Travis Ahner News Today

A jury found Steven Justin Hedrick guilty of felony deliberate homicide Jan. 19 after deliberating for about six hours.

Struggling with a shortage of attorneys, the Flathead County Attorney’s Office received approval last week to draw on the state Department of Justice for help prosecuting a trio of homicide cases.

A Flathead County District Court jury convicted Steven Justin Hedrick on Friday evening of deliberate homicide for the 2023 shooting death of Jeffery Brookshire in an extended-stay motel in Whitefish.

The man accused of killing Jeffery Brookshire in the hallway of an extended-stay motel in Whitefish last year told jurors on Thursday that Brookshire’s behavior before the fatal shooting left him frightened.

Prosecutors allege that Steven Justin Hedrick, 33, committed felony assault with a weapon when he intervened — armed with a handgun — in a disturbance involving Hawkins and her ex-boyfriend, Jeffery Brookshire, in the Local Monthly Lodgings in the early morning hours of Jan. 24, 2023.

County Attorney Travis Ahner opened his case against accused killer Steven Hedrick on Tuesday by asking jurors to hold the 33-year-old responsible for turning an argument over noise with a neighbor in a Whitefish extended stay hotel last year into a deadly shooting.

Jason Jerald Andreaus Meyer pleaded not guilty to a single count of arson in Flathead County District Court prior to the Jan. 4 bail modification hearing.

Local officials called for residents to deter the homeless in Kalispell, Mont., but unhoused residents said they were then accosted and attacked.

Hailey Dawn Gemmrig faces one count of assault on a peace officer following her Dec. 17 arrest.

Heading into the winter sports season, Glacier High School athletic staff are re-emphasizing the importance of “a strong climate and culture” within its programs after sexual assault and hazing allegations were brought against the school’s wrestling program a year ago.