Man convicted of the 1994 murder of a German tourist near Idyllwild to be released
A 2012 Supreme Court ruling declaring mandatory life sentencing for minors is now deemed “unconstitutional”. In turn, an imprisoned man from Banning is to be set free soon.
Thongxay Nilakout, who was 18 at the time, was convicted of murdering German tourist, Gisela Pfleger, near Idyllwild 28 years ago. Pfleger and her husband were en route to visit their daughter at Cal State Long Beach.
Pfleger and her husband were robbed and shot by Nilakout and his two accomplices. Pfleger’s husband, Klause, was shot in the face and tried to get help for his wife before it was too late. Klause Pfleger survived.
Because Nilakout was 17 years old at the time, the Supreme Court ruling in 2012 affects his shortened prison time. Nilakout is soon to be released.
The couple’s daughter, Birte Pfleger, opposes this and has contacted Gov. Gavin Newsom to ultimately overturn the decision.
“In April of 1996, I thought we were done with it,” states Birte Pfleger. “I never stopped grieving my mom, of course, but I thought these guys would never get out.”
Nilakout is involved with the USC Post-Conviction Project which “works with clients who were convicted of crimes as youths, including those with sentences that are outdated,” according to the USC Gould School of Law in a statement sent to KABC.
“This is not about finding factually innocent people and getting them out of prison,” Pfleger leads. “This is the Post-Conviction Project… to train, rehearse with inmates with what to say at their parole hearing.”
As for Pfleger’s surviving father who is now 91 years old and residing in Germany, his daughter won’t be informing him about Nilakout’s upcoming release.
“He is a broken man,” she says. “He never recovered. He has social anxiety. What’s the benefit of him knowing?”
Birte mentions the getaway driver of the crime was also placed on parole and the other accomplice should eventually follow.
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The author of this article is a local student whose internship is funded through a grant from the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation. The Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation is a nonprofit that identifies needs in the local journalism ecosystem and seeks out grants and donations from individuals to bridge those gaps. The CVJF is a 501(c)3 organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Learn more at www.cvjf.org.
