Brian Dripps sentenced to life in prison in cold-case murder and rape
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Brian Dripps now knows his sentence for the killing of Angie Dodge.
Dripps was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years to life for the murder and rape counts.
You can watch the hearing below.
Before Dripps was sentenced, Angie dodge's brother, brother and mother all spoke about how her death affected their lives over the past 25 years.
Dripps' attorney spoke about his life and how he was a family man and only committed the crime because of a bad time in life. He got so drunk on the night of the murder that he wasn't aware of what he was doing.
"I'm sorry. I didn't intend for this to happen," Dripps said." Imagine what grief I've caused over the last 25 years. I'm not even imagining if it was one of my own, I can't even imagine. I can't even imagine what at the end of the day it's not the same. As what the reality is what pain and hardship that I've caused. Wish I had a chance at a do-over. Because I would do over that day. I would have never have gone over into that apartment. Just wish I could do over that night. I'm sorry. I know you will never forgive me, but I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry."
Judge Joel Tingey said it’s impossible to quantify how much damage has been caused by Dripps' actions.
He said 25 years was a long time to rectify the crime.
Dripps pleaded guilty to the murder and two counts of rape back in February.
He was arrested in May 2019 after police tracked him down in Boise and linked his DNA to the crime scene.
Christopher Tapp was originally convicted of the crime and spent nearly two decades in jail for it.
He was exonerated in July 2019.
Angie Dodge was found stabbed and raped in apartment on I Street in Idaho Falls in June 1996.
The Idaho Falls Police Department released the following statement Tuesday:
“The Idaho Falls Police Department would like to offer our sincere appreciation to the Idaho State Attorney General’s Office for their efforts today and over the past two years to reach this point in seeking justice for Angie Dodge. We are proud of the efforts of Captain Bill Squires, Captain Joel Tisdale, Lieutenant John Marley, Detective Sage Albright, Detective Jeff Pratt, Sergeant Josh Deede and others who saw this investigation through to these final stages – including obtaining the confirming DNA sample, apprehending Mr. Dripps, obtaining his confession and answers to long unanswered questions. We are certainly grateful for the assistance of CeCe Moore, Parabon Labs, the Idaho State Police Lab, and so many others who have taken part in this investigation. Over the course of the past 25 years, this case and the Dodge Family have become interwoven with our agency and our community at large. As evidenced by the impactful statements made by her family today in court, Angie’s memory will live on with her family, our community, and certainly within the Idaho Falls Police Department.”
