New trial delayed in murder case

SANDPOINT — A second-degree murder case was delayed Monday after both the prosecution and defense indicated they were not yet ready to proceed to trial.

Judge Barbara Buchanan agreed to the delay and set a new trial date for March 2023.

Michael Ryan McDermott, 51, was scheduled to go to trial Monday in the shooting death of Robert Cameron Hegseth Wohali in March 2019. McDermott also has been charged with failing to notify authorities of Hegseth Wohali’s death in an attempt to conceal the crime.

The state has argued that McDermott shot Hegseth Wohali in a fit of jealous rage after discovering his former girlfriend had restarted a relationship with the man.

McDermott has denied that allegation, telling jurors in an October 2019 trial he was more disappointed that his former girlfriend had taken up with somebody she claimed had previously beaten her and made her feel unsafe.

The state said McDermott initially denied involvement in the man's disappearance and death, but later told investigators he shot Hegseth Wohali in self-defense during a physical altercation.

Testimony at his murder trial suggested Hegseth Wohali and McDermott were rivals for the romantic affections of the woman who lived in the RV. The killing may also have been fueled by McDermott's use of methamphetamine, according to trial testimony.

However, the Idaho Supreme Court overturned the pair of charges against the Sagle man, agreeing with McDermott’s contention that his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination had been violated

McDermott’s defense claimed that the man’s chances of a fair conviction were deprived based on the jury’s instructions regarding the definition of self-defense. The high court upheld the defense’s argument, sending the case back for First District Court.

When it comes to homicides, Idaho Code is explicit. The prosecution must prove that the defendant “manifested a deliberate intention unlawfully to take away the life of a fellow creature,” (18-4002).

However, when the jury asked for clarification during deliberations, the court used a definition of malice that applies to general crimes, “a wish to vex, annoy, or injure another person” (18-101).

Idaho Supreme Court justices agreed with McDermott that this additional definition lowered the jury’s standard for conviction. The court vacated the conviction and remanded for a new trial. The court also wrote a recommended “initial aggressor” jury instruction to be used that details the requisites for an appropriate self-defense plea.

Furthermore, Buchanan still has to review McDermott’s appeal for a request to admit evidence about the victim’s alleged violent past. A decision on the appeal is expected within a month.

McDermott also contends that sufficient enough time had passed since the incident that the “initial aggressor” standard for some self-defense cases does not apply.