FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
REYNARD EDWARD KILLSNIGHT PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings on December 12, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, REYNARD EDWARD KILLSNIGHT, a 43-year-old resident of Lame Deer, pled guilty to aggravated sexual abuse. Sentencing is set for March 12, 2008. He is currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On July 25, 2007, law enforcement received a report that a juvenile female, age 14, had been sexually assaulted by KILLSNIGHT. Although the juvenile is 14 years old, she has the mental capacity of approximately a 4 to 6 year old girl. The juvenile was taken to the emergency room where she was examined by a doctor and a rape kit was performed. During this examination, the juvenile made statements to the doctor.
She reported that the night before, July 24, 2007, she was home alone at her residence in Lame Deer. KILLSNIGHT, who is considered an adopted brother by the juvenile's mother, stopped by to visit, and asked to use the bathroom. After using the bathroom, he asked the juvenile to hug him, and then kept asking her to hug him. He then asked her if she knew how to do sex. When the juvenile relayed this statement to the doctor, she did not say the word, but spelled it out for the doctor - "s-e-x." He then asked her if she wanted to have sex, to which she replied "no." He then took her into the bedroom, took off her clothes, and put his "thing" in her vagina and in her anus. When the doctor asked her if it hurt, she replied yes.
The examination revealed petechiae, which is basically noticeable redness in the vaginal area. Vaginal swabs were taken during the examination. These swabs, along with a blood sample from KILLSNIGHT, were sent to the FBI laboratory for DNA analysis. DNA from KILLSNIGHT was found on one of the vaginal swabs.
KILLSNIGHT faces possible penalties of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and lifetime supervision.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
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A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
