‘Mountain Man’ Gets 20-Year Sentence in Woman’s Kidnaping
- Share via
VIRGINIA CITY, Mont. — Dan Nichols, dubbed a “mountain man” because of his life style, was sentenced Friday to the maximum term of 20 years in prison for kidnaping a woman athlete and using a firearm during a felony.
A jury convicted Nichols, 20, in May of helping his father kidnap Kari Swenson, 23, of Bozeman, to serve as a companion in their wilderness home. He was convicted of misdemeanor assault for wounding her when searchers found them but was acquitted in the death of searcher Alan Goldstein.
The father, Don Nichols, 54, was found guilty last week of shooting Goldstein, kidnaping and aggravated assault for threatening a second searcher. He remains jailed pending sentencing next month.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
