fbpx

Judge Denies Motion to Move Murder Trial

Lawyers for man accused of killing toddler argued media coverage tainted local jury pool

By Justin Franz

A Flathead County District Court judge has denied a motion to move the trial of a man accused of murdering his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son.

Attorneys for Brandon Newberry filed a motion for a change of venue in October, arguing their client could not receive a fair trial because the local jury pool had been tainted. Judge Heidi Ulbricht denied the motion on Nov. 19.

The six-page motion stated that excessive local media coverage of the death of 2-year-old Forrest Groshelle helped spread “inaccurate and sensationalized information” about the case. But Ulbricht noted that Flathead County has hosted numerous high profile cases before without incident.

According to court documents, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office received a call about an unresponsive child on Feb. 17. When police arrived, they found bruising, scratching and abrasions on Groshelle’s body. An autopsy revealed that the child had been hit multiple times in the abdomen, causing perienteritis, a laceration of the small intestine.

In an interview with sheriff’s deputies, the boy’s mother, Takara Juntunen, revealed that Newberry had been watching Groshelle on a daily basis while she was at work. During an interview with police, Newberry admitted that he had been “roughhousing” with the child the previous day.

If convicted, Newberry could face up to 100 years in prison.