Family of slain Algona police officer confronts man convicted of murder at sentencing

ALGONA, Iowa (KCRG) – The father of slain Algona police officer Kevin Cram had harsh words for the killer at his sentencing Wednesday.

A jury convicted Kyle Ricke of premeditated murder in Julyfor the shooting of Officer Cram last September.

On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Ricke to the mandatory prison sentence: life imprisonment without parole.

SEE MARK CRAM’S FULL STATEMENT:

Prosecutors say Ricke shot Officer Cram in September 2023 as Cram was trying to serve him an arrest warrant.

In the courtroom on Wednesday, Ricke apologized to Cram's relatives and asked for forgiveness.

“I am very sorry for what happened that night,” Ricke said. “Every night I pray for forgiveness from the family. I deeply regret the pain I caused them. And I pray that one day they can forgive me for my terrible actions.”

However, Mark Cram, Kevin Cram’s father, called Ricke “worthless” and “despicable.”

Officer Cram's widow also spoke at the hearing and told Ricke that he had taken everything away from Cram's family.

“I know you will never see the outside world again, but I hope that every night when you close your eyes you hear the cries of my son missing his father, because that is what you did to his sons and to me,” Lara Cram said.

After her testimony, Lara Cram played an audio recording of her young son crying over the loss of his father for more than a minute.

In addition to the life sentence, the judge ordered Ricke to pay $150,000 in restitution to Officer Cram's widow.

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