Steinbach resentenced for 1996 murder

In court on Dec. 13, Mark Steinbach was re-sentenced for the 1996 murder of his then live-in girlfriend, Debra Rhinehart.

The events leading up to Steinbach’s trial and conviction began on March 8, 1996, when Rhinehart was reported missing. She was last seen alive on March 3 or 4, when the pair had been seen arguing outside a New Rockford bar. Rhinehart left the bar with another person, then later returned to retrieve her car and drive home.

Rhinehart’s body was discovered on March 21, 1996 after Steinbach agreed to take authorities to her body. She was found nude and frozen in a shelterbelt north of the farm where they lived. An autopsy confirmed that she had died from a single gunshot wound to the neck. Steinbach used a sawed off shotgun to commit the crime, according to court reports.

Steinbach was arrested and charged with Class AA Felony murder on May 29, but was released on $100,000 bail. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge on Aug. 28, 1996. He remained at home on electronic monitoring until March 28, 1997, when he was arrested for simple assault of Carol Morrisey, who had been living with him at the time. He spent the remainder of the time until trial at the Lake Region Law Enforcement Center in Devils Lake.

During the four-day trial in April 1997, Steinbach testified that Rhinehart had committed suicide. The jury deliberated for three hours before rendering guilty verdicts for murder, tampering with evidence and obstruction of a government function on April 25, 1997. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on May 20, 1997; He was 41 years old at the time. Steinbach has served his time at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Bismarck.

In October 2013, the conviction for obstruction of a government function was vacated. Attempts to have Steinbach released began in 2014.

One letter requesting mercy for Steinbach came from a Tallahassee, Fla., woman named Danielle R. Thomas. In the letter dated Feb. 18, 2016, she claims she has known Steinbach since May 1997, when he was first incarcerated after the trial. She requested that the judge release him, asserting that he would be a “model citizen” should a pardon be granted. She writes, “Both of his parents have passed away. His children are grown and have families of their own. They actually have moved from North Dakota. His sister has her family to take care. Mark Steinbach has no ties now in North Dakota.” Thomas added that Steinbach had plans to relocate to Florida to reside with her and her family upon his release.

In February 2018 the charge of obstruction was dismissed, which led Steinbach’s attorney, Chad McCabe, to file a motion for re-sentencing on June 14, 2019. Hovey ordered a hearing on July 15, after 30 days had passed without a response from the state.

Eddy County State’s Attorney Ashley Lies said that considerations in the case were North Dakota Rule of Criminal Procedure 35(a)(1)