Hearing postponed in murder case

SANDPOINT — A plea hearing remains on hold for a Sagle man accused of shooting Robert Cameroen Hegseth Wohali to death.

Michael Ryan McDermott was scheduled to enter pleas to charges of second-degree murder and failing to report a death on Monday, but the hearing was pushed out to May 20 because his defense counsel is still awaiting discovery materials in the case. A transcript of the grand jury proceedings which resulted in McDermott’s indictment on the felony charges is also pending, according to 1st District Court records.

McDermott, 47, remains held at the Bonner County Jail with bail set at $500,000. His defense counsel, Chief Public Defender Janet Whitney said in court documents that her client intends to enter pleas of not guilty to the charges.

McDermott 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 accused of killing Hegseth Wohali deliberately but without malice aforethought, according to the indictment.

McDermott was taken into custody on a misdemeanor charge of providing false information to a police officer and an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court on an unrelated grand theft charge shortly after Hegseth Wohali was reported missing. A grand jury subsequently indicted McDermott on charges of murder and failing to notify a coroner or law enforcement of a death in order to conceal the shooting.

Hegseth Wohali, according to posts to social media, may have been attempting to recover a Chevrolet Camaro from a former girlfriend when he was killed.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.