Press Release from Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office
COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho – Gunner Ray Hankel, 19, was convicted of Battery With Intent to Commit a Serious Felony. On January 11, 2024, Hankel was staying as a guest in a home in which the 16-year-old female victim was babysitting. While the victim was asleep on the couch, Hankel used his finger(s) to forcibly penetrate the vagina of the victim as she slept. At the time of this crime, Hankel was still on juvenile probation for a Lewd Conduct With a Minor Under Sixteen conviction he received in 2018 after sexually abusing a 7-year-old child. Battery With Intent to Commit a Serious Felony is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Hankel was sentenced on September 10, 2024.
At sentencing, Criminal Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Laura McClinton recommended a 20-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 12 years.
District Judge Barbara Duggan sentenced Hankel to a 20-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 10 years.
Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Laura McClinton for prosecuting the case, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department for investigating the case, and the victim for having the courage to report the crime and participate in the investigation and prosecution.
