Bail set at $3 million for Blakely
Prosecutor cites wealth, previous kidnapping to raise amount
Ralph Howard Blakely is back behind bars, and it will cost him $3 million to get out.
Blakely appeared before Grant County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Jorgensen for his arraignment Thursday afternoon on charges that he solicited a fellow inmate at Airway Height Corrections Center to kill his wife and daughter.
Prosecutors have accused Blakely of offering inmate Robbie Juarez $40,000 to kill his ex-wife, Yolanda Blakely, and his daughter, Lorene Blakely, who alerted authorities to the kidnapping of Yolanda Blakely in 1998.
Jorgensen was prepared to grant Blakely a $50,000 bail, but Grant County Prosecutor John Knodell requested the amount be increased to $3 million.
"Mr. Blakely is a very wealthy man," Knodell said of the rancher. "He kidnapped his wife before."
Speaking in soft tones, Blakely asked Jorgensen to speak loudly during the arraignment because his hearing had decreased with age.
Blakely said he still needed to make a phone call to his own attorney before making a plea. He also asked the judge if he could see an "alleged letter" related to the case.
Prosecutor filed the additional charges after Juarez allegedly received a letter from Blakely after he was released from Airway Heights. Juarez had made written contact with Blakely at the behest of Grant County sheriff's deputies, according to a report from Detective Dave Matney.
Blakely then allegedly wrote back to Juarez, saying he had funds available and giving the address of a woman that appeared to be Lorene Blakely, according to Matney's report.
Jorgensen said the letter would be handed to Blakely's attorney once he appears in court. The judge then continued the case to July 13th at 9 a.m. to enter a plea.
Blakely's name became known throughout the country last month when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the sentencing guidelines that put him in prison for 90 months — almost twice as long as the 49-to-53 month range for second-degree kidnapping.
Blakely received the longer sentence from Grant County Superior Court Judge Evan Sperline because of the mitigating factors of the crime: He placed her in a homemade coffin in Grant County, put her in the backseat of his car and drove her to Montana.
The Supreme Court ruled that a jury should have ruled on whether Blakely deserved the longer sentence, thereby throwing into question years of state and federal sentencing law.
Blakely is currently being held in Airway Heights under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections. He may be transported to the Grant County Jail after he pleads next week, Knodell said.