The man charged with Deliberate Homicide in the beating death of 60-year old Scott Bryan–a homeless man, has changed his plea…a bit. Still “not guilty”, but with some changes to the charging documents.
Flathead County Prosecutors are being aided in the case by Assistant Attorneys General Selene Koepke and Caitlin Creighton. They’ve filed new documents charging 19-year old Kaleb Elijah Fleck with Aggravated Assault and, by fleeing the scene, causing the death of Scott Bryan.
Fleck has been free on $500,000 bail, covered by Linda & David Sichting and Zachariah Harp, the son of former Republican State Legislator John Harp. The Southern Poverty Law Center, Media Matters for America and the Montana Human Rights Network say Fleck’s benefactors have ties to White Supremacist Groups.
The case will be tried before District Judge Heidi Ulbrecht next April.
Here’s what we know about the incident. Responding officers on that early Sunday morning, found Bryan beaten and it terrible shape behind the Conoco Convenience Store on North Meridian at Appleway Drive. Officers noted that the victim’s nasal cavity had been crushed.
A witness at the Convenience Store shared video of the attack, which matched other video posted to social media. It showed Fleck beating the homeless man. His companion–who was released with no charges, Wiley James Meeker of Somers, was trying to restrain Fleck. The pair left the scene, but were tracked to a nearby home.
That’s were officers found them, collected evidence and effected the arrest.
If convicted, Fleck could spend the remainder of his life in prison.
