Man Sentenced 30 Years for Attempted Murder

Richard Allen Kirk was sentenced to 30 years and three months for the rape and attempted murder of his wife.

Bridgette Kirk filed for divorce and served Mr. Kirk with divorce papers. According to court documents, this enraged him and he forced her into the family van in front of their children. Mr. Kirk then drove them to Storm Lake where he assaulted her, raped her, and beat her until she escaped. She ran naked to a nearby house for help.

A former firefighter and emergency medical technician, Mr. Kirk stood before a packed courtroom to apologize. He apologized to the community and the fire department. His lawyer asked for a 23-year prison term. The judge denied it.

Superior Court Judge Ronald C. Castleberry believed that Bridgette Kirk had gone through a life-altering, brutal attack. Castleberry believed that Bridgette Kirk deserved the maximum period of security that the state could issue in case her now ex-husband wanted to retaliate upon his release.

Castleberry believed this sentence was the best that the system could offer, saying that Bridgette Kirk and her children “deserve to feel as safe as they can for as long as they can.”