Man sentenced to life in murder dies at Ontario prison

ONTARIO, Ore. (AP) — Officials say a 64-year-old man has died in custody at Snake River Correctional Institution in Eastern Oregon.

Oregon Department of Corrections officials say Gregory Siegberg, who had been from the Milwaukie area, died Friday morning at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario. No information was given about the cause or circumstances surrounding his death. He had been in custody since Sept. 29, 2017.

He was sentenced to life in prison for opening fire on his former wife and her friend while drunk and high on methamphetamine, killing the friend, in November 2016.

Sieberg said at the time he decided to plead guilty to murder and attempted aggravated murder to prevent his ex-wife, Debra Kusch-Siegberg, and the family of the slain friend, Melissa Vargas, from going through a trial.

Siegberg said at sentencing that he wished he were dead instead of Vargas.