Photo by LCSO

In a highly-charged, emotional and tearful courtroom at the Lincoln County Courthouse Monday afternoon, a Sutherland man was charged with murdering his live-in girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter.

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Donald M. Lee, 34, sobbed openly at the defense table as the murder charges were read. Wearing a black and white striped jail jumpsuit, Lee hung his head and even stopped the proceedings at one point when he laid his head down on the table.

Lee was charged with first-degree murder for the death of his girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter July 19. He faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if convicted of the death of Ashlynn Gamble. The charges say that Lee killed Gamble “with deliberate and premeditated malice.”

But the charges also indicate that Lee might have sexually molested the young girl that night as well. The charges says that Lee “did kill Ashlynn Gamble in the perpetration of or attempt to perpetrate any sexual assault in the first-degree, arson, robbery, kidnapping, hijacking of … transportation or burglary.”

Lincoln County Attorney Rebecca Harling said the state reserved the right to present aggravating circumstances if it believes they can be proven. If so, that would mean that Lee could face the death penalty in Nebraska.

Harling said it was too early in the investigation to comment on any evidence that might present aggravating circumstances.

Several family members including Kristi Gamble, Ashlynn’s mother, left the courtroom sobbing during the 15-minute hearing.

Lincoln County Judge Kent Turnbull warned family members that the hearing would be emotional and jarring as requested they stay in their seats if possible. He said if anyone moved toward the defense table or the bench, the tight security would consider it threatening and act accordingly.

Turnbull appointed Bob Lindemeier, Lincoln County Public Defender, as Lee’s council.

Turnbull set Lee’s preliminary hearing for Aug. 7 and set Lee’s bail at $5 million.

“I’m not going to lie to you Mr. Lee,” Turnbull said. “You are not going to be able to post bail.”

It would take a cash posting of $500,000 for Lee to be released.

Lindemeier argued for a lower bond citing Lee’s long time in Lincoln County, his job, his ties to the community through family but Turnbull did not budge.

The crime

Lee and Kristi Gamble lived at 1541 South Street in Sutherland. Gamble’s two kids – Ashlynn, 4, and Hayden, 2, lived there too.

Sources told the Bulletin that Gamble was working at Kelsey’s Bar in North Platte when a babysitter called and reported some kind of unknown trouble with the children.

Lee volunteered to go back home to Sutherland and handle the situation, sources said.

At 2:50 a.m., the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a 911 call at the home. The call was for "a child in distress," according to Chief Deputy Dean Sparks.

Ashlynn was taken to Great Plains Regional Medical Center early Saturday morning and was pronounced dead. Her body was taken to Scottsbluff for an autopsy, according to Lincoln County Attorney Rebecca Harling. The cause of death was manual strangulation, the Bulletin learned.

Deputies arrested Lee Saturday for cruelty toward a child as deputies investigated the case.

Harling filed the murder charges against Lee on Monday.

Hayden, 2, was not injured according to family members. He was removed and placed into protective custody through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.