An East Glacier man accused of fatally shooting another man in a Bearpaw residence on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in 2020 admitted to a murder charge on Dec. 19.
Dillon James Wippert, 27, pleaded guilty to second degree murder in federal court before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris. He was detained pending further court proceedings.
According to court documents, an autopsy revealed that Wippert shot the victim, identified as John Doe, in the arm and the back of the head at his Bearpaw residence following a confrontation on May 17, 2020. There were three other individuals at the residence celebrating Wippert’s birthday. At some point, John Doe and the other individuals became upset at the defendant and confronted him.
While there are discrepancies in descriptions of the events leading to John Doe’s death, the three other people left the residence and only the victim and Wippert were present at the time of the incident, according to documents.
Family members found John Doe’s body in his bedroom two days later on May 19, 2020, and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services notified the FBI about the incident on the same day.
Wippert faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 11, 2023.