Kalispell man headed to prison for intimidation

A Kalispell man was sentenced to prison for felony intimidation after he repeatedly threatened a woman in front of police.

William Clinton Blue, 28, was sentenced to Montana State Prison for 10 years with five suspended, by Judge Amy Eddy in Flathead District Court on Aug. 24. He was given credit for 231 days of time served. The sentence will run concurrent to other sentences Blue is serving related to prior convictions of felony criminal manufacture of drugs and felony attempted assault on a peace officer.

While the state and defense agreed on the length of the sentence, there was a disagreement whether it should be served in prison or with the Department of Corrections.

According to court documents, the Kalispell Police Department responded to a report of a threatening phone call received at Heritage Place on Jan. 4. The person who answered the phone call told police a man said everyone there was in danger if a woman he named worked there.

The victim told police she had gone to court to extend an order of protection against him, given his history of abuse and threats toward her. She told police they had two children together.

While the victim was speaking to an officer, Blue called her cellphone. The officer spoke with Blue, informing him there was an order of protection in place prohibiting him from contacting the victim. Blue reportedly told the officer “someone is really going to get hurt if I don’t get to see my f------ kids,” and said he didn’t care about the order of protection and would “violate and violate and violate,” doing “whatever it takes,” to see them, before ending the call.

He then called back, demanding to speak with the victim and was again informed of the order of protection. Blue called back a third time, telling the officer that “whenever I find her it’s going to be f------ bad,” reiterating that unless he saw his kids there was no way to peacefully work through the situation, court documents state. During another phone call, Blue spoke to Capt. Doug Overman and made repeated threats to hurt the victim if he didn’t see his children and to “Give her a gun, give her a concealed-carry permit because I’m going to find her and f--- her up.”

Before sentencing, the victim testified that on numerous occasions he threatened to kill her in and that she took threats very seriously and feared for herself and her children when he gets out of prison.

“He means what he says and I don’t doubt him,” the victim said. “... he definitely does what he says and I know when he gets out he’s not done. I do know that.”

While issuing the sentence, Eddy said that while she understood Blue’s position that he lost his temper, it wasn’t an isolated incident in his relationship with the victim and with the police department.

“You’ve failed to take accountability throughout these proceedings of your conduct,” Eddy said, highlighting a condition of the sentence that he is not to have contact with the victims.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.