Keonna Carter gets 40-50 years at Friday sentencing

    Keonna Carter, a co-defendant in the Annika Swanson case, was sentenced to 40-50 years for first degree felony assault and another 30-36 months for kidnapping.
    Carter’s sentence, handed down by Judge Patrick Heng Friday in Chase County District Court, came before a small crowd in the courtroom, mostly family members of Swanson and Carter.
    Judge Heng gave Carter credit for the 1,092 days already served. She’s been jailed since her arrest in November 2019.
    Carter, 25, could be eligible for parole, at the earliest, in 20 years on the assault charge and another 15 months for the kidnapping.
    With the three years already served, she could be in prison at least for another 18 years and three months.
    Heng said the plea agreement that reduced her charges from murder to 1st degree assault and from two kidnapping charges to one takes into consideration her cooperation with authorities.
    However, Judge Heng said letters he read noting her concern with the situation didn’t reflect her actions that night three years ago.
    “You had the ability to alert somebody that there was a young lady down a hole somewhere in Nebraska, and it would’ve started the process a lot quicker,” Heng said.
    The judge also noted there were three different stops made that night by the car she was in with Kevin German and Swanson, “while this was happening to Annika.”
    He told Carter that despite her claims she was trying to get out of the relationship with German, evidence shows otherwise.
    “You two went on a trip” together, he said.
    That was after the pair left Chase County that night and returned to Colorado.
    The judge also referred to the fact as she and German headed out of town that night, something said in the car caused German to turn around and return to Russell Mann’s trailer.
    It was after their return to the trailer that Swanson was driven to the rural location on German property, and forced into a pipe, where her body was found later.
    “I’m of the opinion that you had some part of that conversation” in the car, he said.
    “You had seven days you could’ve reached out to Ft. Collins police, done something,” he said.
    “We don’t know how long (she lived). She was down there for a period of time,” he said.
    Heng said there was no doubt German was trying to control things, but reiterated if Carter was truly concerned about Annika she would have called someone in the week before her and German’s arrests.
    Carter’s sentences are to be served consecutively, or one after the other.
    In his statements Friday, Carter’s attorney, Robert Lindemeier, reminded Heng more than once of her cooperation and asked for probation.
    “She wouldn’t be here without Kevin German,” Lindemeier said.
    He also said the evidence did not prove Carter participated in Swanson’s “beat down” or that Carter’s kicking of Swanson caused her death.
    Lindemeier also said German was the one who forced Eve Ambrosek into his car, and it was not accurate Carter was “holding” her in the trailer.
    “At best it’s false imprisonment,” he said.
    “This is not a violent person,” Lindemeier said of his client.
    “She was manipulated,” he said.
    State’s Attorney Doug Warner spoke for the prosecution at Friday’s sentencing.
    Warner said the involvement of Carter in both the assault and kidnapping was “substantial.”
    He acknowledged Carter spent considerable time cooperating with them on preparation for trial and testifying for hours, but felt the reduction from homicide to assault was fair.
    Warner said the autopsy confirmed that Carter “was active in stepping on her neck and kicking” Swanson.
    “She had a choice,” Warner said.
    “It’s fair to say the person intent on killing her was Kevin German, but her involvement was enough for incarceration. She has to be held accountable,” he said.
    Carter testified against Kevin German at trial and helped lead authorities near to the location south of Imperial where Swanson was found Nov. 24, 2019.
    Regarding the kidnapping charge, Warner said Carter did provide security to keep Ambrosek held and it was a decision she and German reached together.
    He also supported sentencing be consecutive, not concurrent.
    Before issuing the sentence, Judge Heng asked Carter if she wished to say anything.
    “I’m sorry for all that happened,” she said, before breaking into tears.
    German is facing possible life in prison for the 2nd degree murder and two kidnapping counts. He was found guilty in August.
    He was also scheduled to be sentenced Friday, but his attorneys requested it be moved due to a conflict on their schedule.
    He’ll now be sentenced Jan. 26, 2023.