Leo Dartoe Appeals Life Sentence | Fargo News

Leo Dartoe, convicted of murdering his childhood friend Sampson Bleh in a 2024 shooting, is now challenging his life sentence without parole at the North Dakota Supreme Court. His lawyer argues the jury got it wrong — there was insufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. While prosecutors claimed Dartoe acted out of revenge after being punched the day before, the defense focused on the lack of physical evidence: no gun, prints, or DNA linking him to the scene. The appeal, filed July 21, awaits review by the court, and attorneys are also seeking full trial transcripts from February’s four-day proceedings. The outcome hinges on whether higher courts agree the verdict was unjustly based on weak proof. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/55765f6eaaee030c