Bigfork Man Pleads Guilty in Ferndale Killing

POLSON – A 20-year-old Bigfork man has pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide for shooting a man to death as he slept in his Ferndale home.

Ronald Petersen pleaded guilty to breaking into a house and shooting 24-year-old Clyde Wilson on Dec. 31, 2007. The plea agreement, entered in District Court on Friday, recommends a 100-year prison term with no chance for parole.

Petersen was on leave from the Army at the time of the shooting. He was returned to Montana from Fort Bragg Army Base in North Carolina to face the charges.

Lake County Attorney Mitch Young would not elaborate on a motive. Petersen is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 4.

Don’t worry, we’ll always be free.

But continued community support is what makes our reporting possible. Please consider a one-time or recurring gift to help sustain independent journalism in northwest Montana. Every donation is injected straight into the newsroom.

Thanks so much for backing us over all these years.

I’ll Support Your Work