A jailhouse fight will keep a man already serving a life sentence in connection with a Salina murder behind bars a little longer.
26-year-old Joel Heil appeared in Saline County District Court Thursday morning and plead no contest to a charge of disorderly conduct. The charge stems from a fight between Heil and another inmate in the Saline County Jail back in April. He allegedly loudly argued with another inmate, before then physically fighting with him.
Heil was sentenced to serve an additional 30 days, to run concurrently with the life sentence he is already serving. He also must pay a $158 court cost.
Heil was in jail at the time of the fight, accused of being a participant in the 2013 disappearance and murder of Kristin Tyler. He would later plead guilty in the murder case as part of an agreement with prosecutors. In exchange for a recommendation of life in prison with a 25 year minimum, he testified against co-defendant Dane DeWeese during the trial. As part of the plea agreement, the state dropped a conspiracy charge that Heil was facing but still retained an attempted robbery charge.
DeWeese was found guilty at the conclusion of a jury trial. Both he and Heil were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.