Bozeman, MT – A 44-year-old man has been sentenced to 60 years in a state correctional facility for the murder of his girlfriend nearly two years ago. Christopher Brandon Foiles pleaded guilty to first-degree deliberate homicide in October.
Judge Rienne McElyea handed down the sentence on Tuesday after hearing an impact statement from Stedman’s 16-year-old daughter. She urged the court to impose the maximum penalty on Foiles.
Stedman’s body was found in a 1973 RV in Idaho Falls, where Foiles had been living. He confessed to police that he stabbed her to death during an argument in a Walmart parking lot on December 14, 2023.
Foiles admitted he feared she would contact authorities because of a no-contact order between them. He initially stabbed her in the neck and chest with a kitchen knife before returning to inflict additional wounds.
Video footage from Walmart showed both Foiles and Stedman entering the store on that date, marking the last time she was seen alive. Foiles made several suspicious purchases the following day, including items associated with cleaning and storage.
Foiles faced additional charges, including aggravated animal cruelty for killing Stedman’s dog, but those charges were dropped as part of his plea agreement.
