MARION COUNTY — A 36-year-old Centralia woman was sentenced Wednesday in Marion County court to 30 months probation for obstruction of justice in connection with the May 2019 shooting death of 13-year-old Jaden Lee Krauss at her Centralia home.
Nicole Marie Kirgan pleaded guilty Tuesday to one of three Class 4 felony charges of obstruction in exchange for the dismissal of the other two as well as two Class 2 felony charges of harassment/intimidation of a witness.
Kirgan had been held in the Marion County Jail with bail set at $250,000 since her July arrest for allegedly threatening her live-in boyfriend Allen Boettcher to alter his statements to police. Boettcher was the only adult present at Kirgan’s home the night Krauss was shot in the head.
Boettcher requested and received immunity to wear a hidden wire while with Kirgan.
She reportedly told him in recordings made July 7th and July 11th if he didn’t lie, she would tell authorities about his involvement in a retail theft incident in Clinton County and that she had witnesses lined up to say he was the one who destroyed evidence from the Krauss shooting.
One obstruction charge accused her of lying to police and telling them the doorbell surveillance video at her home the morning of Krauss’ shooting did not properly record to her phone. The other two charges involved destruction of evidence for burglaries, her juvenile sons, were accused of committing.
Prosecutors say the doorbell video showed Krauss being placed on the porch of the home by the 15-year-old juvenile who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the case, while other clips reportedly showed Kirgan’s 15-year-old son running from the home while waiving the gun believed used to shoot Krauss and making plans to dispose of the gun.
Kirgan was released from jail Wednesday and ordered to have no contact with Krauss’ mom directly, through third parties, or through social media.