Hearing set in murder case
SANDPOINT — An entry of plea hearing is set in the case of a Sagle man indicted for the second-degree murder of Robert Cameroen Hegseth Wohali.
Michael Ryan McDermott was scheduled to be arraigned in 1st District Court on Monday, but his attorney, Chief Public Defender Janet Whitney, sought a continuance because she only recently received discovery materials in the case and the indictment was only recently unsealed, according to court documents.
Despite the postponement, Whitney advised the court on Monday that her client intends to plead not guilty. A plea hearing in the matter is set for May 6. McDermott remains held at the Bonner County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.
McDermott, 47 is accused of shooting Hegseth Wohali to death at Evergreen Towing on March 14 or 15. The body of Hegseth-Wohali, 26, was found in a makeshift grave at an undisclosed location south of town, according to Sandpoint Police. McDermott is further charged with failing to notify authorities of Hegseth-Wohali’s death in an attempt to conceal the crime, according to charging papers.
Hegseth Wohali was the subject of a missing persons investigation at the time of his killing.
McDermott is accused of killing Hegseth Wohali deliberately but without malice aforethought, according to the indictment.
McDermott has been in custody since last month, when he was arrested for providing false information to a law officer at Evergreen. McDermott was in the company of Hegseth Wohali’s ex-girlfriend, who was arrested on an unrelated warrant at the same time McDermott was taken into custody. Police went to the north-side towing and wrecking yard acting on a tip that McDermott and the 34-year-old woman were there and had active warrants.
A grand jury indicted McDermott earlier this month for Hegseth Wohali’s killing. The woman who was with McDermott at the time of his arrest is not facing charges in connection with Hegseth Wohali’s killing, although she did testify during the grand jury proceedings, according to the indictment.
Hegseth Wohali was shot in the chest and Sandpoint Police said they believe they have recovered the firearm used in the slaying.
A motive for the killing has not been disclosed, although authorities don’t need one in order to prosecute McDermott. Friends and family posted screen shots of text messages to social media which suggested Hegseth Wohali may have been attempting to retrieve a Chevrolet Camaro that his former girlfriend either had or knew where it was located.
Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.