(ABC 6 News) – Kyle Ricke was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday, Aug. 21, for the murder of Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram.

Ricke was found guilty of 1st-degree murder after less than an hour of deliberations July 11.

RELATED: Algona police officer killed on duty – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com

Thirty-three-year-old Officer Kevin Cram was on patrol duty in September 2023 when he went to arrest Ricke on an active warrant.

Cram headed to a location where he thought the suspect, 43-year-old Kyle Ricke, might be, and told Ricke he was under arrest.

Video of the encounter showed Ricke opening fire, killing Cram, before taking off and sparking an hours-long manhunt.

Ricke was also ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to Lara Cram, Kevin Cram’s widow.

District 3 judge Nancy Whittenburg compared the shooting to an earthquake while rendering her verdict.

“You shook, and in many cases, broke the foundation of these people’s lives,” she said.