Two slain, three charged with homicide
Leader Staff
Three men have been charged with deliberate homicide after law enforcement officials found two bodies at a residence south of Ronan last Thursday, Feb. 3, and robbery appears to be the motive.
Jeremiah Green, 19, Troy McDonald, 19, and Glen Gardipee, 29, were arraigned late last week and are currently being held without bond at the Lake County detention center, all charged in the deaths of Catherine Madplume, 20, and Gerald Joseph Sirucek, 20.
Members of the Lake County Sheriff's department and Tribal police arrived at 3692 Eagle Pass Trail last Thursday afternoon at about 1 p.m., after reportedly receiving information from Green that two people had been killed there. According to Lake County Undersheriff Michael Sargeant, Green arrived at the Tribal detention center earlier that morning, complaining of being harassed.
Tribal officers led him into a room to take a statement regarding the harassment when Green came forth with some startling information, Sargeant said.
"The took him in to fill out a simple report, and the next thing they know, he blurts out that there are two bodies there at the residence," Sargeant said.
Lake County Sheriff's deputies met Tribal police in Pablo to discuss the situation, obtained a warrant, and proceeded together to Eagle Pass Trail, located between St. Ignatius and Ronan. There they found the bodies of Madplume and Sirucek behind a trailer located behind the main residence, Sargeant said.
They most likely died from multiple gun shot wounds, although knife wounds were evident and a knife was recovered at the scene, Sargeant said. The bodies were taken to the state crime lab for autopsies.
Inside the main house, law enforcement officials found McDonald and Gardipee asleep. According to Sargeant, all three of the men had been drinking heavily the night before with Sirucek.
"There was a large quantity of alcohol involved before the event (murders) took place. They had been drinking heavily all night," he said.
Initial interviews with the suspects indicate that they believed Sirucek had "come into some money," Sargeant said.
"We received information that they planned to rob Gerald (Sirucek). Sometime during the course of the evening, their plans changed," Sargeant said.
He said they recovered $193 off of one of the suspects, who told them it came from Sirucek. It appears Madplume happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, Sargeant said.
"We're still investigating how far in advance they might have planned the robbery, and how late in the night the murders came into it. We're being told they were killed at 4 a.m.," said Sargeant. "Catherine (Madplume) was not the intended target."
Sargeant said Green's story differs slightly from the other two, but all three have said they were involved in the situation.
"His (Green's) version is a little different from the other two, but yes, to various degrees, they've all given us stories as to how it all happened," he said.
The victims and suspects are all from the Ronan and Pablo areas, and all knew each other, Sargeant said. All five were Tribal members.
The residence is reportedly owned by a family member of McDonald's who was out of town at the time.
Green reportedly managed to leave the house Thursday morning under the guise of getting something to eat, Sargeant said. He then went to the Tribal police office, where he allegedly told officers what had taken place.