Penkunis sentenced in teen's death

COEUR d’ALENE — Larry Penkunis wept Wednesday and told the court, and the family of Michaela Morton, that he was sorry for the 19-year-old’s death, but he did not cause the overdose that killed her.

Penkunis, 35, was sentenced in Coeur d’Alene to 25 years behind bars, including a fixed 12 years and credit for the almost two years he has served since his arrest on drug delivery charges, but he was not sentenced for failing to report Morton’s death.

A recent Idaho Supreme Court ruling has called that charge into question, and District Judge Rich Christensen asked attorneys to argue at another time the veracity of the charge as it pertains to Pekunis’ case.

Penkunis was initially charged with second-degree murder for giving Morton the drugs she used to overdose, but the charge was dismissed. Nonetheless, prosecutors accused Penkunis of using a syringe to administer methamphetamine to Morton, although he denied doing that.

“… Like I have this innate ability to shoot people up. That’s not the truth,” a crying Penkunis told the court.

He had driven Morton home from a Post Falls drug house, but did not have drugs, he said. They had been seized by police. He recalled vividly the night of Morton’s death, he said. But it was not at his hands.

“Her death means something to me. Everyday it means something to me,” Penkunis said. “I am so sorry for your loss, but I didn’t hurt your daughter. I never would.”

But prosecutors painted Penkunis as a violent drug dealer, whose previous criminal history includes arson by throwing a gas bomb through a residential window, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a firearm and felony DUI.

Prosecutors said Morton alerted police to Penkunis’ drug dealings, leading to his arrest, and that was the reason Penkunis wanted to harm Morton.

“He wanted to keep her close, or get rid of her,” deputy prosecutor Jed Whitaker said. “There’s ample evidence he did this, and he intentionally did this.”

Whitaker called Penkunis a scourge who belonged behind bars.

“He needs to be sent home,” Whitaker said, urging Christensen to make an example Penkunis.

“The buck has got to stop here,” Whitaker said. “That’s it.”

Public defender Anne Taylor asked the court to retain jurisdiction and give her client a last chance at getting clean and leading a normal life. Christensen however refused to consider anything but a lengthy sentence for Penkunis, who he called a drug dealer, and whose actions were disturbing, callous and frightening.

“You had multiple opportunities to turn your life around for real,” Christensen said. “You’ve run out of opportunities.”

Penkunis’ other felony charge, the failure to notify law enforcement of a death, will be revisited at a Dec. 11 hearing.