Defendant Pleads Guilty to Murdering Homeless Man in Kalispell
Kaleb Elijah Fleck on Feb. 4 pleaded guilty to a felony charge of deliberate homicide as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. Sentencing is scheduled for March 31.
By Maggie Dresser
A 20-year-old Kalispell man on Tuesday pleaded guilty to beating a 60-year-old homeless man to death outside of a gas station in June 2023, admitting to the felony count of deliberate homicide as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
Kaleb Elijah Fleck was charged with the crime in Flathead County District Court in 2023 but pleaded not guilty. He changed his plea at a Feb. 4 hearing before Judge Heidi Ulbricht.
Montana Department of Justice Assistant Attorneys General Selene Koepke and Caitlin Creighton, who are serving as special deputy county attorneys in the case, in October amended the charge to include a revised set of charging documents that stated Fleck intentionally committed aggravated assault and, by fleeing the scene, caused the death of Scott Bryan.
According to the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a sentence of 50 years in the Montana State Prison with 10 years suspended. Fleck’s defense attorneys, Sean and Julianne Hinchey, will recommend a sentence of 40 years in the Montana State Prison with 20 years suspended.
Both parties agreed the defendant should receive credit for time served, that he would be designated a violent offender and would be prohibited from owning or carrying dangerous weapons, according to the plea agreement. Restitution will also be determined at the time of sentencing, which is scheduled for Monday, March 31, a hearing the court anticipates will consume most of the day.
In July 2023, Fleck posted a $500,000 property bond and was released from the Flathead County Detention Center where he had been in custody since his arrest on June 25, 2023.
As part of his conditions of release, Fleck has been required to wear a GPS monitor. He also cannot possess firearms or weapons, cannot possess or consume alcohol or drugs and must reside at a specified residence.
According to charging documents, Kalispell Police Department officers during the early morning hours of June 25, 2023 responded to a report of an assault at the Conoco gas station at the intersection of Meridian Road and Appleway Drive, where they found a man lying face down on the ground behind the building.
Law enforcement later identified the victim as Scott Bryan, a homeless man who was bleeding profusely with significant facial and head injuries. Officers observed lacerations, exposed bone and an apparent crushed nasal cavity, according to court documents.
A witness at the scene showed officers an eight-second video of the incident, which showed Fleck and 18-year-old Wiley Meeker, of Somers. The camera pans between Fleck and Bryan’s motionless body on the ground, and Meeker can be heard saying, “You (expletive) that guy up dude,” with Fleck responding, “Step up. Step up (expletive).”
Meeker was also arrested on a deliberate homicide charge at the time of the incident but was released from the Flathead County Detention Center two days later. He has not been charged with any crime related to Bryan’s death.
Following the fatal incident, law enforcement located Meeker and Fleck at separate locations and interviewed them individually, records state. Both admitted they were at the gas station in Meeker’s truck, and both said an individual approached the vehicle. Fleck admitted to exiting the vehicle and assaulting Bryan. Meeker told law enforcement that he pulled Fleck away from Bryan before leaving the scene, records state.
After obtaining a warrant, officers searched a residence where they believed Fleck was staying and found a pair of boots with what appeared to be blood stains in the garage, according to the affidavit.