-year-old Ruth Wittmuss and left her body along a road.

Records say that after deputies contacted Kilmer and searched his house, Kilmer fled on foot. Kilmer was found hiding in a wooded area and taken into custody.

Law enforcement later located Wittmuss’ body in a rural area near Kilgore.