ST. PETER — A man received a prison sentence Tuesday for the murder of a 27-year-old in North Mankato in July.
Dominic Scott Ellen, 42, of Arlington, was sentenced to at least 14 years and six months in prison — followed by another seven years and three months on supervised release — for a felony second-degree murder conviction in Nicollet County District Court. He received credit for 232 days already served.
Ellen previously pleaded guilty to fatally shooting John Everette Lutgen-Bernatz on July 23.
The victim’s family read impact statements at the sentencing hearing, going into detail about the profound sorrow they feel in his absence.
Lutgen-Bernatz was known as “Jack” to family, said his mother Jacqui Washtock. He found joy in fishing, music, poetry and cooking.
“The mere thought of everything he’ll miss out on fills our hearts with sorrow,” she said.
Mental health challenges were part of Lutgen-Bernatz’s life. His family described him as a vulnerable adult who just wanted to belong.
Lutgen-Bernatz’s father, aunt, fiancee and uncle read statements of their own. Deanna Darkow, the fiancee, gave birth to their daughter in the fall after his death.
“She has to grow up without a father,” Darkow said.
The victim considered Ellen to be a brother, she added. Toward the end of her statement, Darkow couldn’t continue reading it through her tears, prompting Nicollet County Attorney Michelle Zehnder Fischer to finish it.
Before his death, family described Lutgen-Bernatz being off his medications, sleeping on couches and hanging with the wrong crowd. The system failed him, said his father Tim Washtock, contributing to why he was in that position.
A criminal complaint states Ellen and Lutgen-Bernatz were at a North Mankato apartment when Ellen shot him. Lutgen-Bernatz reportedly told someone he was afraid of Ellen earlier, and Ellen made that person call around for money after the shooting.
The family members asked Judge Allison Krehbiel to impose a harsh sentence against Ellen.
Tracy Bains, Ellen’s attorney, called the death a devastating, horrific tragedy for which Ellen assumed responsibility. Both the defendant and the victim were dealing with drug addiction and mental health challenges, she said.
She brought up Ellen’s rough childhood as an influence, as well as the easy access to firearms and drugs in society.
“We can’t turn a blind eye to these societal challenges,” she said.
Bains requested the judge stick to a plea agreement calling for a 21-year, nine-month sentence.
Ellen acknowledged he did it before hearing his sentence, saying he had lost himself in drugs and it led to a family losing a loved one. He was reportedly on methamphetamine at the time he shot Lutgen-Bernatz four times.
“John didn’t deserve to die for any reason at all,” he said.
Krehbiel described the incident as an absolute tragedy. After sentencing Ellen, the judge told him there will be two paths for him in prison, one that would make him worse and one that would make him better.
“Do your best because you will get out,” she said. “If Jack was your friend, the best way to honor him is to give back to the community when you’re free.”