“Things are not what they appear to be. The world is ruled by ancient civilization from Mars. Pastor Tim was one of them, and he was the reason my life was ruined. I will be sharing my story with as many people as possible. I don't have time right now, they are chasing me. I shot Pastor Tim 12 times, there is no way any human could have survived that event. Anyway, I have sent my story to all the major news organizations. I have no time, I have to go.”

by Casey Lund caseyl@kxly.com

July 5th 2016

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho - Kyle Odom, the man who shot Coeur d'Alene pastor Tim Remington six times amidst delusional claims about Martian overlords ruling the Earth, will not stand trial for the shooting.

Odom had been scheduled for a court hearing at 8:30 Tuesday morning and had been brought into the courtroom to wait in advance of that hearing. Shortly before the hearing was set to begin, Odom was taken back to his cell as a Kootenai County judge had signed an order of mediation in his case.

Under Idaho criminal law, any party or court can initiate a mediation "to resolve some or all of the issues presented in the case." Participation in the mediation process is voluntary and will only take place upon agreement of everyone – defense and prosecution – involved in the case.

Instead of in an open courtroom, the mediation will happen behind closed doors, where a mediator will work to come to a voluntary agreement of how the case should be resolved. That could mean reduced charges but will still end with a criminal conviction.

Odom's charges were changed from attempted murder to an aggravated battery charge in June. The charges stem from the early March shooting of Remington in the parking lot of The Altar church in Coeur d'Alene. Odom was arrested by the Secret Service in Washington, D.C. several days later while throwing objects over the White House fence line.

Remington has expressed forgiveness for the March shooting and still has a long way to go in his recovery.

In addition to the battery charges Odom faces a charge of using a deadly weapon while committing a felony. Both the battery and attempted murder charges have a maximum of 15 years in prison, but battery can be easier to prove. The deadly weapon charge could add another 15 years in prison to Odom's sentence.

The Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office says there is no way of knowing exactly when the mediation will take place. It will be up to the judge to determine, but will likely take place more than 30 days from now.