More Information on Homicide at Butte Assisted Living Facility
Butte-Silver Bow County officials have released the name of the 72-year-old man who died after his throat was cut during an argument at a Butte assisted living facility.
The Associated Press reports Coroner Lee LaBreche said Friday his office is still looking for relatives of Jerry Diltz, who died early Wednesday at Continental Gardens.
Witnesses told police 72-year-old John Edward Grubbs Sr. slashed Diltz's throat with a large butcher knife during an alcohol-fueled fight about money Wednesday morning. Facility employees called police.
NBC Montana reported that Grubbs has been in trouble before, however. Not that long ago, Grubbs allegedly used a knife to threaten a different man. Grubbs then went through a background check through U.S Housing and Urban Development.
"If it happened before he moved in, it should have shown up on the database that HUD uses," said Human Resources Council Executive Director Elissa Mitchell.
NBC Montana said Mitchell has to find out more information about Grubbs, like when he moved into Continental Gardens and what HUD looks for in a background check.
"Because of our conversation now, I'm thinking I need to find out more about about that system," Mitchell said. "See what it does, what it reports, then we can evaluate and determine if we need to do something more."
Mitchell said she's looking into how to fix things for the future.
Grubbs is being held on $250,000 bail and will appear in court again next month.