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Kalispell Man Pleads Guilty to Deliberate Homicide

Leigh Garrett Medina, 45, changed his plea three days into his trial

By Maggie Dresser
Leigh Garrett Medina appears in Flathead County District Court on Oct. 18, 2021. Medina is accused of beating Paul David Kellenberger to death with a cement brick on July 15, 2019. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

A 45-year-old Kalispell man pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide after killing a man with a cement brick at a home in Kalispell on July 15, 2019.

Leigh Garrett Medina originally entered a not guilty plea to one felony charge, but he changed his plea three days into his trial following witness testimonies on Oct. 20.

On July 15, 2019, law enforcement arrived at 67-year-old Paul David Kellenberger’s home where they found him dead on his kitchen floor after a neighbor called 911.

According to Deputy Flathead County Attorney Andrew Clegg during opening statements on the first day of the trial, Medina left the scene before authorities arrived and allegedly told a witness, “don’t say anything.” When law enforcement interviewed Medina, they observed blood on Medina’s pants.

Medina’s defense attorney Jay Reno argued that his client acted in self-defense during opening statements on Oct. 18.

Judge Dan Wilson presided over the trial. Medina’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 30, 2021.