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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Room for improvement ... Electric Highway aims to spark more EV use ... Rogue River man held on murder charge ... Room for improvement ... Electric Highway aims to spark more EV use ... Rogue River man held on murder charge ... KLAMATH FALLS 20 years for Klamath Falls man who shot two people in 2013 Comment By Tristan Hiegler Klamath Falls Herald & News MailTribune.com By Tristan Hiegler Klamath Falls Herald & News Posted Jan. 10, 2015 at 8:50 PM By Tristan Hiegler Klamath Falls Herald & News Posted Jan. 10, 2015 at 8:50 PM » Social News A Klamath Falls man pleaded guilty Thursday to a 2013 shooting that left one victim dead and wounded another. Leland Thomas Nicholson Jr., 29, appeared in court Thursday morning with his defense attorney, Thaddeus Betz. Nicholson entered an Alford plea to charges of first-degree manslaughter and attempted murder. The defendant was originally charged with murder, attempted aggravated murder, first-degree assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. An Alford plea is a legal action in which the defendant technically does not admit to their criminal acts and still maintains their innocence. However, the plea admits the prosecution’s evidence would most likely secure a conviction. Klamath County Circuit Court Judge Dan Bunch sentenced Nicholson to 20 years in a state prison, with three years of post-prison supervision. On March 31, 2013, Nicholson shot Terry Dwight Entriken and Vanessa Renee Alexander outside a Klamath Falls apartment. Entriken died of his injuries, while Alexander recovered after being treated at a Bend hospital. Nicholson fled to Dos Palos, Calif., after the incident. An acquaintance apparently refused to shelter him and called the police. After being arrested in April 2013, Nicholson was transported back to Oregon and booked into the Klamath County Jail. He has been housed at that facility ever since. According to District Attorney Rob Patridge, Deputy DA Mike Swanson handled the case and negotiated the plea bargain with Nicholson and his defense. “Deputy DA Swanson did a great job on this complicated matter,” Patridge said. He noted the Nicholson case sprung up on his first day on the job after being appointed as the Klamath County DA. According to Patridge, several defense motions to suppress evidence and on other matters were still pending before Judge Bunch at the time the Alford plea was entered. By Tristan Hiegler Klamath Falls Herald & News MailTribune.com By Tristan Hiegler Klamath Falls Herald & News Posted Jan. 10, 2015 at 8:50 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501