Senator’s son to change plea in 2023 crash that killed North Dakota deputy

BISMARCK, N.D. — The adult son of U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer is expected to change his plea on Friday in connection with a pursuit and crash that killed a North Dakota sheriff’s deputy last year. Ian Cramer, 43, was scheduled to go to trial next week beginning Tuesday for charges of homicide while fleeing a peace officer, preventing arrest, reckless endangerment, fleeing an officer and drug- and driving-related offenses tied to the Dec. 6, 2023, pursuit and crash death of Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Martin, 53. Bismarck police said Ian Cramer’s mother had taken him to a hospital because of mental health concerns. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican, has said his son “suffers from serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations.” Ian Cramer is being held at the McLean County Jail in Washburn on $500,000 cash bail.