FILED06/29/2020

Missoula County

Justice Court of Record
STATE OF MONTANA
By: Jessie
__________________
Buresh
BRITTANY L. WILLIAMS CR-610-2020-0001996
1 Beal, Alex
Deputy County Attorney
2 KIRSTEN H. PABST
Missoula County Attorney
3 Missoula County Courthouse
Missoula, Montana 59802
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(406) 258-4737
5 ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFF

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IN THE JUSTICE COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF MISSOULA
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9 STATE OF MONTANA,
Department No.
10 Plaintiff, Cause No.
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-vs-
AFFIDAVIT OF PROBABLE
12 CAUSE
DARNELL LEE REEVIS,
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Defendant,
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15 STATE OF MONTANA )
: ss
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County of Missoula )
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18 BRITTANY L. WILLIAMS, Deputy County Attorney, Montana, being first duly sworn

19 upon oath, deposes and says:

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I have read the official law enforcement reports regarding the investigation of
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DARNELL LEE REEVIS for allegedly committing the offenses of COUNT I:
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23 DELIBERATE HOMICIDE, a Felony, in violation of Montana law, namely: Mont. Code

24 Ann. 45-5-102[1]; COUNT II: TAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING PHYSICAL

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EVIDENCE, in violation of Montana law, namely: Mont. Code Ann. 45-7-207; COUNT III:
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TAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, a Felony, in violation of
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Montana law, namely: Mont. Code Ann. 45-7-207.
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 Based upon the following facts which have been obtained from reports of the law
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2 enforcement officer which, if true, constitute sufficient probable cause to justify the filing of

3 the charges. The facts from those reports are as follows:

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On or about the 25th day of June, 2020, Missoula County Sheriff’s Deputies and
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Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Officers responded to a report of a disturbance at
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24581 Mary Big Same Lane, within Missoula County. Upon arrival, officers from both

8 agencies spoke with the involved parties, Paul Big Sam, Mary Big Sam and Darnell
9 Reevis, the-above named Defendant. During the investigation, tribal officers made the
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decision to recommend domestic assault charges against the Defendant for her assault on
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Paul and/or Mary.
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13 Through interviews on the 25th, officers determined that Paul and Mary are siblings

14 and the Defendant is Mary’s daughter and the Defendant is Paul’s niece. Paul and Mary,
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were having a barbeque when the Defendant asked Mary, for money and/or to use her
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vehicle. When Mary told the Defendant no, the Defendant became angry and Mary soon
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found the Defendant rummaging through her purse in an attempt to find Mary’s bank card.
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19 Mary was able to get her purse back and secure it in her room. At this time, the Defendant

20 became more angry with Mary and the Defendant attempted to head butt Mary and
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pushed the barbeque over. Paul then stepped in and pushed the Defendant away from
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Mary. Paul and the Defendant then engaged in an altercation, which ended when the
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Defendant head butted Paul. Both Paul and Mary indicated the Defendant was looking for

25 money to buy drugs and that the Defendant had a long history of physical abuse against
26 Mary, her mother. Mary showed tribal law enforcement a bruise on her arm, which she
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stated was from the Defendant grabbing her arm when Mary refused to provide her drugs.
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 Mary also stated she had other markings on her back from another assault when the
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2 Defendant pushed her.

3 On the 25th, the Defendant was not arrested for the domestic assault, but instead
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was transported via ambulance to St. Patrick Hospital where she was treated for the
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laceration to her face, caused from head butting Paul and for previous un-related injuries
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sustained to her neck and shoulder. The Defendant was released from St. Patrick Hospital

8 and returned to the home she shares with Mary on Big Sam Lane.
9 In the late morning hours on the 26th day of June, 2020, Mary had found her brother
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Paul in the yard with his face covered in blood and his eyes appeared black and purple
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and swollen shut. Mary called other family members to help transport Paul to the hospital.
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13 Upon the other family member’s arrival, Tribal law enforcement was again called around

14 12:39 PM, as well as the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.

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Upon arrival, officers found Paul in the backseat of a family member’s vehicle. Paul
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appeared severely injured and was unable to speak, but only to say that he did not feel
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good. Mary and her family informed law enforcement that the Defendant has assaulted
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19 Paul with an aluminum baseball bat. Tribal Officer Haynes entered the home with Mary’s

20 permission and spoke with the Defendant. The Defendant immediately began saying she
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acted in self defense and showed Officer Haynes some photos on her phone. Officer
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Haynes read the Defendant her Miranda rights and she acknowledged that she
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understood. The Defendant admitted to striking her uncle four times with a metal bat, but

25 again said she acted in self-defense. The Defendant showed Officer Haynes a photo of
26 herself that he noted was taken the previous night, when the Defendant had head butted
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Paul. The Defendant stated she had assaulted Paul in response to the injuries she had
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 received, the Defendant attempted to convince Officer Haynes that the injuries from the
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2 previous night were done to her by Paul on the 26th. The Defendant then began explaining

3 how after she assaulted her uncle, she washed blood from his face and took a photograph
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of him. The photo had a time stamp of 6:47 AM on the morning of the 26th. Indicating law
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enforcement had not been called for several hours following the assault.
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The Defendant was detained and placed in the back of Officer Haynes vehicle.

8 When asked, the Defendant stated she had put the bat back where she and her mom
9 keep it, near the door. The Defendant later changed her story to say she put the bat in one
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of the sheds and then stated she threw the bat in a field. The bat was ultimately found after
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an authorized search warrant was conducted; Deputies found the bat in the back of Mary’s
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13 vehicle, covered with blankets, it was also noted that blood was found on the barrel of the

14 bat.
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Officers also spoke with Mary about the assault from that morning. Mary stated
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when the Defendant arrived home, she and Paul were in Paul’s truck in the driveway.
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Mary stated the Defendant approached the vehicle in a state of high agitation. The
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19 Defendant began yelling, retreated to the house briefly and returned with a silver aluminum

20 baseball bat. The Defendant then began breaking the windows of the truck. Mary then
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exited the truck and went inside, at which time a verbal argument continued between the
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Defendant and Paul. Sometime thereafter, the Defendant came back into the house and
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stated something about Mary better get outside and help her brother. She also stated

25 something similar to “see what happens when you mess with me.”
26 Officers also got information from other family members present who stated the
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Defendant indicated she believed she was acting in self-defense due to past family
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 member assaults at the hand of Paul. However in a subsequent interview with law
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2 enforcement, the Defendant stated only one prior act of violence, which was remote in

3 time and involved Paul attempting to push the Defendant from inside his vehicle. Law
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enforcement also spoke with a juvenile, L.O.H. who was inside the home during the
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altercation. L.O.H. stated he observed the Defendant come inside after the assault and
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change her clothes, returning a short time later to lay down. L.O.H. stated the Defendant

8 told him that Paul had grabbed her by the hair or neck and she responded by striking him
9 with the bat in the head a couple times and the knees.
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Officers were able to find clothing in the washing machine, that appeared to be
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freshly washed and matched the description of clothing worn by the Defendant. Mary told
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13 officers that that was strange, as the Defendant does not do her own laundry, never has,

14 but Mary did not put these clothes in the washing machine. Law enforcement believe the
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clothing was placed in the washer by the Defendant to wash away blood present on the
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clothes.
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Paul was transported via ambulance and while in route to St. Patrick Hospital, he
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19 died. It is believed he died of blunt force trauma to the head, his autopsy is scheduled for

20 June 29, 2020.

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In a subsequent interview with Detective Sunderland, the Defendant was advised of
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her Miranda rights and agreed to give a statement. The Defendant stated that on the 25th,
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Paul and Mary had been drinking all day and began arguing with the Defendant. The

25 Defendant got upset and pushed the barbeque over, resulting in her burning her fingers.
26 The Defendant then went on to recall getting treatment at St. Patrick Hospital, but she
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could not say how she got there or how she returned to her home. The Defendant stated
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 the morning of the 26th, she found Mary and Paul in Paul’s truck and described them as
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2 “passed out.” The Defendant stated she attempted to get her mother out to help her into

3 the home, but the door was locked. The Defendant stated Paul would not unlock the door,
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so she retrieved the bat and used the button side of the bat to break the window and take
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her mother inside.
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The Defendant said this angered Paul and he began yelling at her and punched her

8 in the face before strangling her with the bat. The Defendant then stated Mary came out,
9 broke the fight up and took the bat inside. The Defendant then stated she grabbed the bat
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from the grass to assault Paul, but later stated she must have gotten it inside again, as her
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mother had taken it in. The Defendant stated she used the bat to hit the Defendant three
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13 or four times in the head and stated she yelled “see that is what you get.” The Defendant

14 claimed she struck Paul and said “fuck that shit, no man is going to hit me again.” The
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Defendant later changed her story to say that she had hit Paul in the back as he was
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walking away and then a few times in the head. The Defendant continued to give
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conflicting accounts of what exactly had occurred, combined with stating she could not
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19 remember.

20 Detective Sunderland spoke to the Defendant about the altercation from the 25th, to
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which the Defendant seemed surprised and stated Paul always tries to protect Mary and
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reiterated “I don’t have to take shit from no men and why should I have to.” When asked
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why she did not call 911, the Defendant stated she didn’t think it was that bad. Detective

25 Sunderland told the Defendant it is believed that Paul had laid in the grass for hours prior
26 to receiving aid, the Defendant asked why Mary didn’t wake up and call 911.
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DATED this _28th day of June, 2020.
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 1
__/s/ Brittany L. Williams_____
2 BRITTANY L. WILLIAMS
Deputy County Attorney
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SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me, a Justice of the Peace, in and for the
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State of Montana, County of Missoula.
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Electronically Signed By:

Hon. Judge Alex Beal
Mon, Jun 29 2020 11:08:39 AM