BOISE, Idaho — A Boise woman was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 52-year-old Boise man.
Josina Regan, 46, will serve a life sentence for killing John K. Baker at his Boise residence on October 2020.
On the morning of October 22, 2020, officers were called to a home on North Ancestor Avenue at approximately 4 a.m. to respond to a report of a medical emergency. Once at the home, they found a man with gunshot wounds who died at the scene.
Regan originally told officers she had found the victim shot when she showed up at the residence but later confessed she had shot the man three times in the chest.
Following his death, Regan committed additional crimes including preparing false evidence by editing data on her cell phone and stealing items, like narcotics and money, from Baker's residence.
In April 2022, Regan was convicted on 9 of the 10 counts against her:
- first-degree murder
- preparing false evidence
- possession of a controlled substance
- conspiracy to possess a controlled substance
- grand theft
- conspiracy to commit grand theft
- three misdemeanors for possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia
The jury acquitted Regan on the charge of intimidating a witness.
"Human life needs to have a value, and it needs to be a significant value when someone with malice aforethought takes another person's life," Ada County District Judge Nancy Baskin said during the sentencing. "This is an example of drugs being a dirty business. This sentence is clearly meant to deter others from being involved both in drug activity and to taking matters into their own hands and killing another individual when other options are available for them."
When sentencing Regan, Judge Baskin followed the state's sentencing recommendation of life imprisonment with 30 years fixed before being eligible for parole.
"I extend my sincere condolences to Mr. Baker's family and friends," said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. "Thank you to the Boise Police detectives for their thorough work on this complex investigation, which allowed my office to ensure justice was served."
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