The sentencing of Christopher Brandon Foiles brought a painful chapter to a close for the family of Megan Stedman, who was brutally murdered along with her dog in a Bozeman Walmart parking lot in December 2023. Foiles, who changed his plea to guilty in October, received a 60-year sentence with no chance of parole during a hearing on Tuesday morning in District Court.
Throughout the hearing, family and friends of Stedman shared memories and urged Judge Rienne H. McElyea to impose the maximum penalty. Stedman’s 16-year-old daughter, Jasmine Nataba, spoke about the long wait for justice and the toll it took on according to a report from KBZK.
“The years we’ve waited – it’s been rough. And I feel like we finally all got that closure we’ve deserved and wanted,” Nataba said. She added that speaking in court offered her a sense of relief. “I liked getting everything off my chest and being able to speak up.”
Nataba also described recurring nightmares tied to the courtroom proceedings. “I’ve had dreams about this courtroom. I wake up in like a sweat, because it’s just so much – but it’s finally the end of it, and I don’t have to deal with it anymore,” she said.
Foiles also addressed the court, expressing remorse. “Megan did not deserve what I did to her. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Megan,” he said. Judge McElyea then delivered the sentence, stating, “Defendant is sentenced to the Montana State Prison for a period of 60 years.”
After the hearing, Nataba spoke about her mother’s role in her life. “I have to go on without her, and it hurts. I know that she’s still here with me, spiritually, just not physically,” she said. The case began unfolding on December 14, 2023, when Stedman and Foiles were seen entering the Bozeman Walmart.
According to charging documents, she was never seen again after they returned to their RV. Foiles returned to the store alone the next day, buying cleaning products, a hacksaw, duct tape, and contractor bags. Surveillance footage showed him returning once more on December 16 to purchase scent killer, bleach, spray paint, and curtains.
Investigators later found Foiles in Idaho Falls on January 12, 2024, after a witness spotted the motorhome connected to Stedman’s disappearance. Idaho Falls police reported that when officers approached him, Foiles admitted, “I am Chris Foiles, I killed my girlfriend, she is in the RV.”
Inside the motorhome, officers discovered a woman’s body with credit cards in Stedman’s name and a tattoo matching hers. Foiles also admitted to killing Stedman’s dog, Cali, and faced additional charges that included aggravated animal cruelty, identity theft, evidence tampering, violating a no-contact order, and obstructing an officer. With the sentencing complete, Stedman’s family says they can finally begin healing after nearly two years of waiting for accountability.
READ NEXT
- Blake Lively reignites Justin Baldoni legal battle weeks after settlement
- King Charles ‘forgives’ Harry: ‘Wounded but not broken’
- Texas man accused of hitting nightclub manager with car while targeting wife
- Melania Trump Denies Epstein Introduction Claim After Former Model’s Allegations
- 50 Cent responds after Daphne Joy and Diddy explicit video circulates online