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Courts

Man sentenced for assault

Judge James Manley sentenced a Polson man in District Court at Polson on Oct. 28 to the Montana State Prison for 10 years with five years suspended on one count of assault with a weapon and another 10 years with all that time suspended on one count of tampering with witnesses or informant. Alan Lewis Kibler, 35, who was deemed a persistent felony offender, was sentenced in accordance to a plea agreement reached on Sept. 9, that dismissed five other felonies, including two counts of partner or family member assault, two counts of tampering with witnesses and informants, and kidnapping. According to court records, on May 26, a social worker with Child Protective Services reported to the...


Man pleads not guilty to thefts Man pleads not guilty to thefts

A North Dakota man is accused of stealing the bank deposit bag from the manager’s office at Polson Bay Golf Course, not once but twice. Robert Todd Gustafson, 56, entered a plea of not guilty at District Court in Polson on Oct. 29 to felony theft. According to court records, on July 14, 2014, survei...


Suspect makes better choice after taking store keys

One plea agreement resolved three separate criminal cases against a Polson woman. Kiirsten Nicole Fairchild, 19, was facing two counts of burglary, two counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, robbery, theft, criminal endangerment and tampering with physical evidence.  The plea agreement res...


Eight charges dismissed in assault case

A Polson man, who was facing eight counts of partner or family member assault plus one count of unlawful restraint, had all but one of the charges dismissed after the alleged victim recanted her story. Pernnell Albert Dionne Jr., 35, entered a plea of guilty at District Court in Polson on Oct. 21 to one m...


Hesse sentenced to 80 years for beating death Hesse sentenced to 80 years for beating death

District Judge Jason Marks, of Missoula, sentenced a former Colorado man to the Montana State Prison for 80 years on one count of deliberate homicide for the beating death of Gyme Kelley, 63, of Ronan.  William Lowery Hesse II, 54, was sentenced at District Court in Polson on Oct. 22. He was also sen...


Conviction results in 4-year sentence

Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher committed a Mullan Idaho man to four years with the Montana Department of Corrections with all but 45 days suspended on one count of criminal endangerment, a felony.  The sentence was handed down at District Court in Polson on Oct. 15. Brian Andrew Fernquis...


Negligent assault charges go to trial

A Charlo woman is accused of driving onto U.S. Highway 93 from Eagle Pass Trail without yielding to oncoming traffic and causing a serious crash. Stacy Leann Markus, 53, entered a plea of not guilty at District Court in Polson on Oct. 15 to one felony count of negligent vehicular assault. According to ...


Hesse found guilty of homicide Hesse found guilty of homicide

It took a Lake County jury a full day of deliberations before finding a former Colorado man guilty of deliberate homicide and tampering with physical evidence. William Lowery Hesse, 54, was accused of beating Gyme Kelley, 63, to death. The incident occurred inside Kelley’s fifth-wheel trailer. Hesse...


Man sentenced after violating parole

A Dayton man was committed at District Court in Polson on Sept. 23 to the Montana Department of Corrections for 10 years with five years suspended for violating conditions of probation on a criminal endangerment conviction in 2018. Orli Bitsinni, 21, was initially charged with sexual intercourse without c...


Woman pays restitution in debit card theft

A Ronan woman had the imposition of sentencing deferred for a period of six years and was ordered to pay restitution of $11,060.11 during a sentencing hearing at District Court in Polson on Sept. 16. Karen Michelle Gohl-Powell, 31, had entered a plea of guilty in July to felony deceptive practices for mak...


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