Page 15 - Flathead Beacon // 8.5.15

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Lake County Man Sentenced to Prison for Shobanking
Galen Hawk shot and killed a 3-year-old boy in October 2014
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BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
The Lake County man who shot and killed a 3-year-old boy last year was sen- tenced to 10 years in the Montana State Prison.
Galen Hawk appeared in Lake County District Court on July 29, nine months after he shot Lonato Moran-Allen in the back. Hawk was convicted of neg- ligent homicide in the boy’s shooting death. Hawk also received a consecu- tive 13-month sentence to the Depart- ment of Corrections for a previous DUI conviction.
According to court documents, Hawk, who is not related to the victim but was living in the same house, had been drink- ing whiskey and Mike’s Hard Lemonade on Oct. 22, 2014 when he saw the tod- dler playing with his gun. Hawk took the gun away from Moran-Allen and the boy started shooting a toy gun at Hawk as he ran down a hall. Hawk lifted his own gun, which he thought was empty, and shot the boy in the back. He later told authorities that he was “buzzed” and thought the gun was empty because the spare magazine was still in his pocket.
Moran-Allen later died at St. Luke Community Hospital in Ronan.
When police questioned Hawk at the
BRIEFS
One Month After Sentencing, Clinic Vandal Files for Appeal
The man who was sentenced to five years in prison for breaking into and destroying a Kalispell health clinic has filed a notice of appeal with the Montana Supreme Court.
Zachary Klundt filed the notice on July 22, more than a month after he received a 20-year sentence with 15 years sus- pended for vandalizing All Families Healthcare in March 2014. The crime made regional headlines because the clinic was the only one in the Flathead Valley that offered abortions.
Klundt has not been assigned a public defender and has not yet filed his opening brief making his argument for an appeal.
In March 2014, Klundt broke into the clinic and destroyed nearly everything in sight. He was arrested a few days later and charged with burglary, crimi- nal mischief and theft. Earlier this year, Klundt pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced in June. At the three-day hearing, Klundt’s attorney tried to con- vince the judge that his client was drunk and looking for drugs when he broke into the clinic. But prosecutors argued it was politically motivated. Klundt’s mother, Twyla Klundt, was on the board of Hope
Galen Hawk, the Lake County man convicted of shooting and killing a 3-year-old boy in the back while intoxicated, is led into Lake County District Court. BEACON FILE PHOTO
hospital, he initially tried to cover up what happened and told authorities that the boy had shot himself. Later, when the autopsy results showed that Moran-Allen had been shot in the back, police asked Hawk to explain how a young boy could shoot himself in the back. Galen admit- ted that he was the one who fired the bullet that killed the boy, according to
Pregnancy Ministries, a local Christian group that opposes abortion.
“Zachary Klundt destroyed my office because he and his family are against abortions,” said Susan Cahill, the pro- prietor and physician at the clinic, while testifying as a witness for the prosecu- tion at the hearing. “Destroying some- one’s property because of a difference in beliefs is called terrorism.”
The detective who led the Kalispell Police Department’s investigation into the vandalism also offered testimony that revealed details of the day Klundt destroyed the clinic. According to Capt. Scott Warnell, Klundt texted his mother on the afternoon of March 3 asking for information about where Cahill’s new office was located. Cahill moved out of her old office on Meridian Road in early 2014 when Michelle and Kent Reimer purchased the building and evicted her. Michelle Reimer works as the executive director of Hope Pregnancy Ministries, the anti-abortion group.
Besides the 20-year sentence to the Montana State Prison (and two addi- tional 10-year suspended sentences that run concurrently), Klundt must also pay $600,000 restitution to Cahill and the landlord of the building the clinic was located in.
prosecutors.
The boy died less than three weeks
before his 4th birthday.
Hawk was charged with negligent
homicide on Oct. 30 and initially pleaded not guilty Nov. 5. In January he changed his plea to guilty.
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Lincoln County Sheriff Looking for Possible Arsonist
Firefighters in Libby responded to two fires just minutes apart from each other on Aug. 1 and now authorities are looking for who started them.
Sheriff Roby Bowe said the fires near Libby were the latest in a string of blazes that local authorities believe were set on purpose. Bowe said there have been at least 12 similar fires since May 15.
“These were not accidental,” he said, adding that authorities have leads but no suspects.
The first fire on Aug. 1 was reported at 10:06 a.m. along Pipe Creek Road just out- side of Libby. The fire was quickly extin- guished, but before it was out another blaze was called in at 10:23 a.m. When firefighters arrived they found a porta- ble outhouse on fire.
“All the fires have been close to town or near neighborhoods and with the type of summer we’re having right now, it’s a big concern,” he said.
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If anyone has any information regard- ing the fires, they are encouraged to call the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at (406) 293-4112.
www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
[email protected]
AUGUST 5, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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