Man Convicted in Evergreen Hit-and-Run Homicide Sentenced to 100 Years

The 49-year-old man convicted of killing 67-year-old Raymond Maurice “Mory” Grigg on his Evergreen property when he ran him down with his vehicle in August 2025 was sentenced Wednesday to 100 years in the Montana State Prison.

A Flathead County jury in May convicted Jeffrey Scott Serio of deliberate homicide following an eight-day trial.

Last summer, Serio – who argued self-defense throughout the trial – ran down Grigg with his vehicle on the evening of Aug. 19, 2025, after the victim began firing gunshots at him. The defendant had trespassed on Grigg’s property on foot multiple times prior to the incident.

Flathead County District Court Judge Heidi Ulbricht imposed the sentence at an Aug. 12 hearing.

Serio will receive credit for 359 days served in the Flathead County Detention Center; he must be designated as a violent offender; and he must pay restitution of $6,160.

“The seriousness of the crime is that you used a motor vehicle accelerating quickly towards the victim, running him down and inflicting a fatal trauma,” Ulbricht said. “The degree of the violent escalation demonstrated an extreme indifference to human life.”

Ulbricht also cited Serio’s history of intoxication that has induced dysregulation and paranoia after mixing his prescribed medication of Suboxone with alcohol and THC.

“Your defense of justifiable use of force was not successful in this and so you, with using that defense, admitted you did run Mory over with your vehicle and you left the scene,” Ulbricht said.

Ulbricht noted Serio’s remorse but weighed the high volume of victim impact letters she received from Grigg’s friends and family.

Serio’s public defender, Alisha Rapkoch, requested that Judge Ulbricht impose the minimum sentence of 10 years in the Montana State Prison, while deputy Flathead County attorneys Amy Kenison and Ashley Frechette requested the maximum sentence of 100 years, which was imposed.

Serio’s defense attorney asked for leniency, citing his remorse and lack of significant criminal history while prosecutors dismissed Serio’s self-defense argument and pointed to his history of intoxication.

During testimony, Grigg’s sister, Cherice Dahlin, described the close relationship she shared with her brother and their lost future following his death as she continues to relive the traumatic event.

“It’s kind of shocking to say, ‘Oh, he was murdered right over there,’” Dahlin said.

Sara Born, who has lived in a trailer on Grigg’s property for the past decade, described a close friendship with the victim and said his murder has left a traumatic impact on her mental health.

“This crime did not just take Mory’s life, it shattered many lives of everyone who loved him, including mine,” Born said, reading from her victim impact statement. “There is no sentence that can undo what happened. Nothing can bring Mory back. But I ask the court to recognize the profound seriousness of this crime. Not only intentionally taking Mory’s life but also the permanent emotional psychological trauma inflicted on those of us who loved him. I will carry the pain of August 19, 2025 with me for the rest of my life.”

The defendant’s mother, Irene Serio, testified that her son had experienced significant loss over the last 10 years, that included both his wife and child, and subsequently led to a drinking problem followed by a prescription of Suboxone.

In the events leading up to Grigg’s death, Irene said he was acting strange, showing signs of paranoia and visited two separate emergency room departments at Logan Health followed by St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula.

“He wasn’t stabilized in either hospital,” Irene said.

After his discharge from St. Patrick, Irene said her son was given a new Suboxone prescription and his behavior escalated again the morning of Grigg’s death, which involved several interactions with law enforcement.

Irene also said there was an incident in 2023 when her son became angry and violent while he was intoxicated, prompting her and her husband to file for a temporary order of protection. A second incident followed months later, when he fired a gun at a mattress.

During this time period, Irene said she and her husband attempted to check Serio into rehab as the combination of Suboxone, alcohol and marijuana continued to cause paranoid behavior.

Irene said her son has experienced extreme pain, guilt and remorse in the aftermath of Grigg’s death.

“I feel bad about what happened and all the people that it hurt,” Serio said in a statement to the court. “If I could take it back, I would, and I’m truly sorry.”

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