Hungry Horse woman pleads not guilty to homicide

The 55-year-old Hungry Horse woman charged in the shooting death of her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day pleaded not guilty to deliberate homicide on March 13.

Pamela Ruth Haines faces from 10 to 100 years if convicted of deliberate homicide or from 2 to 40 years if convicted of mitigated deliberate homicide. Because a weapon was used, her sentence could be enhanced by 2 to 10 years.

Haines reportedly called 911 shortly before 8 p.m. on Feb. 14 to say she had shot her boyfriend at their mobile home on First Avenue West, in Hungry Horse.

Attempts to revive 71-year-old Thomas Eugene Edwards by Three Rivers EMS emergency workers failed. He had been shot once in the chest with a .380-caliber automatic.

According to charging documents, the shooting followed an argument between the couple, who had recently moved to Hungry Horse from California.

Haines allegedly admitted shooting Edwards after she was transported to the county jail. She is currently incarcerated in the county jail on a $500,000 bond. Her next hearing is scheduled for May 7.

A public defender representing Haines at her initial appearance before Justice of the Peace Dan Wilson on Feb. 18 asked that Haines’ bond be reduced or that she be released on house arrest. Courtney Nolan noted that Haines had no prior felonies and was living on Social Security payments, but Wilson denied the request.

Haines’ public defenders at her March 13 arraignment, Noel Larrivee and Vicki Frazier, filed a motion of affirmative defense — Haines will not deny that she shot Edwards but will argue that it was justified.

Requests by Haines’ attorneys that other prosecutors and parties in the case be barred from commenting on the case to the media, and that prosecutors be barred from interviewing Haines without her attorneys present, were granted by Flathead County District Court Judge Heidi Ulbricht.

Haines’ attorneys also said they will try to get her bond amount reduced.