Kyle Odom Manifesto: Shooting, Idaho Case, and 2026 Parole

The Kyle Odom manifesto is a 21-page document that the former Marine and University of Idaho biochemistry graduate wrote, mailed to news outlets, and threw over the White House fence in March 2016, describing an elaborate delusion that world leaders and Pastor Tim Remington of Coeur d’Alene were disguised “amphibian-humanoid” aliens from Mars. Odom shot Remington six times outside The Altar Church on March 6, 2016, was arrested two days later at the White House, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery, and served roughly a decade of a 25-year sentence before being paroled in 2026.

What the Manifesto Says

Odom’s document lays out a belief system centered on what he called “an ancient civilisation from Mars.” He wrote that these beings, which he called “amphibian-humanoids,” could disguise themselves as humans but had telltale features: oversized bulging eyes with yellow or brown irises and slit pupils. He described them as “ubiquitous,” embedded at every level of government, the military, and the corporate world in every nation.¹

A section titled “Noteworthy Martians” named roughly 50 members of the U.S. Congress and several dozen Israeli government officials.² Odom accused the aliens of being telepathic, of sexually harassing him, and of trying to groom him into becoming a “school shooter.” He wrote that they targeted him because of his genetics and intelligence, fearing he would spark a “scientific revolution.”¹

He traced the belief to February 2014, writing that during a meditation session he experienced an out-of-body connection with a “blue light” female alien.² He identified Remington and associate pastor John Padula as aliens or their “puppets,” writing that Remington “was one of them, and he was the reason my life was ruined.” He framed the shooting as a “last resort” to force the conspiracy into public view, telling readers that the “people” he killed “are not what you think.”¹ A passage addressed to President Barack Obama urged him to stop allowing the aliens to humiliate him.

The document detailed auditory and visual hallucinations, two suicide attempts, and treatment at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. Odom insisted anyway that he was “100% sane, 0% crazy,” attributing the hallucinations to alien telepathy rather than mental illness.²

How He Distributed It

Odom mailed copies of the manifesto to several news outlets before his arrest. The Spokesman-Review published the full document online on March 9, 2016.³

On the evening of March 8, 2016, around 8:30 p.m., U.S. Secret Service uniformed officers arrested Odom at the south fence of the White House after watching him throw items over it. The objects included computer flash drives and printed copies of his manifesto.⁴ He was unarmed and taken into custody without incident. Hazardous materials and bomb teams examined the thrown items and found them non-hazardous.⁵

Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White told reporters the materials listed members of Congress and Israeli government officials but contained no specific threats. Available reporting does not indicate that Odom ever faced federal charges tied to the White House fence incident or to interstate flight; he was held on the extraditable Idaho warrant and later transferred to Kootenai County.⁶

The Shooting the Manifesto Explains

On the morning of Sunday, March 6, 2016, Odom approached Remington in the parking lot of The Altar Church at 9th and Best in Coeur d’Alene and fired 12 rounds from a .45-caliber handgun from roughly 15 feet away. Six bullets struck the 55-year-old pastor in the head, shoulder, lung, and pelvis. The head wound stopped at the dura, the protective membrane surrounding the brain. A bullet through his pelvis damaged his colon, and the shoulder wounds shattered his humerus and damaged the brachial plexus, the nerve bundle controlling his arm.⁷

Doctors estimated Remington had lost 90 percent of his blood by the time he reached the operating room. He underwent seven hours of surgery and was not expected to survive. A prayer vigil that evening drew about 700 people.⁷ Odom fled in a silver Honda Accord, flew from Boise to Washington, D.C., on March 7, and was arrested the following evening.⁶

Who Kyle Odom Was

Kyle Andrew Odom was 30 at the time of the shooting. He served in the Marine Corps from 2006 to 2010 as a flight equipment technician stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, and earned the Iraq Campaign Medal with one star and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.⁸⁹ After leaving the military he enrolled at the University of Idaho, graduated summa cum laude in biochemistry in 2014, made the Dean’s list, received a 2013 fellowship for research in aging, and presented biomedical research at a regional National Institutes of Health conference. He had planned to pursue a Ph.D.

Investigators reported no confirmed employment or meaningful activity between his 2014 graduation and the 2016 shooting. Police identified him as having a history of mental illness, consistent with the suicide attempts and VA hospital visits he described in the manifesto.⁸

The Case Under Idaho Law

Odom was initially charged with attempted first-degree murder in Kootenai County. In August 2016, prosecutors sought a mental health evaluation to determine whether he was competent to stand trial, delaying the preliminary hearing.¹⁰ Idaho does not allow a “not guilty by reason of insanity” plea. It is one of four states that have eliminated the insanity defense entirely, so defendants with mental illness can only use their condition to challenge criminal intent or to argue for leniency at sentencing.¹¹

Prosecutors later amended the charge to aggravated battery with a firearm enhancement. Both the original and amended charges carried a maximum of 15 years, but the firearm enhancement added up to another 15.¹² Odom entered a not guilty plea in First District Court in April 2017.¹³ In July 2017, he changed his plea to guilty under an agreement capping his sentence at 25 years.¹⁴

At sentencing in November 2017, Odom apologized to Remington and said hallucinations had led him to believe the pastor was an alien in disguise. Remington told the court, “It looks like I’m the victim. It did really mess with me and my family, but I’m not really the victim. I’m going to be the victor in all this.”¹⁵

The 25-year sentence breaks down as 10 years fixed followed by 15 years indeterminate, making Odom eligible for parole after the fixed portion. The judge ordered $216,300 in restitution, with additional amounts to follow for ongoing medical expenses.¹⁶

Parole and Release in 2026

The Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole granted Odom parole at the end of September 2025. At his hearing he expressed regret and said he believed he was “no longer a threat to society.”¹⁷ He was released on the morning of March 17, 2026, and moved to a transitional home in Post Falls, Idaho.

His parole conditions require him to wear an ankle monitor, remain at his designated residential address, obtain a mental health evaluation and follow all treatment directives, and have no contact with Remington.¹⁷ Idaho Department of Correction records list Odom under parole supervision in District 1, Coeur d’Alene, with a sentence satisfaction date of March 16, 2041.¹⁸

Remington said he was not notified of the parole hearing and expressed disappointment at the lack of notice, though he added that had he attended, his goal would have been to see Odom receive help. The Coeur d’Alene Police Department reported that Odom’s own family raised concerns about his mental health and readiness for release, and extra patrols were requested at The Altar Church after the news became public.¹⁷

Remington’s Recovery

Remington survived but faced a long recovery. The damage to his colon required a colostomy that lasted seven months. Three weeks after being discharged from the hospital, he suffered a stroke that temporarily cost him the ability to walk and live independently.⁷ Shrapnel remains in his body, and as of 2025 he reported ongoing heart problems. He has said publicly that he forgave Odom and hopes they might one day minister together. “I can see him and I standing behind the pulpit of our church giving our testimony,” he said in a 2025 interview.¹⁹

1
The Sydney Morning Herald. Kyle Odom’s Martian Manifesto Is a Window Into an Unravelling Mind
2
Los Angeles Times. Conspiracy Theories and Shootings
3
The Spokesman-Review. Odom’s Manifesto
4
NBC News. Kyle Odom, Suspect in Idaho Pastor Shooting, Arrested in D.C.
5
The Spokesman-Review. Suspected Shooter Claims Coeur d’Alene Pastor Is a Martian
6
ABC News. Suspect Accused of Shooting Idaho Pastor Arrested in Washington, D.C.
7
Assemblies of God News. Hit Repeatedly by .45-Caliber Hollow-Point Bullets, Pastor Tim Remington Is a Living Miracle
8
NBC News. Armed Ex-Marine Sought in Shooting of Pastor Outside Idaho Church
9
AL.com. Who Is Kyle Andrew Odom, Former Marine Accused of Shooting Idaho Pastor
10
The Spokesman-Review. Mental Health Evaluation Ordered for Accused Shooter
11
Los Angeles Times. Idaho Pastor Shooting
12
KXLY. Kyle Odom Faces Battery Charge in Pastor’s Shooting
13
The Spokesman-Review. Pastor Hears Odom Enter Plea
14
NBC Right Now. Kyle Odom Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Shooting Coeur d’Alene Pastor
15
KHQ. Coeur d’Alene Pastor Reacts to Shooter’s Sentence
16
Army Times. Veteran Sentenced to 25 Years for Shooting Idaho Pastor
17
Coeur d’Alene Press. Remington Shooter Released on Parole
18
Idaho Department of Correction. Resident/Client Search – Kyle Andrew Odom
19
Coeur d’Alene Press. Pastor Tim Remington Says Faith Remains Strong After Shooting Nine Years Ago