A Lancaster County Judge on Thursday sentenced a 24-year-old man to life behind bars for shooting another man to death on a boat at Branched Oak Lake in 2022. Taban Rik was sentenced after pleading guilty to the reduced charge of second-degree murder.
Lancaster County investigators say 42-year-old Benjamin Case of Lincoln was on his boat with four friends in July of 2022 when a man walked onto the boat from the dock and shot case twice.
According to KLIN media partner 1011 Now Judge Jodi Nelson reflected on the tragedy before issuing her ruling. “This case is tragic in every way. All you have to do is look around and recognize the tragedy and the pain this has caused,” Nelson said.
“In considering a sentence, I must consider all statutory factors under Nebraska law. It will be you (Rik) and your actions in the future that may at some point create an opportunity for your release from prison. But I am not going to create that opportunity today.”
