Almandinger sentencing delayed until 2019

PALMER — Of the four teens charged with crimes related to the murder of David Grunwald in 2016, only one has been charged.

Erick Almandinger, now 18 years old, will likely not be officially sentenced until March after being found guilty of all nine charges against him. Bradley Renfro and Austin Barrett will be tried as a pair, with their evidentiary hearing set to start the week of December 10. Dominic Johnson, also 18, will see trial the week of Oct. 29.

Almandinger was found guilty on charges of murder in the first degree, kidnapping, three counts of murder in the second degree (intend injury, extreme indifference, and felony murder), tampering with evidence, vehicle theft and arson in late May of 2018. As the first of the group charged with the murder that occurred on Nov. 13, 2016, Almandinger will wait until after the trial of the group of Renfro and Barrett and the October trial of Johnson.

Judge Gregory Heath is set to retire at the end of 2018, but will stay on to hear the jury trials of the other three accused murderers. Barrett is charged with seven crimes related to the murder and Renfro, nine. Johnson has been given the same nine charges as Almandinger. Almandinger’s attorney, John Iannaccone, filed a motion to limit the use of emotional videos or slideshows during the trial. Renfro will be represented by Chris Provost, Johnson by Lyle Stohler and Barrett by Craig Howard.

Alaska State Troopers were notified of Grunwald’s burned Ford Bronco on Solitude Street in Wasilla on Nov. 14, 2016. Almandinger’s tablet was used to place his location in close proximity to the location where the Bronco was burned. A cab driver told AST that he had picked up three males in the vicinity of Church Road after being dispatched to Schrock Road nearby and confirmed that one of the males had a tablet that he used during the ride. Troopers discovered DNA evidence related to the investigation after attaining a search warrant for the camper trailer behind the Almandinger residence on Nov. 29, 2016. Devin Peterson told troopers that Almandinger had shown up in the Bronco with Johnson and admitted to the murder of Grunwald on the Nov. 13. Peterson led yroopers to the location on Knik River Road where Grunwald was killed and found a 9mm shell casing nearby on Dec. 2, 2016. Almandinger admitted later that day to authorities that he had retrieved a pistol from his house and brought it to the camper where he and Johnson were drinking and smoking, and claimed that Johnson had pistol-whipped Grunwald. Almandinger claimed he watched the events unfold but did not take part. He claimed that Johnson had shot Grunwald, but that when he was asked a second time, he claimed that Barrett had pulled the trigger. Peterson, 20, was convicted of tampering with evidence and hindering the investigation will serve consecutive sentences totaling nine years in prison, but was not charged with the murder.