Sentence upheld in deadly beating over alcohol in Rushville

RUSHVILLE, Neb. - The Nebraska Court of Appeals has upheld the prison sentence of a Lincoln man convicted of manslaughter in Rushville. As News Channel Nebraska reported earlier this year, Brent Ghost, 45, was sentenced to 40 to 50 years in prison for the murder of 32-year-old Jacob American Horse-Garnier in 2023.

According to court documents, Ghost became enraged after learning Garnier had drank his vodka. Prosecutors say he brutally beat Garnier—kicking him, stomping on his head and ribs, and attempting to flip a bed on top of him.

Ghost appealed his conviction, but the Nebraska Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s ruling.

News Channel Nebraska previously spoke with American Horse-Garnier’s family, who said they hoped the sentence would bring some measure of justice. His grandmother also expressed a desire to raise awareness about the broader crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people.