Jake Kraus was attacked by three people while walking home in downtown Great Falls the night of September 8, 2024. The brutal attack left him hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury, spending days in a medically-induced coma. Three teens have been charged for the assault, and one of them was in court on Thursday, October 17, 2024:
Ethanel Philip Pherigo, 19 years old, was charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of robbery, as surveillance video of the attack allegedly shows Pherigo going through the victim’s pockets.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges in an arraignment hearing earlier this month, and has a trial date set for January 27, 2025.
Shaun Anthony Deberry, also 19, appeared in court on Thursday, October 17, for arraignment. He has been charged with one count of aggravated assault, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years if convicted. Deberry pleaded not guilty, and has a trial date set for February 10, 2025.
The third suspect, 14-year old Jesse James Edwards, Jr., has been charged as an adult with one count of attempted deliberate homicide, and one count of aggravated assault.
Initially, he was charged only with aggravated assault, but court documents dated September 18 include the charge of attempted deliberate homicide.
Surveillance video of the attack allegedly shows Edwards stomping repeatedly on the victim’s head.
He is the only suspect charged with attempted deliberate homicide, and remains in custody on a $250,000 bond.
On October 8, 2024, Jake Kraus was transferred from Benefis hospital in Great Falls to Craig Hospital in Colorado to continue his recovery. It is a neurorehabilitation and research hospital specializing in spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.
(OCTOBER 2, 2024) In the video below, Tom Wylie talks with Chrissy Kraus, whose husband Jake is continuing his recovery after a brutal and apparently unprovoked assault in Great Falls.
It’s been three weeks since the assault left Jake hospitalized, and while he still has a long way to go in his recovery, the strides he’s made so far have been nothing short of miraculous.
Chrissy has been sharing the snapshots of Jake’s recovery on social media; she explained, “I try to leave a public album on my Facebook that I try to keep the community up to date with, because I know a lot of people are invested in us.”
They’ve celebrated the small wins - but it’s still hard to process how much their life has changed after an act of senseless violence that fateful night.
Jake’s frontal lobe was damaged in the attack, which has led to struggles with behavior, emotions, and executive functions.
Chrissy said, “When you have a husband who is supposed to be graduating in May with his associate's and going to be a pipefitter union welder, and now you have...a husband who can't even care for his own child or do anything.”
While Jake has made progress, his long-term prognosis is daunting.
Kraus is looking at a transfer to Craig Hospital in Denver which specializes in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.
Chrissy said, “The prognosis as of right now and for the foreseeable future is, this is a lifelong disability. The amount of recovery is unknown at this point. Nobody knows with brain injuries. But he will require even upon discharge from Craig (rehab facility in Colorado) and for the foreseeable future, 24/7 care at this point. And with the diagnosis, the physical injury, there's a lot of damage there that's unrepairable. We can just...time will tell us and hope for the best.”
She continued, “He'll be there for about three months, if not a little longer. And I'll be having to fly back and forth from there to here twice a month to work my shifts in order to ensure I can maintain our insurance and pay our bills, and daily things that just don't stop just because something tragic happens. And the medical bills are piling up. Even though I have insurance, insurance only pays so much. It's a lot, a lot of things you don't think about that you need when something like this goes on, on top of your everyday stuff."
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
That’s why friends of the Kraus family have organized a fundraiser, working to help alleviate some of the financial stress so that Jake and Chrissy can focus solely on recovery.
The benefit will be at the Black Eagle Community Center on Saturday, November 9th, from 2pm until 8pm, featuring a 50/50, silent auction, and raffle. For more information, or if you would like to donate items, call Chrissy at 406-406-564-9002, or Destany at 406-468-5020.
“I’m very thankful. And I have a lot of gratitude for them. The prayers are working. I don't even have words for what I could say.
There is also a GoFundMe where people can donate - click here if you would like to help.
What would Jake say about the outpouring of support?
“He’d probably rub his hands together because that’s what he does when he’s excited, and try to hug everyone,” said Chrissy.
BENEFIT DINNER
