Page 15 - Flathead Beacon // 9.16.15

Whitefish Man With Long Criminal History
Arrested in California
Christopher Robert Showen arrested after skipping sentencing hearing this summer
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BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
A Whitefish man accused of shoot-
ing at two motorcyclists last summer who then skipped out on his sentencing hearing this year has been arrested for bail jumping in California.
Christopher Robert Showen was arrested in Vacaville, California on Sept. 2 and will be extradited back to Montana, according to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry.
According to court records, on Aug. 2, 2014, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office received a report of shots being fired on Trumble Creek Road near Columbia Falls. The victim and his girlfriend told police that they were riding their motor- cycle when a reckless driver passed them in the Creston area. As they passed, the occupants of the vehicle reportedly made obscene gestures at the bikers.
The couple on the motorcycle followed the vehicle in an attempt to get the license plate number. As the vehicle approached the intersection of Trumble Creek and Hodgson roads, a male passenger, later identified as Showen, reportedly leaned out of the car and fired a handgun at the couple on the motorcycle. No one was hit or injured. The couple pulled over and called police. Law enforcement tracked the vehicle to Whitefish where they arrested Showen. He was charged with
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Shooting Suspect Back in Jail After Selling Meth to Police Informant
Just days after he pleaded guilty to charges of criminal endangerment stem- ming from a shooting at a Marion bar this summer, a Eureka man is back in jail after allegedly selling meth to an informant.
On Sept. 10, Leif Lee was charged with two counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs in Flathead County District Court. The charges came just six days after he pleaded guilty to two charges of felony criminal endangerment for shooting two people at the Rail Link Tavern in Marion in June.
According to court documents, the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force learned that Lee was allegedly sell- ing drugs out of his home in Eureka in August. On Aug. 19, officers met with a confidential informant and outfitted him with a recording device and $700 to pay Lee a past drug debt.
felony assault with a weapon.
Earlier this year, Showen entered a
plea of Alford to the charges in return for a recommended 10-year suspended sen- tence to the Department of Corrections. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that sufficient evidence exists to convince of jury of their guilt. However, Showen skipped his sentencing hearing earlier this summer and a judge signed a war- rant for his arrest. He was charged with bail jumping soon after.
On Sept. 2, police in California were looking for Showen to question him about recent drug activity when they discovered that he had a warrant for his arrest in Montana, Curry said.
The road rage incident is not Show- en’s first run in with the law. Showen was 19 years old when he stood trial for the 1999 murder of Carl John “C.J.” Stork- son. During the three-week trial, pros- ecutors argued that Showen had shot and killed his childhood friend and later buried the body. The jury found Showen not guilty after defense attorney Phyllis Quatman, orchestrated a defense that found numerous discrepancies in the witnesses’ version of events.
Five years later, Showen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor misconduct involving weapons following a drive-by shooting in Wasilla, Alaska. Showen
When Lee met with the informant, he indicated that he had more drugs to sell and gave the informant about $900 worth of meth. In early September, Lee called the police informant asking him to pay him for the meth he had gotten earlier. Lee said he was heading to Kalis- pell on Sept. 8 and agreed to meet him at the Home Depot parking lot. Lee and the informant met in the parking lot and completed the sale. Lee was arrested immediately.
Lee is expected to appear in court for his arraignment on Oct. 10.
Three months ago, Lee was charged with assault with a weapon and criminal endangerment after he shot two people at a Marion bar. One woman was struck in the arm and a man was struck in the arm and hand. Lee fled the scene but called police the following day, admitting that he had fired his gun at the bar. Earlier this month he took a deal and pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal endangerment.
spent a year in prison for the offense. Less than two years later, Showen was involved in another shooting, this time at the Eureka police station. According to a Western News story, on the night of Dec. 18, 2005, Showen, Mark Nelson and Jen- nifer Nelson were arrested at the VFW in Eureka following an altercation with a police officer. Mark Nelson, Jennifer Nel- son’s father, and Showen were charged
with disorderly conduct and released. But Jennifer, who was dating Showen at the time, remained incarcerated so that law enforcement could conduct a mental health evaluation. A short while later, Mark Nelson returned to the police station with a shotgun and demanded his daughter be released before firing a round of buckshot at an officer. The offi- cer returned fire, hitting Nelson three times. Moments later, police found Showen sitting in Nelson’s car outside with the motor running and a handgun,
a shotgun and a rifle.
Showen was charged with conspir-
acy to commit assault with a weapon. He entered an Alford plea and was given a five-year suspended sentenced to the Department of Corrections. The suspended sentence was later revoked after he was arrested for violating his probation.
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Inmate Dies at Flathead County Detention Center
A 29-year-old woman incarcerated at the Flathead County Detention Center was found dead Thursday morning.
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office identified the deceased as Iberica Paulino of Kalispell. Paulino was being held on charges of criminal possession of danger- ous drugs, criminal contempt and crimi- nal trespass.
Security guards found Paulino at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday during their morning rounds. Paulino was not breath- ing and had no pulse when she was found and efforts to resuscitate her were unsuc- cessful. The cause of death is unknown.
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The Montana State Criminal Investi- gation Bureau and the Sanders County Coroner are investigating the death. The body has been taken to the Montana State Crime Lab in Missoula for an autopsy.
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SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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