Brian Lemke told an Idaho judge he wished he could go back and change what happened. His 12-day-old son, Benjamin, was dead — suffocated while co-sleeping in a trailer filled with trash, food, dirt, cigarette butts and animal feces. Instead of calling authorities immediately, prosecutors said Lemke carried his son's body from that filthy travel trailer to a nearby house, wrapped the infant in a blanket, placed him in a bassinet, and then called 911 requesting only a coroner respond.
Background
The tragedy unfolded in Nampa, Idaho, during the early morning hours of Dec. 16, 2025. Canyon County prosecutors said Lemke, 32, called 911 at about 3:30 a.m., reporting his newborn son's death. When officers arrived at the residence where they found Benjamin swaddled in a bassinet inside the living room, investigators soon discovered the infant had actually died hours earlier — sometime between 11 p.m. Dec. 15 and 2 a.m. Dec. 16 — while co-sleeping with Lemke and the child's mother, Allyssen Armenta.
Court documents obtained by KTVB detailed the squalid conditions inside the travel trailer parked behind an associate's property where the family had been staying. The small living space was described as filled with garbage, food waste, dirt, cigarette remains and animal feces — a stark contrast to the clean house where authorities later found baby Benjamin.
"What did I do," Lemke reportedly texted Armenta after discovering their son unresponsive. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened, but it be my fault. Are they saying SIDS?"
The Canyon County Coroner's Office determined the infant died from suffocation while co-sleeping with the adults in the trailer.
The Investigation and Sentencing
Investigators uncovered that Child Protective Services had asked Nampa police to help locate Lemke, Armenta and their newborn during the two days leading up to Benjamin's death. Neither CPS nor law enforcement could find the family because the couple refused to disclose their whereabouts, according to the prosecutor's office.
After discovering his son dead, prosecutors alleged Lemke moved the infant's body into the main house before calling for help — a detail he later admitted to investigators. The prosecution argued that requesting only a coroner rather than emergency medical services indicated Lemke was attempting to conceal the circumstances surrounding his son's death.
3rd District Judge Thomas Whitney sentenced Lemke on Friday to 15 years in an Idaho state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to failure to report a death and destruction or concealment of evidence. The sentence includes six years minimum with an additional nine years possible, making Lemke eligible for parole after serving six years.
"My job, my duty is to sentence you for the crimes which you were convicted of," Whitney said during sentencing, according to KIVI. The judge emphasized the sentence addressed Lemke's conduct after his infant son's death — not from causing the child's death.
Before learning his fate, Lemke offered an apology to the court. "I just want to say that I know my actions were wrong," he said. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about and wish that I could go back and change what I've done."
Lemke's attorney argued the baby's death resulted from an accidental co-sleeping incident and requested probation, maintaining his client was not responsible for Benjamin's death. Whitney rejected that request but acknowledged the circumstances surrounding the infant's passing.
Key Takeaways
- Brian Lemke sentenced to 15 years in state prison after pleading guilty to failure to report a death and destruction or concealment of evidence
- His 12-day-old son, Benjamin, died from suffocation while co-sleeping with parents inside a filthy travel trailer behind an associate's Nampa property
- Lemke moved his son's body from the contaminated trailer into a clean house before calling 911 — only requesting a coroner respond
- Child Protective Services had been trying to locate the family for two days prior to Benjamin's death without success
- The infant's mother, Allyssen Armenta, also faces charges and is scheduled for sentencing July 30
- Lemke will be eligible for parole after serving six years of his sentence
What's Next
Lemke will serve his sentence at an Idaho Department of Correction facility. His co-defendant, Allyssen Armenta, is set to appear in court on July 30 for her sentencing hearing related to the same case. The tragic circumstances surrounding Benjamin's death have prompted renewed discussions about safe sleep practices for infants and the challenges facing families touched by Child Protective Services investigations.