Courtesy Photo­Image Nathanial Polanco

Courtesy Photo­Image Walking to court, 2011

The long wait for the sentence of Nathan Polanco ended Monday, when he was sent to the state penitentiary for at least 20 months and as long as five years.

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Lincoln County District Judge Richard Birch handed down the sentence.

Polanco, who has cerebral palsy and uses a walker to get around, was accused of fatally stabbing Michael Fernau of North Platte at a party in October. He was originally charged with manslaughter, but the charge was dropped one notch after a series of witnesses were formally questioned, County Attorney Rebecca Harling said.

Fernau not only allowed the handicapped Polanco to stab him, but he asked for it, Polanco said. When police were called at 2 a.m., they found the two men lying on the front lawn outside the house, not far from one another, with a six-inch knife between them.

That night, Polanco held a party at his house where he got into an argument with Fernau, witnesses said. Police were called, found Fernau drunk and belligerent, and told Fernau to leave, which he did. But Fernau returned later, threw things, yelled, picked up a knife and threatened suicide, the investigator's report said.

Polanco told police that he and another man wrestled the knife away.

Polanco then asked Fernau if he was going to treat his girlfriend better, because he’d seen him abuse her. But Fernau started taunting Polanco, saying he should stab him.

Polanco told police he first stabbed Fernau in the forearm as a warning, but then “just snapped” and stabbed him in the neck, police said.

Fernau was pronounced dead at Great Plains Regional Medical Center. Polanco claimed he acted in self-defense, and also admitted using alcohol, marijuana and Xanax that night.

Polanco’s version of what happened was consistent with statements by witnesses as well as the location of wounds on Fernau, police said.

Polanco served 238 days in the Lincoln County jail since his arrest.