Man gets 17 years minimum for attempted murder of wife

A Casco Township man who attempted to shoot his wife in the night was sentenced to prison Monday.

Gregory Ringel, 59, was ordered to serve a minimum of 17 years in prison and up to 32 years by Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Lane.

Ringel had been found guilty after a jury trial in May in which he argued the attempt to shoot and kill his wife was the result of hallucinations caused by his medication.

The jury didn't believe his story, however, finding him guilty after just 15 minutes of deliberation.

More: Jury finds Ringel guilty on all counts in attempted murder case

The victim, Deborah Ringel, spoke at her now ex-husband's sentencing, telling the court his actions had destroyed her plans for retirement and forced her to return to work. She said the attempt on her life had also divided her family, as her relatives had taken sides and broken off contact with her and each other over who they supported.

"Due to his assault with intent to murder me, I have suffered night terrors to this day," Deborah Ringel said.

St. Clair County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Joshua Sparling argued Gregory's actions were reprehensible not just for the attempted murder, but for the string of lies he told to cover it up.

Deborah Ringel had not recognized her attacker in the dark, according to statements made at Ringel's trial. Her husband had narrowly missed shooting her with a shotgun in her bedroom, having fired close enough to her face to leave burn marks.

After police arrived at the house, Gregory Ringel said he had seen the attacker flee and had fired a handgun after them. A round from his handgun at the scene seemed to support his story.

The St. Clair County Sheriff's Office quickly found holes in his story, however. There were no signs of a break in. Detectives discovered Gregory Ringel was having an affair, and during a search of his house they found a shotgun he had hidden. Ringel then admitted to the shooting.

Sparling said Gregory Ringel's claim that he was hallucinating during the shooting and thought he was hunting with his deceased father added insult to injury.

"It was preposterous then, and it's preposterous now," Sparling said.

Defense attorney Joshua Rubin argued for a reduced sentence, citing Gregory Ringel's more than 35 years of history in the U.S. Air Force, which included four medals he'd been awarded.

Rubin also cited letters presented to the court in support of Ringel, his lack of any criminal history and his good behavior on bond as the case had proceeded.

Lane sentenced Ringel to 15-30 years for assault with intent to murder. He was also given a consecutive 2-year prison sentence for felony firearm use.

The sentences for the remaining four counts were all concurrent with either the attempted murder charge or the felony firearm use. Lane sentenced Ringel for discharging a firearm in a house,5-10 year;, tampering with evidence,5-10 years; false report of a felony, 2-4 years; and a second felony firearm charge, 2 years.

Lane told Ringel that if he had wanted to end his marriage, he should have done so legally instead of trying to kill his wife. She said both he and his wife were lucky the attempted murder failed, or he would likely face life in prison without parole.

"I don't know what type of crisis you were going through, but there's no excuse for it," Lane said.

Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Man gets 17 years minimum for attempted murder of wife