KALISPELL – Derrick James Jackson, charged with the murders of two Bigfork residents, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Thursday, February 16, 2023..
Jackson has been charged with two counts of deliberate homicide and one count each of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and criminal possession of dangerous drugs.
The bodies of Stanley Allen Grotberg, 65 years old, and Tricia Lynn Demotts, 62, were found at their home in Bigfork in October of 2022.
According to charging documents, Flathead County Sheriff's deputies took Jackson into custody on October 28 after receiving reports of an armed man breaking into homes on Esteban Lane in Bigfork.
Deputies found Jackson holding a power drill on the Estaban Lane property. He told deputies he was looking for relatives in the area but couldn't say why he was in that specific area.
A search turned up a loaded magazine for a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol and a prescription bottle with Grotberg's name on it.
Deputies said in charging documents they returned to Esteban Lane to track down Grotberg.
They found Grotberg's vehicle in the driveway and saw lights on in the home, but no one answered the door.
Deputies then discovered the bodies of Grotberg and Demotts in a bedroom, surrounded by blood and .40 caliber casings.
An autopsy determined both people died after being shot in the head.
Throughout the investigation, Jackson told detectives he lived with Grotberg and Demotts but declined to speak further with authorities.
Jackson is scheduled for his next court appearance in a Kalispell courtroom on April 3, 2023.
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