LEWISTON, ID – Nicholas Umphenour was sentenced on Tuesday to spend the rest of his life in prison for the murders of two area men, concluding a case that stemmed from a violent escape from prison custody in March 2024.

30-year-old Umphenour received two life sentences, one for each count of murder, under a plea agreement that spared him from the death penalty. As part of that agreement, Umphenour waived his right to appeal.

Prosecutors accused Umphenour of killing James Mauney of Juliaetta and Gerald Henderson of Orofino after helping Skylar Meade escape from prison custody at a Boise hospital.

Court records show the killings occurred after Umphenour assisted Meade’s escape, prompting a multi-agency manhunt across Idaho. Authorities believe the two men stole a Honda Civic and drove north through the state following the escape.

Investigators allege Meade and Umphenour encountered Mauney while he was walking his dogs near Juliaetta. Mauney and his dogs were taken, and his body was later found in rural Nez Perce County. His vehicle, a silver 2019 Chrysler Pacifica, was also reported missing.

Later that same day, Idaho State Police and the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office investigated the killing of Henderson at his home outside Orofino. Authorities later located Mauney’s dogs and a pair of shackles believed to have been left behind by Meade at the scene.

Both Meade and Umphenour were arrested the following day in the Twin Falls area.

Meade was sentenced in January to life in prison without the possibility of parole for each of the two murder convictions.