Thursday, February 4, 2010

Kalispell, MT: Man pleads not guilty in double homicide

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS • FEBRUARY 4, 2010

KALISPELL (AP) — Not guilty pleas were entered Thursday on behalf of a Flathead Valley man charged with killing his father and brother and later holding six people hostage at gunpoint, including his wife and children.



The pleas were entered on behalf of Justin R. Calbick, 30, before District Judge Stewart Stadler. His attorney reserved the right to amend the not guilty plea pending results of a mental health evaluation.

Calbick is charged with two counts of deliberate homicide in the Jan. 27 shooting deaths of Donald Calbick, 60, and Stacey Calbick, 38.

Justin Calbick is also charged with kidnapping, aggravated burglary and assault with a weapon for allegedly breaking into his estranged wife’s house late on the 27th. Authorities allege he then held his children, his estranged wife, her father and her friend hostage at gunpoint into the early morning.

Stadler set a June 7 trial date.

Court records said Justin Calbick’s estranged wife had filed a restraining order against him after an alleged assault two weeks earlier. He has also pleaded not guilty to that charge.

Prosecutors believe Justin Calbick shot his brother and father shortly before breaking into his estranged wife’s house. He is accused of duct-taping the three adults and threatening them with a rifle for about three hours.

Eventually, the wife’s friend told Justin Calbick she was overdue at home and that her husband might show up looking for her, prosecutors allege. He let her leave, with the rifle, with the promise that she not call police. Once home, she called authorities, who were able to take Justin Calbick into custody without incident.

Later on Jan. 28, the ex-wife of Stacey Calbick called authorities to say she had been unable to make contact with her ex-husband. Deputies went to the house where Justin Calbick had been living with his father and brother and found his father dead on the kitchen floor and his brother dead in a shop.

Court records said both men died of single gunshots to the head.

“When questioned about the deaths, the defendant admitted shooting both individuals on the 27th, shortly before the events” at his wife’s house, court records said.

No comments: