Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Boyd and Nampa Police Chief Joe Huff announced that on January 16, 2025, Judge Gabriel McCarthy sentenced 29-year-old Hunter Kneppe to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Abel Saenz.
In January 2024, Kneppe fatally stabbed Saenz in an unprovoked attack in Nampa. After fleeing the scene, Kneppe was apprehended at a local hospital, where he had used a false identity while seeking treatment for a defensive wound inflicted by Saenz during his fight for life.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Haws successfully argued that Kneppe’s violent behavior and threats toward law enforcement and even a prosecuting attorney while in jail nullified the State’s obligations under a prior plea agreement.
Haws urged the court to impose a sentence of life without parole, highlighting Kneppe’s lack of remorse for the murder. He presented recorded jail calls where Kneppe displayed no regret and discussed the murder with disturbing indifference. “That’s not regret. He wanted to kill him,” Haws argued. During sentencing, multiple family members of Saenz gave powerful victim impact statements, describing him as a devoted father to his young son and a cherished son, brother, cousin, and uncle.
Kneppe’s public defenders requested that the court allow the possibility of parole after 30 years, contending that such hope could motivate Kneppe to seek rehabilitation.
Judge McCarthy rejected the defense’s request, citing the brutality of the murder, Kneppe’s lack of remorse, and his ongoing violent and threatening behavior in jail. “Considering the safety of the community and the need for punishment, the consequence of your choices is that you’re going to die in prison,” Judge McCarthy stated.
Canyon County Prosecutor Christopher Boyd expressed gratitude for the sentence, stating: “I am thankful for our partners at the Nampa Police Department for their thorough investigation and to my staff for their dedication in prosecuting this case. I am especially grateful to Judge McCarthy for his thoughtful and just sentence, which ensures that Hunter Kneppe—a menace to public safety—will no longer pose a threat to our community.”
Corporal Matt Richardson, Nampa Police Violent Crimes Unit Supervisor, added his appreciation for the countless hours that Nampa Police detectives and police personnel put into this investigation, alongside the Canyon County Prosecutors Office. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Haws was involved in the investigation from the first hour, through the sentencing and worked tirelessly, leaving no stone unturned. Corporal Richardson said, “the teamwork involved in this case, led by Detective Ellie Scott and Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Haws, was impressive and also necessary for the deserved outcome. The work of everyone involved ensured there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Hunter Kneppe belongs behind bars for the rest of his life.”