Plea bargain offered in shooting

A 29-year-old Hungry Horse woman involved in a July 21 shooting in Hungry Horse may get a five-year suspended sentence if an Oct. 18 plea agreement is accepted by the judge.

Leaha Ann Terrell was initially charged with one count of felony assault with a weapon and one count of felony solicitation of assault with a weapon. She faced up to 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine for each of the charges if convicted.

Her boyfriend, Ray Bell, 39, was charged with two counts of felony assault with a weapon and a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the weapon charges and is being held in the county detention center.

According to family members, the shooting incident likely evolved out of a dispute over a $40 debt. On July 21, a man called his sister from the Dam Town Tavern saying a group of people were going to assault him with a baseball bat.

Three men went to the cousin’s aid. They followed Bell from the saloon to his home and then drove away to avoid a confrontation. Bell allegedly chased the vehicle on foot and shot out the driver’s side window. The driver later went to North Valley Hospital to have shotgun pellets removed from his arm.

Shortly afterwards, Bell’s aunt and her daughter drove to Bell’s home to see what was happening. The two women said they saw Bell aim a “long gun” at them, and the daughter claims she heard Terrell shout, “Shoot them, Ray, shoot them.” The two women claim Bell fired three times at their vehicle.

Terrell was released on her own recognizance on Aug. 29. Her public defender, Jessica Polan, filed a motion on Oct. 2 to keep Terrell’s past history out of the trial. Terrell had been convicted of armed robbery in Pennsylvania and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

According to a plea agreement, the charge of felony assault with a weapon would be dismissed and Terrell would get a five-year suspended sentence if she pleads guilty to the charge of felony solicitation of assault with a weapon. The Flathead County Attorney’s Office agreed to the plea agreement on Oct. 18.