Boise man found guilty of murder in case involving bullying, beer gets prison sentence

The man found guilty of murdering a fellow Boise man at a party has been sentenced to a long stint behind bars.

An Ada County jury found Jed Earls, 34, guilty of second-degree murder in May for the killing of 22-year-old James “Matt” Cuellar, with an enhancement for using a deadly weapon to commit a felony.

Prosecutors said Earls “bullied” Cuellar and repeatedly antagonized him throughout the night of the killing, mocking the appearance and speech impediment of Cuellar, who was born with a rare genetic disorder called Pierre Robin syndrome.

Fourth District Judge Cynthia Yee-Wallace on Monday sentenced Earls to 50 years in prison, with a fixed sentence of 20 years before he could be eligible for parole.

Boise police arrested Earls after responding to a 4:10 a.m. call on Jan. 15, 2022, in the 2100 block of South Owyhee Street. Cuellar and several friends went to Earls’ home following a birthday party, though most of them, including Cuellar, had not previously met Earls, prosecutors said during the 12-day trial.

Those at the party testified in court that Earls kept slapping Cuellar on the butt and shoulder, trying to provoke him. Earls, who was described as heavily intoxicated, was angry at people for drinking his alcohol, and at one point, Cuellar stood up to him after Earls made uncomfortable comments to the only woman in the house, according to testimony.

The prosecution said tension continued to grow between the pair as the night wore on, until they found themselves alone together when people left to pick up food.

Prosecutors and police said they believe the two men got into an argument over a case of beer. Police found a torn box of beer on the floor, with all cans unopened, evidence photos showed. Prosecutors speculated that Cuellar might have tried to take the beer. Earls claimed that he shot Cuellar in self-defense.

Earls was charged with second-degree murder rather than first because the crime was committed in the heat of the moment and not premeditated, according to the prosecution.

“On behalf of my office, I extend our sincere condolences to Mr. Cuellar’s family and friends for their loss,” Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said in a news release. “I am proud of my trial team’s tireless work on this case and I also want to thank the Boise Police Department for their thorough investigation. Thank you as well to the jury for their time and focused attention during the trial.”