Man sentenced to life in prison for murder of police officer in Algona

Algona, Iowa – The man convicted of first-degree murder in the September 2023 death of Algona police officer Kevin Cram was sentenced to life in prison in Kossuth County District Court Wednesday morning.

Kyle Lou Ricke, 44, was found guilty last month after a four-day trial in Dickinson County. Assistant Attorney General Scott Brown led the prosecution and said before the verdict that Ricke deserved the mandatory life sentence without parole.

Ricke took the opportunity to make a statement before the verdict was announced.

Several of Officer Cram's family members read victim statements before Judge Nancy Whittenburg announced the sentence of life in prison without parole. Ricke will be transferred to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Oakdale for further processing by the Department of Corrections.

Ricke's lawyer had requested a retrial of the case, but District Judge Nancy Whittenburg denied the request on Tuesday and allowed the verdict to go forward.