King’s sentence came down after a Story County jury convicted him of killing El Dominic and Marion Rhodes in October 2018 — the result of a three-week trial. Their bodies were found behind King’s apartment building near Second Avenue North and Ninth Street in Fort Dodge.

“The nature of the offense and of your conduct, and generally your attitude, are set forth in the record of the proceeding,” said District Court Judge Kurt Stoebe. “I don’t think that there is any hope you could be rehabilitated or deterred.”

To the extent that Stoebe did have discretion over sentencing, he chose the most severe option. The two sentences, mandatory for the pair of first-degree murder convictions, will be served consecutively, as requested by First Assistant County Attorney Ryan Baldridge.

“This is two separate acts, two separate victims,” Baldridge said. “Because of that, I think it is more than appropriate to set the sentences consecutively to show the victims’ family and community that each life is worth a separate sentence.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Tanner King, 29, of Fort Dodge, is led from the Webster County District Court Friday morning after being sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. King was convicted of first-degree murder in the Oct. 22, 2018, shooting deaths of Marion Rhodes and his brother, El Dominic Rhodes.

Stoebe explained that sentencing someone to consecutive instead of concurrent life sentences matters, should any convictions be commuted or changes in sentencing laws be made.

The state also requested $150,000 in victim restitution and about $29,000 more in reimbursements to the crime victim assistance fund that helped family members of the Rhodes brothers attend trial.

But for a man spending the rest of his life in prison, expectations for the ability to repay the massive debt are severely diminished. The judgements against him will likely be more symbolic than anything material for the families and the state that have invested myriad emotions and a considerable sum of money in securing what they hope will be his last convictions.

Money isn’t the only thing that has been lost, though.

“When you have your siblings, they are along with you for the adventures of your life, (whether) good or bad,” said the victims’ sister, Carolyn Rhodes, in her victim impact statement. “Tanner snatched that away from me.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Tanner King, 29, of Fort Dodge, listens during his sentencing hearing Friday morning while seated with his defense attorneys Paul Rounds and Katherine Flickinger in Webster County District Court Friday. King was given two consecutive life sentences for first-degree murder in the Oct. 22, 2018, shooting deaths of Marion Rhodes and his brother, El Dominic Rhodes.

“Can you imagine having a mother with memory loss that asks for her sons?” she continued. “You must tell her they have gone from this earth.”

Their sister, who attended nearly all of the trial, said she will march forward with the memories: Saturday morning calls, a calming presence in conflict, a protector, an encourager.

“I will push forward with the love that Marion and Dominic have always shown us,” she said. “You may have taken them away in flesh, but never in love and memory.”

But even justice can’t fill the void left in every waking moment, described as lonely and empty.

Before the sentence was handed down, Stoebe ruled on motions filed by the defense earlier this week asking for a new trial and an arrest of judgment. In it, they accused the court of erring on questions of law during the trial, said the verdict was contrary to evidence that could not “as a matter of law” have established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and reiterated claims of prejudicial misconduct by prosecutors.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Defense attorney Paul Rounds argues a motion in Webster County District Court Friday morning during the sentencing hearing for Tanner King, 29, of Fort Dodge. King was given two consecutive life sentences after being previously convicted of first-degree murder in the Oct. 22, 2018, shooting deaths of Marion Rhodes and his brother, El Dominic Rhodes.

Defense attorney Paul Rounds accused investigator Larry Hedlund of the Fort Dodge Police Department of “ramrodding” King as the suspect with a confirmation bias throughout the trial. In other flash points in court, the defense accused the state of withholding evidence that could have proved King’s innocence.

Rounds and co-counsel Katherine Flickinger made many points on the record simply for posterity as the case takes on a life of its own during the appeal process.

“The Court does not believe all of what every witness said,” Stoebe ruled, citing King’s admission to being a liar on the witness stand as a notable example.

One instruction given to the jury was that it was up to them to decide who was credible as they meted a just verdict.

As for the defense’s suggestion of a lack of evidence supporting premeditation and malice, Stoebe said that the victims were shot multiple times.

As it turned out, the accusations in November and December weren’t the last ones the court would hear in King’s case. At Friday morning’s sentencing hearing, Baldridge accused defense investigators of continuing to harass families of the victims, asking the court to extend a no contact order to anyone attempting to contact the families on behalf of King.

“We have heard from at least one state witness that the defense investigator has essentially harassed at least one of the victims in this case repeatedly,” he said.

Baldridge said that after being told to stop, the investigator went to her residence on four separate occasions last week.

The defense denied the allegations. Stoebe denied the state’s request, saying that such a no contact order went too far and would effectively deny due process to King as he filed any appeal within the next 30 days.

King’s lead defense attorney wasted no time in doing so, filing a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court immediately after the sentencing hearing and requesting an appellate attorney for King to allow trial attorneys to withdraw.

King offered no personal statement during sentencing.