Crumley given 30-year sentence, new charges dropped
Jeff Smith photo
Judge Deborah “Kim” Chrisopher talks with David Crumley about his criminal history.
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
A Lake County man was sentenced at District Court in Polson on June 24 to the Montana State Prison for 30 years for violating terms of his probation from a 2001 aggravated assault conviction for two counts. David Matthew Crumley, 39, will not be eligible for parole until he has served the entire 30 years.
Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher added up how many years Crumley could be facing if he was convicted on all charges. She concluded that the total added up to 350 years plus life in prison.
Lake County Attorney Steve Eschenbacher told the court at Crumley’s arraignment hearing on Feb. 4, that he would dismiss all the new charges if Crumley would agree to a 30-year prison term for the suspended portion of his 2001 conviction and include a 10-year parole restriction. Crumley’s attorney, Britt Cotter, of Polson, argued for a 20-year term with no parole restriction.
Crumley was charged in 2001 with two counts of attempted deliberate homicide for shooting two men who had chased him home from a reported bar fight. He ended up pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated assault as part of a plea agreement and was sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison with all but six months suspended.
After the 2001 sentence, Crumley repeatedly violated conditions of his suspended sentence, which he admitted. In 2019, he was charged with failing to register as a violent offender and change of residency. On Aug. 28, 2019, he allegedly assaulted Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Levi Read. On Dec. 9, 2020, Crumley allegedly assaulted another peace officer.
Crumley’s probation officer, Dale Ramesar, told the court that Crumley was charged in California with attempted deliberate homicide, but the charge was later dismissed on a technicality.
Most recently, Crumley was charged with aggravated assault for an attack on a fellow inmate on Jan. 17 that left that inmate with multiple facial fractures, a broken nose and a gash on his lip that required stitches.
Prior to the 30-year sentence pronouncement, video footage of the January attack was shown in court. It showed Crumley overpowering the inmate. The attack lasted for about five minutes. Crumley can be seen in the video repeatedly hitting and kicking the inmate, and at one point, the inmate appears to be motionless but Crumley continues hitting him.
After watching a video of the attack and visiting with Crumley, Christopher sentenced Crumley to the full 30 years in prison with a 30-year parole restriction, meaning he will serve the entire 30 years before he will be eligible for parole. Crumley was then transported to Missoula County where he is facing additional charges.
