Missoula Weekly Crime Report: Preparing for Homicide Trial Next Month

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The Missoula County Attorney’s Office charged 17 new criminal complaints this week, which is one less than last week and slightly higher than the weekly average. According to County Attorney Kirsten Pabst, five of those cases involved crimes against persons. 

“There were two aggravated burglaries and three strangulation cases,” Pabst said. “We filed two endangerment cases and one involved a DUI fourth or subsequent offense. The other involved child criminal endangerment and an alleged hit-and-run accident. We charged five property crimes and most of those were thefts, but one was a deceptive practices.” 

In the drugs category, Pabst said her office charged four new cases. Two of those cases involved methamphetamine and two involved fentanyl. Pabst reiterated that just one fentanyl pill can kill. 

“We are also doing a lot of case preparation for the Charles Covey trail that is set for early January,” Pabst said. “The allegation in that case is that Mr. Covey beat and killed a man in a wheelchair near Orange and Front Street. That case is being prosecuted by Lead Prosecutor Mac Bloom as well as Deputy County Attorney Caitlin Creighton.”  

On November 25, 2020, 44-year-old Charles Covey was arrested in connection with the Homicide that occurred just days earlier. A citizen found the body of 65-year-old Lee Nelson along the north-side river trail below the old Western Montana Clinic Buildings. 

You can listen to Pabst's full report below:

This will be the last crime report we receive from Pabst this year. We will have a new report on January 6, 2023.