Kaleb Fleck of Kalispell, 19 years old, is facing a charge of deliberate homicide after attacking a homeless man who later passed away.
Fleck has been charged with assaulting 60-year-old Scott Bryan in the Appleway Drive and Meridian Road area on Sunday, June 25, 2023.
Police officers arrived at the scene and found Bryan lying face down on the ground behind a gas station.
According to court documents, Bryan was "bleeding profusely" and "had significant injuries to his face and that the back of his head also was injured and bleeding."
Bryan was taken to Logan Health in Kalispell where he was pronounced dead approximately a half-hour after the 2:30 a.m. attack.
A witness at the scene showed law enforcement a short video and officers identified the two suspects as Fleck and 18-year-old Wiley Meeker of Somers.
Fleck and Meeker later admitted to police in separate interviews that they were inside a truck at the gas station when a man approached the vehicle.
Court documents state Fleck admitted to getting out of the truck and assaulting Bryan.
Meeker told police he pulled Fleck away from Bryan and then left the scene.
A search of a home where Fleck was found turned up a pair of boots with suspected blood stains in the garage.
The Flathead County Attorney's Office has decided to pursue file a deliberate homicide charge against Fleck.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Meeker no longer appears on the Flathead County jail roster; we do not know what - if any - criminal charges he might face.
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MTN News has talked with the Samaritan House in Kalispell as well as the Flathead County Commission in the wake of Bryan's death.
The Samaritan House is a low-barrier homeless shelter and transitional living program in Kalispell providing services for those in need. Executive Director Chris Krager says the Flathead community needs to come together now more than ever and show support for those experiencing homelessness.
“I would hope that we all pause and really look around and offer an empathetic ear and connection to anybody that needs help, there are a number of organizations that are all worthy organizations in town that can help, and we just feel like it’s actually the correct approach to look out for people," Krager told MTN News.
In January, Flathead County Commissioners wrote an open letter to the community addressing the increase in homelessness in Flathead County.
In the letter, commissioners said part of the problem is community members “enabling” the homeless population. We reached out to the commissioners for comment regarding this weekend’s homicide and received this response.
"What took place over the weekend was tragic. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of all who were affected by this incident and who are grieving. Any further comment by the County Commissioners on an ongoing investigation by KPD and the Flathead County Attorney would be inappropriate, except to say that violence against anyone should never be condoned."
