Guilty plea rejected in murder case

The guilty plea of a man charged with involvement in the murder of 35-year-old Wade Rautio in 2016 was rejected on March 23, and his change of plea hearing was rescheduled for a later date.

David Toman, 21, faces a charge of accountability to deliberate homicide in Flathead District Court after he allegedly drove Rautio and his convicted killer, Robert Wittal, 28, to the scene of the murder.

Toman admitted to his involvement in the murder but claimed he had no knowledge of Wittal’s intentions when he drove them into the woods.

Toman also confessed to having struck Rautio when he attempted to escape before Wittal began his assault.

Judge Dan Wilson asked Toman if he believed that Wittal would have killed Rautio without his help.

“I honestly don’t know. I’m sorry,” Toman said.

“As you sit here today,” Wilson continued, “do you believe you helped Mr. Wittal kill Wade Rautio?”

After a pause, Toman said no.

Following a recess, Wilson refused to accept Toman’s plea of guilty based on a lack of evidence that Toman knowingly and intentionally took part in the crime. Wilson postponed the change of plea hearing to allow Toman to further reflect upon his plea.

ACCORDING TO court documents, Toman initially reported the murder two weeks after it occurred and led police to where Rautio’s body had been stashed under a log in a creek near Echo Lake.

Toman and his co-defendant, Chris Hansen, 29, testified that Wittal did the stabbing, using a long and thick knife, which he dropped in Brown’s Creek before Hansen allegedly handed him a smaller knife to finish the killing.

A medical examiner determined Rautio had been stabbed 25 times with blows that punctured a lung and severed his carotid arteries and jugular vein.

Toman’s change of plea hearing has been rescheduled for April 27.

If convicted, Toman could face up to 100 years in Montana State Prison.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.