Woman to be Sentenced for Purchasing Alcohol Prior to Fatal Car Crash

A 28-year-old North Loup woman has been found guilty of procuring alcohol for a minor, which resulted in a deadly drunk driving incident in the summer of 2022.
Dainara Muerdler pleaded no contest to the charge of providing alcohol to a minor that led to a fatality. The judge accepted her plea and convicted her of the crime.
According to an arrest affidavit from a Nebraska Attorney General’s office investigator, the fatal crash occurred on August 19, 2022 south of Ord. 20-year-old Konner Burnett was driving his 2007 Dodge Caliber when he crashed into a cornfield on Highway 11 and died. Toxicology reports showed Burnett had a blood alcohol level of .117 at the time.
The investigation revealed that Burnett, who was underage, had allowed Muerdler to use his debit card to purchase a 30-pack of Busch Light, a six-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and another six-pack of an unspecified alcoholic beverage. Video surveillance footage confirmed that Muerdler made these purchases using Burnett’s card.
According to the affidavit, Muerdler and another individual then went to a home in Scotia, where they reported that Burnett was “very intoxicated.” The pair left Burnett in the passenger seat of his vehicle, but when they later checked on him, he had left the home and gotten behind the wheel, leading to the fatal crash.
Muerdler is scheduled to be sentenced in Valley County Court on October 22 at 11:30 a.m.