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Cowell to be sentenced Thursday

CHLOE COCHRAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 2 weeks AGO
by CHLOE COCHRAN
| April 18, 2026 1:00 AM

SANDPOINT — A Boundary County woman who was found guilty on two counts of lewd conduct with a minor by way of jury trial is scheduled to be sentenced next Thursday, April 23, at the Bonner County Courthouse.  

Katherine Cowell, 52, was found guilty of two charges of lewd conduct with a minor during a Feb. 9 trial, where a jury unanimously found her guilty after four hours of deliberation.  

The sentencing, which is slated to take an hour, was originally expected to occur April 20 before a schedule change.  

At the time of publishing, a sentencing recommendation has not been uploaded to the court system. However, she is facing life in prison for being found guilty of the two felonies.  

Cowell currently remains at the Bonner County Jail without a bond.  

During the sentencing, at least one victim impact statement is expected to be read.  

Statements are read during a sentencing to express how the crime has affected a victim, allowing the court to further understand the personal, emotional and financial impact when deciding a sentence.  

The case has drawn public attention since Katherine Cowell and her husband, Richard, were arrested in February 2025 in Boundary County after allegations that the pair had committed acts of sexual abuse.  

Richard ultimately pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy and lewd conduct with a minor, for which he was sentenced to serve 17 years in prison before being eligible for parole.  

Court documents indicate that the crimes he pleaded guilty to were committed with his wife, Katherine. However, his plea did not legally affect the jury's finding her guilty on similar charges.

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