Monroe trucker’s killer sentenced to life without parole

Mariana Lesnic will never get the chance to enter society again.

Lesnic, 44, was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday afternoon for the 2017 murder of Monroe truck driver Ernest Kummer. In addition, Lesnic will also owe an estimated $157,000 in fines.

Sixth District Court Judge Andrew Chappell issued the life sentence in a hearing Monday afternoon in an Iowa County Courtroom in Marengo, stating his decision is based on providing Lesnic with the maximum opportunity for rehabilitation, protection for the community and the nature of the facts leading up to the crime.

Jurors unanimously found Lesnic guilty of first-degree murder in August for shooting Kummer, 60, in September of 2017 while he was sleeping in his semi-truck at an Interstate 80 rest stop near Victor.

The trial in August lasted three days, with jury selection taking up most of the first day and continued with testimony from several law-enforcement officials and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation employees involved in the case.

On the third and final day of the trial, after state witnesses finished their testimony, Lesnic gave her side of the story to jurors. Lesnic elected to represent herself in the trial but was given a standby attorney.

According to trial testimony, Kummer first met Lesnic while she was hitch-hiking in Nebraska. The trucker picked Lesnic up, allegedly promising to take her to Washington state, and let her stay at his home in the Monroe Mobile Home Park for three days before they departed. During those 72 hours, Lesnic claims Kummer was acting strangely, treating her poorly and had several firearms stashed in multiple places. Lesnic also claimed Kummer had a brother following them while riding in the semi-truck who intended to “party” with them.

Assistant Attorney General Douglas Hammerand cross-examined Lesnic, asking her why she did not mention those details when she was first interrogated by DCI Special Agent Ryan Herman. Lesnic responded by saying her interrogation was too short, she was in too much shock and she didn’t remember at the time.

Herman was called back to the stand to ask if the details Lesnic described were brought up while he interrogated her. With the exception of Lesnic telling him about Kummer’s brother following them, Herman answered “no” to every claim.

The fear of all those elements, Lesnic told jurors, was what motivated her to shoot Kummer while he slept inside the sleeper of the semi-truck.

“I shot him under fear and pressure,” Lesnic said during her testimony. “I was in trouble with an old man I felt sorry for.”

Kummer was found dead in his semi-truck sleeper after Iowa County Sheriff officials received a report at 2:37 a.m. Sept. 6, 2017, of the shooting at the westbound I-80 rest stop near Victor.

Kummer’s family declined to comment following the guilty verdict.

Contact Orrin Shawl at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or oshawl@newtondailynews.com