A “sadistic” welder from Nebraska was given up to 90 years in prison because he beat a man with a blowtorch, hung him from a forklift, and ra*ped a woman because he stole drugs from a cartel.
Tanner Danielson, who is 31 years old, was given a sentence of 40 to 50 years for kidnapping and 30 to 40 years for se*xual assault on Wednesday for the terrible attacks in July 2022.
The Lincoln Journal Star says that Danielson kidnapped the 26-year-old man because he thought he had stolen 50 pounds of marijuana worth up to $200,000 from his house.
After the pot was stolen, he said, he thought the cartel would hurt him and his family, so he “had to do” it.
The welder took the man hostage and beat him for over 12 hours.
Danielson hanged the unidentified man from the forklift, burned the word “thief” on his body, beat and drugged him, jammed a gun in his mouth, and then dumped him in the woods tied to a tree.
The man was still handcuffed when he miraculously managed to free himself from the tree and run to the road to call for assistance, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.
According to the outlet, Danielson also sexu*ally assaulted a woman who had accompanied him to the warehouse. After that, he threatened to k*ill her if she called the police to report the crime.
According to Fox News, the victims anticipated meeting up with Danielson’s accomplice Austin Widhalm, 28, to purchase cocaine.
In relation to assault and false imprisonment, Widhalm entered a no contest plea.
Judge Susan Strong remarked to Danielson in court, “Only a sadistic and evil person could do these things to another human being.”
Strong referred to the situation as “one of the most heinous factual scenarios” she had ever witnessed.
Danielson pleaded with the court to “see me for who I am” and to absolve him of responsibility for the heinous crime.
“I was genuinely terrified. He admitted to the judge, “I had no idea what to do. I humbly request that you accept me as I am and not for the actions I genuinely believed I had to take to save myself.
Danielson’s pleadings were rejected by deputy Lancaster County Attorney Jeff Mathers, who stated: “Had to beat, torture, restrain, and leave — possibly for dead — an individual? He had to ra*pe a female victim? Ridiculous. Let’s go.”
According to Mathers, the perpetrator was a drug dealer who had a history of abusing women.
“The facts in this case are among the most egregious and despicable that I have almost ever witnessed. Sociopath, psychopath, antisocial personality disorder, and narcissism. I’m certain that some of them—if not all—fit,” the lawyer said.
Defense lawyer Chad Wythers claims that Danielson got involved in the drug trade after meeting people at a concert in Colorado. One time, the welder thought he’d be a simple way to make money, but he was stuck and unable to leave.
Wythers claimed that Danielson was cocaine-high at the time of the assault.
Next week, Widhalm will be sentenced.
