SANDPOINT — A man guilty of voluntary manslaughter has been sentenced to serve the maximum sentence in prison for the murder of a former girlfriend.

Jordan Jarrad Law, 48, has been sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter of his former girlfriend, Rae Allison Berwanger.  

Six years after her disappearance, Berwanger’s body has still not been found despite efforts by Idaho authorities and the alleged assistance of Law. 

Law is also required to pay over $5,000 in fees and will get 384 days credited for time served, where he will be incarcerated for a little under 14 years. Law will not be given an opportunity for parole.  

During the sentencing, Prosecutor Louis Marshall said he was pleased with the results of the case, sharing that the public, specifically women, would be safe from Law for the next 15 years.  

In defending sentiments, public defender Catherine Enright noted that while there was strong evidence against Law, he maintains innocence in the killing of his former girlfriend. Law further claims that his deceased neighbor was responsible for Berwanger’s death, and that he only assisted in the disposal of her body.  

In a statement to the Idaho Statesman, Marshall said that he believes there is no validity to Law’s story, questioning why the story wasn’t brought up years ago.  

“We believe this is simply another fabrication on the part of Jordan Law,” said Marshall. 

Law entered an Alford plea Sept. 4 to an amended charge of voluntary manslaughter. As part of a plea agreement, charges of destruction of evidence, offering false evidence and two counts of rape were dismissed. The rape charges stemmed from another victim that was discovered during the investigation, where she testified against Law to get him indicted.  

Under an Alford plea, a defendant admits no wrongdoing but concedes that a guilty verdict could result following a trial. The plea is treated no differently at sentencing than a standard guilty plea.    

Law was arrested Sept. 18, 2024, for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Berwanger, who was 54 at the time of her disappearance in 2019.  

Berwanger was last seen by her brother March 3, 2019, at Law’s Kelso Lake Road residence. At the time, her disappearance was classified as an adult missing person with reasonable concern for her safety.  

During an investigation into her disappearance, according to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, Law was developed as a person of interest in the case after law enforcement noted a $1,200 withdrawal from Berwanger’s bank card over three days after her disappearance.  

Surveillance footage showed Law was the one who was responsible for the withdrawal.  

After a lengthy investigation by Bonner County Sheriff’s detectives and with the assistance of the Idaho State Police SAKI (Sexual Assault Kit Initiative) program, Law was indicted by a grand jury Sept. 17, 2024.   

The following day, Law was located in Spokane and taken into custody.   

Court documents on the case remain sealed from the public. It is not clear what prompted murder charges to be filed at the time, or what additional evidence was presented to the grand jury to prompt Law's indictment. 

    Berwanger