In the quiet, early morning hours of November 17, 2020, in Rigby, Idaho, the life of 72-year-old Merle Jay Sorenson, a Caucasian male, was brought to a violent and sudden end. Deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a home on East 375 North just before 2 a.m. following a report of shots fired. Upon their arrival, they discovered Sorenson deceased, the victim of an apparent shooting.
The investigation into the homicide quickly led to a suspect who was known to Sorenson. Later that same day, authorities arrested 21-year-old Jesse Gentle of Idaho Falls in connection with the death. Gentle was taken into custody at the residence where Sorenson's body was found and was subsequently charged with first-degree murder. Investigators believe that after the shooting, Gentle attempted to conceal the crime by using bleach to clean the scene.
Following his arrest, Jesse Gentle was booked into the Jefferson County Jail. In the ensuing legal proceedings, he made his initial court appearance where his bail was set at $750,000. Prosecutors argued that the act was premeditated, as a medical examiner determined that two fatal shots from a revolver had caused Sorenson's death, requiring the shooter to pull the trigger twice. Despite this, Gentle's defense attorney contended that there was no evidence of premeditation. Gentle later pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder, and the case was scheduled for a jury trial.
