Flathead County sheriff’s deputies arrested a man Monday night on a felony count of deliberate homicide after discovering a body in a creek east of Creston.
Robert Matthew Wittal, 29, of Kalispell, is being held in the Flathead County Detention Center on the homicide charge.
Wittal was arrested after law enforcement learned about a possible murder that occurred in the Peters Ridge area over Memorial Day weekend.
On Monday, detectives searched an area approximately four miles up Peters Creek Road near Strawberry Mountain and found the body of a young male adult in a creek, according to Flathead County Undersheriff Dave Leib.
The initial investigation indicated that the victim was stabbed multiple times.
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.
Authorities are withholding the name of the victim pending notification of relatives.
In April, Wittal was charged with felony criminal possession of drugs and misdemeanor possession of a concealed weapon.
According to court documents, Wittal was arrested on an out-of-state warrant near a Kalispell bar in December. When he was taken into custody, authorities found a small bag of methamphetamine in his coat pocket. A firearm was also found inside his waistband; he did not have a concealed weapon permit.
Wittal was released on bond in early May and was scheduled to appear at an arraignment on June 2 but, according to court documents, he skipped the hearing. District Court Judge Amy Eddy signed a warrant for Wittal’s arrest on June 13.