HELENA — Gregg Trude, who pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in the 2018 shooting death of Helena physician Eugene “Buzz” Walton, is set to be released from custody in October, after a panel of judges granted him a reduced sentence.
The three members of the Montana Supreme Court’s Sentence Review Division ruled unanimously this month that Trude’s original sentence was “clearly excessive.”
District Court Judge Michael McMahon initially sentenced Trude to 20 years in prison, with all but 3 ½ years suspended. The Sentence Review Division amended that sentence to 15 years under the Montana Department of Corrections, with all but one year suspended. Trude will also be required to complete 500 hours of community service.
Trude is currently at the Missoula Assessment & Sanction Center. He is now set to be released on October 14.
Trude pleaded guilty last year in connection with the death of Walton. The two men were returning from a hunting trip on October 21, 2018. Walton was pulling his rifle out of the back seat of Trude’s truck when Trude’s rifle went off.
Trude challenged McMahon’s decision, accusing him of not being impartial. He eventually reached an agreement with prosecutors – giving him the ability to seek parole or a review of his sentence, in exchange for dropping his challenge against the judge and paying $3.7 million in restitution to Walton’s wife, Leslie.
As part of the agreement, prosecutors did not appear in opposition at Trude’s sentence review hearing on August 7. Leslie Walton did speak at the hearing, and several of Trude’s family members appeared on his behalf.
Walton, 48 years old, was a physician at Performance Injury Care & Sports Medicine in Helena.
