The Murder of Ira Kaur
Warning, this case discusses the topic of possible suicide.
For this case, I watched an episode of Snapped. It’s season 11 episode 1.
The wife of an Air Force airman reports that her husband committed suicide.
Background
Amanda Kaur was a single mother of two before she met her husband Ira, in February 2005. The two met at a bar in Grand Forks, North Dakota. They dated for only a few months before they decided to get married.
Ira had joined the Air Force to escape from his small town life in Arizona. He worked long hours on base and delivering pizzas. He had also earned his bachelor’s degree in 2009, and was working on his master’s in business administration.
Ira was described as quiet, sensitive, and loved to write.
Ira Kaur
Ira and Amanda
Suicide or Murder?
On November 28, 2010, Amanda called the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, around 2pm. She told them that her husband Ira had shot himself.
Amanda was waiting outside the home when the police arrived. She told them that her husband was depressed, and had tried to kill himself before. She had also told her two young children, who were 9 and 7 at the time, to play a game in one of the back bedrooms.
The police found Ira lying on a futon in the dark basement. He had been shot in the right temple, but the gun was missing. The police asked Amanda about it. She said she had taken the gun, and put it on top of the refrigerator, so it was out of the kids reach. She had also covered Ira’s body with a blanket, so the kids wouldn’t see him.
There was also a suicide note. Ira had written that the stress of work made him to do it.
Amanda’s Original Story
The next day, Amanda was taken down to the police station for a formal interview. She spoke a lot about Ira’s emotional state.
She told the police that she had heard a gun shot around 7am. Ira often slept downstairs, due to his snoring. She got out of bed, and called down to him. Amanda said he answered that everything was fine. Amanda described it as odd, and that it sounded like Ira had nova cane in his mouth.
Next, she said she took her kids out to breakfast and grocery shopping. They returned home around 12:30 in the afternoon. Amanda called out to Ira, but there was no answer. She said she joked about him being dead, since he didn’t answer. She then went downstairs, and found Ira dead.
During her interview, the police learned from the autopsy findings, that Ira had actually been shot twice. The first shot was to his temple, which wasn’t fatal, but rendered him brain dead. The second shot was to the top of Ira’s forehead. He wouldn’t have been able to shoot himself again.
Amanda’s Lies
The police decided not to tell Amanda about the second gun shot wound yet. They asked her where she had gotten the gun. Amanda said Ira had wanted her to have a gun for protection at home. Amanda said she tried to object.
Amanda said Ira had taken her to a pawn shop, and told her to go inside to select a gun to buy. Amanda was released after the interview.
On November 29, the police followed up with the pawn shop. The clerk remembered Amanda, because she had purchased a .45 caliber, despite the suggestions to purchase .22 caliber gun.
The police also checked the surveillance footage. Amanda had been at the pawn shop by herself, and there was no one waiting in the car.
The Motive
The same day, the police received a phone call from one of Ira’s friends named James. James told the police that he believed Amanda had been having an affair with a local rancher named Dallas. James said that Ira had suspected the affair too, but believed Amanda when she denied it.
The police went to one of the locals bars called the Twizted Tavern. Amanda and Dallas were known to spend a lot of time there having deep conversations. It was a small town, so obviously rumors of their relationship had spread.
On November 30, the police questioned Dallas. He eventually admitted to the affair, but said he was not involved in Ira’s death.
Stories #2 and #3
Amanda was questioned again on November 30. This time, the police confronted her about the evidence. Amanda denied it over and over.
Amanda was confronted again. This time, she said Ira had fired the first time, but was still alive. Amanda said she wanted to call the police, but Ira told her that if she called them he’d tell them that she shot him.
Amanda said Ira begged her to kill him. She said they had a sweet moment. He told her he loved her, and told her to do it.
The police didn’t believe her story. The medical examiner said after the first shot, Ira wouldn’t have been able to move or speak. The police asked Amanda again, what had happened. This time, she said the gun had accidentally gone off the second time because they were fighting over the gun.
Amanda was arrested the next day during a traffic stop. She was charged with murder.
The Plea Deal
On June 7, 2011, Amanda went on trial.
The affair was brought up as a motive. Amanda’s computer searches were also brought up as evidence. She had made searches about comparing .22 caliber and .45 caliber guns. One the day of the murder, she had also made a search about where to shoot someone to make it look like a suicide.
The prosecution decided to go to Amanda’s attorneys with a plea deal. Amanda could plead guilty to first degree manslaughter if she admitted to what really happened.
Amanda took the deal, however, she insisted that it was an accident.
On September 15, the prosecution requested that the plea deal be revoked. On September 19, the judge denied the request, but he did sentence Amanda to the maximum of 65 years. She showed no emotion in court.
Amanda’s mugshot
Other
Amanda continues to lie from prison. After serving 8 years in prison, she said that Ira had called his brother on the day of the murder, and said he was being robbed.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Amanda clearly wasn’t thinking about her two children when she decided to take Ira’s life. He was the only father figure that they had, and he was planning to adopt them. Amanda is so selfish. Her children are being raised by her mom, but they still lost their mom and dad to something so senseless.
Sources
https://murderpedia.org/female.K/k/kaur-amanda.htm
https://www.newscenter1.tv/new-evidence-investigation-in-first-degree-manslaughter-case/
https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/no-reduced-sentence-for-sd-woman-who-shot-husband
