Gest v. State

OPINION

At the age of eighteen, Mark Gest deliberately killed a man. He was convicted of first degree murder 1 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He has appealed the sentence, and we affirm.

Gest had a substantial criminal record as a juvenile and spent several years in a variety of juvenile facilities in Washington. Extensive institutional efforts to reform his behavior proved futile, and finally Gest was sent to live with a sister in Anchorage, where it was hoped the change in environment would break the pattern of criminal conduct which Gest had adopted.

One night a year and a half later…