By Associated Press - Monday, October 10, 2016

OSAGE, Iowa (AP) - An Osage man accused of sexually abusing a young man and then attempting to kill him to keep him from testifying has been sentenced to up to 35 years in prison.

The Mason City Globe Gazette reports (https://bit.ly/2drdAYN ) Mark Retterath, who is 52, was found guilty by a jury in August of felony attempted murder, solicitation to commit murder and third-degree sexual abuse.

He was sentenced Monday.



Investigators say he planned to kill the victim, who was first abused as a teenager, with the poison ricin after the man reported sexual abuse to authorities.

Prosecutors say Retterath got the ricin idea from a friend, who’d seen it on the television show “Breaking Bad.”

Police say the plot fell apart when two men Retterath recruited to help him went to authorities.

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