POCATELLO — The 39-year-old local man who struck and killed a Pocatello cyclist and left the scene of the accident last year was sentenced to prison for involuntary manslaughter on Friday.

Sixth District Judge Rick Carnaroli sentenced Tyler D. Carter, of Pocatello, to a unified 10 years in prison Friday, of which Carter must serve at least four years behind bars before being eligible for parole. Carter received the sentence during a two-hour hearing held in-person at the Bannock County Courthouse in Pocatello.

Carter fatally struck 40-year-old cyclist Bobette “Bobbi” Wilhelm, of Pocatello, with his pickup truck on Buckskin Road east of the Gate City on March 13, 2020.

An off-duty Bannock County Sheriff’s Office detention sergeant at the jail and his fiancée found Wilhelm’s body in a ravine off of Buckskin Road near Parks Road east of Pocatello a few hours after she was reported missing on March 16 of last year.

Bannock County Sheriff’s Office deputies were able to identify Carter as a suspect in Wilhelm’s death within 36 hours of her body being discovered on March 16, 2020, using vehicle parts left at the scene from the force of the collision to locate the vehicle Carter was allegedly driving at the time of the crash, the sheriff’s office told the Idaho State Journal last year.

The sheriff’s office said Carter was allegedly driving a green GMC pickup truck when he struck Wilhelm around 6:45 p.m., on March 13, 2020, while Wilhelm was bicycling alone on Buckskin Road.

Authorities believe the force of the impact threw Wilhelm into the ravine, where she later died. The Bannock County Coroner’s Office told the Journal last year Wilhelm remained alive for some time after the crash before succumbing to her injuries.

Carter was subsequently charged with two felonies following the investigation — involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury or death.

The sentence Carter received Friday was much different than the one prosecutors agreed to recommend as part of a plea agreement reached in May.

According to the previous plea agreement, Carter agreed to plead guilty to the two felony charges against him.

Additionally, Bannock County prosecutors agreed to recommend Carnaroli impose a unified nine-year prison term against Carter, of which he would have had to serve at least seven of those years incarcerated before being eligible for parole. The prosecution would have also recommended the judge suspend the entire nine-year prison term against Carter and instead retain jurisdiction on the sentence.

Also known as a “rider,” a prison sentence with retained jurisdiction would have required that Carter receive intensive programming and education while incarcerated at an Idaho Department of Correction facility for a period of up to one year. Upon completion of the rider, the court is then tasked with determining whether to place Carter on probation or impose the underlying nine-year prison term.

The plea agreement Carter signed in May was binding, which meant that if Carnaroli did approve the deal, he would have been bound to impose the prosecution’s recommendation.

Bannock County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Erin Tognetti said Carnaroli rejected the plea agreement signed in May, pushing the case back into a period of mediation between parties. A new plea agreement was reached last month.

On Wednesday, the new plea agreement Carter signed in October was included in his case record. This plea agreement was also binding but did not include a recommendation from prosecutors for retained jurisdiction and instead recommended he receive a 10-year prison sentence, of which he must serve no less than four years incarcerated before being eligible for parole.

Carter was also ordered to pay fines, court costs and about $4,000 in restitution to Wilhelm’s family. Carter did not contest the restitution amount.

Wilhelm’s two sisters were able to provide victim impact statements to the court. Additionally, the executor of Wilhelm’s estate and a close friend who considered herself a surrogate mother to Wilhelm were able to address the court.

Carter provided a brief statement as well in which he apologized to both his and Wilhelm’s family for his actions.

Had Carter not reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, the maximum penalty he could have faced for the felony involuntary manslaughter and felony leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death charges was up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

”Based on the facts of the case, prison was absolutely warranted in this situation and I think the judge made the correct decision,” Tognetti said. “We’re very happy that this matter is resolved for the family and they can finally have some closure.”