Fruita Woman Sentenced to Nearly 50 Years for Uncle's Murder

Fruita —Sarah Bess will spend the next 48 years in prison for killing her uncle.

The 19-year-old was sentenced Friday to nearly 50 years behind bars in Mesa County, a result of her guilty plea to second-degree murder. According to Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein, Bess must serve 85% of that sentence before she is eligible for parole. She will also pay restitution and serve five years of parole upon release.

The death of John Krabbe, a Fruita resident, unfolded in November after a night out at a bar. Bess and her then-fiancé, Westen Owen, were living with Krabbe at the time. A third suspect, Kellar Weisgerber, was also involved in the events that led to Krabbe’s death.

The arrest affidavit describes a specific trigger for the violence. As the three traveled home, Krabbe reportedly touched Bess’ neck. Bess told police she did not feel the touch, but Owen claimed Krabbe was trying to molest her. Owen also stated that Bess had told him about several previous instances of molestation, a detail she did not mention during her own interview with law enforcement. The tension escalated when Krabbe called Owen a “good-for-nothing farmer.”

Owen called Weisgerber to help “teach (Krabbe) a lesson,” the affidavit alleged. The plan was straightforward: Bess would turn on the lights in Krabbe’s bedroom, Weisgerber would hold him down, and Owen would kill him.

Owen struck Krabbe twice with a flashlight. Bess told police she heard his skull crack during one of the strikes. Owen then strangled Krabbe with a cable from his keychain. Weisgerber bound the victim’s hands and feet with rope before he and Owen carried the body into Krabbe’s SUV.

The group drove to 1.8 Road and left the body behind a bush near an oil pad. They returned to Fruita, dropping Weisgerber off at his home. Owen and Bess then drove to the north 21 Road desert area to burn evidence, including blood-stained seat covers, a pillow, and a blanket.

Police later located Krabbe’s remains across the state border in Grand County, Utah. Officers documented visible injuries to his head and evidence of strangulation around his neck.

The legal proceedings for the other two suspects continue in Mesa County District Court. Owen’s plea hearing, originally scheduled for Oct. 7, has been pushed back to Jan. 6. Weisgerber is set for a status conference hearing on Nov. 6.

For Bess, the sentence ends the immediate legal uncertainty surrounding her role in the death of a family member she shared a home with. She will serve her time before facing five years of parole, a period that will keep her under state supervision long after she leaves the prison gates.