Page 15 - Flathead Beacon // 10.21.15

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Investigation Surrounding Fatal Motor Home
your
Fire Continues
Sheriff, prosecutor meet with residents concerned about blaze that killed child
BY MOLLY PRIDDY OF THE BEACON
Neighbors of the family whose motor home burned down on Oct. 1 met with the Flathead County attorney and the Flathead County sheriff last week to discuss concerns with the ongoing investigation.
Eight-year-old Autumn Hawk died in the fire, which occurred at 425 Daley Ln. near Foys Lake, west of Kalispell. Her parents were able to escape the fire.
The fire investigation team looking into the incident reported on Oct. 8 that due to the hot, fast nature of the blaze, there wasn’t enough evidence to identify a cause. An autopsy determined that Hawk died of smoke inhalation and burns. Her body was found outside the motor home’s door.
A group of neighbors, other residents, and activists approached the county attorney’s office and the sheriff about their concerns with previous observations of the property and its inhabitants.
The meeting with the county attorney’s office took place on Oct. 13. Instead of a single discussion, each neighbor was interviewed for evidence by a local prosecutor, a representa- tive from the state Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), and an administrator from the Child and Family Services Division.
Jon Ebelt, spokesperson for DPHHS, said the additional CFSD staff attended the meetings at the request of the county attorney’s office.
On Oct. 16, neighbors again met with Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry about their concerns, which ranged from potential illegal activity on the property prior to the fire to procedural questions regarding the investigation.
After the Oct. 16 meeting, Curry said in an interview that the investigation into what happened at 425 Daley Ln. is still ongoing, and investigators are conducting “a lot” of interviews
The scene of the motor home fire that killed 8-year-old Autumn Hawk.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
in reference to this case.
“It warrants investigation; we had had numerous law
enforcement responses to that location in the past,” Curry said. “When there is no physical evidence that is available to look at as to the cause of the fire, we have to go to interviews.”
There have been some developments in the case, Curry said, and investigators are following up on information. He also said he understands that people want to know what is happening, but his office can’t reveal all the details of an investigation to the media without hampering said investigation.
“We certainly attempted to reassure (the neighbors) that we do know what we’re doing, and they have to at least trust that we’re not incompetent and we take this very seriously,” Curry said. “Our goal was to address their concerns without making it harder to do our investigation.”
BRIEFS
Two People Arrested for Beating Daycare Owner
A woman wanted by police in the beating of a Ronan daycare owner who refused to hand over three children to their drunken father is now in custody.
Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said Tashiana Schlensker, 21, turned herself in to authorities in Polson on Oct. 16 after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
KTMF-TV reported that Schlensker is being held in the county jail pending a court hearing.
Police earlier arrested the father, Francis Joseph Jackson, on a warrant charging him with aggravated burglary.
Lake County officials say Martha McClure was caring for Francis Joseph Jackson’s three children, all under the age of 4, when Jackson showed up Oct. 7 at her Ronan daycare center with his girl- friend, identified by police as Schlensker.
McClure knew Salish and Kootenai Tribal Child Protective Services had suspended Jackson’s parental rights and he was not allowed to have contact with them.
McClure told investigators that she could smell alcohol on Jackson, that he was angry she wouldn’t let him pick up his children, and that he threatened to assault her in front of the kids at Martha’s Mini Daycare, court records said.
She was able to physically remove Jackson from the daycare center and lock the door. But she said he began throwing toys, including a tricycle, at the window in an apparent attempt to get back inside, court records said.
McClure went outside, where she and Jackson fought until the woman with Jackson hit McClure in the face with a snow shovel. Jackson then hit McClure in the face, knocking her down, court records said. The suspects fled without the children.
McClure later said she knew what the consequences would be for keeping Jack- son from his children.
“I knew he was going to throttle me, he was going to pound me, but he wasn’t going to get back in the house,” McClure said this week in a phone interview from her daycare.
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Body Found in Idaho May Have Come From Lincoln County
Law enforcement in Idaho and Mon- tana are trying to identify a body that was discovered along the Kootenai River last week near Bonners Ferry.
The body was found on an island in the river and has since been taken to Spokane, Washington for an autopsy. Since Bonners Ferry is just 20 miles downstream from Montana, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is now assisting Idaho’s Boundary County Sheriff’s Office to determine if the body came from the Libby or Troy area. Sherriff Roby Bowe said his deputies are looking at various missing persons cases in the area and are hoping to compare dental records to the body to help identify it.
“Nothing has been ruled out yet,” he
OCTOBER 21, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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said.
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