Idaho Falls man sentenced to 55 years for second-degree murder in fatal beating

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Robert Wyatt Lange, 21, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced Friday, January 16th, 2026. Judge Brendon Taylor sentenced him to a fixed 20 years, indeterminate for 35 years, for a total unified sentence of 55 years, and a fine of $10,000.

Lange was found guilty for the death of Alejandro Parades Hurtado, 50, after a Bonneville County jury convicted him of second-degree murder in the fatal beating last year.

In the courtroom, Lange made a statement. "Sorry for what happened to Mr. Hurtado. I don't know. I had no intention of killing him in that physical confrontation. I take responsibility for it. I had no intentions of killing him. That's all," said Lange.

The conviction stems from an aggravated battery that occurred on the evening of October 19, 2024. According to the initial police release, Alejandro Parades Hurtado was found brutally beaten and with severe injuries on a sidewalk along the west side of Northgate Mile near the intersection with May Street. The victim later succumbed to his injuries, according to the Idaho Falls Police Department.

The IFPD quickly launched an investigation and a three-day search for a suspect. Authorities later released dash cam video footage to the media showing a person of interest near the scene.

Lange, who was 20 at the time of the incident, turned himself in at the Idaho Falls Police Complex after reportedly seeing himself in the released video.

Parades-Hurtado's niece and significant other wrote an impact statement, but it was not shared in the courtroom.