(Beulah, ND) — A federal judge is rejecting a plea in a case that left an indigenous woman dead. Derick Wilkinson is accused of beating and strangling Alexia De La Cerda in her home and setting the home on fire in August of 2024. The deal would have seen Wilkinson plea guilty to one count of assault with intent to commit murder and tampering with evidence. He would have served 40 years in prison with a chance of parole after 34 years and a second degree murder charge would have been dropped. A federal judge ruled that the plea “whitewashed” the case and the sentence was not enough, based on some of the conduct captured by the home’s security cameras.
