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Charging documents shed light on Dixon murder

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DIXON — Prosecutors say a man who is charged in the brutal Dec. 6 home invasion murder of Dixon resident Doug Morigeau was on hallucinogenic drugs when he stabbed Morigeau 54 times. According to the court documents, Flathead Tribal Police, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies, a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper and Sanders County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a home invasion and stabbing at a residence on Highway 212 outside Dixon around 8 p.m. Dec. 6. 

Upon arrival, officers observed a bald man holding a pump-action .22 caliber rifle without a stock. He was standing outside the Morigeau residence. The man, later identified as Nathan Lee William Calvert, ran into the Morigeau house through the front door and exited out the back. He was apprehended in a field not far from the house. 

Calvert was carrying a sheathed and bloody hunting knife and the .22 caliber rifle. 

Once Calvert was in custody, officers entered the Morigeau home and found Doug Morigeau’s body near the front door. 

“There was a substantial amount of blood in the house,” the affidavit said. 

A broken rifle stock was found near the body. 

Cheryl, Doug’s wife who was also stabbed, was transported by ambulance to a hospital and transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Wash. According to Cheryl’s interview with investigators, she and her husband had just eaten dinner and were watching television when they heard a noise on their porch. Doug opened the door, didn’t see anything and started to close it when Calvert burst in and began fighting with Doug. 

Doug tried pushing the intruder out of the residence but was knocked down. Calvert got on top of him and began stabbing him. Cheryl asked Calvert what he wanted. According to the interview, at that point, Calvert got off Doug and went after Cheryl. 

He grabbed her with his left hand and cut her throat with his right. Seeing this, Doug stood and went after Calvert again, bringing all three to the ground. Cheryl ran out the back door, leaving it open for Doug to follow if he could best Calvert. 

Doug never came out. 

Cheryl ran across the street to her brother-in-law’s house and called 911.

Once in custody, Calvert admitted to the crime during an interview with law enforcement. 

He said that he had traveled to Dixon from Missoula with his girlfriend to visit her sister. He’d been smoking “Spice,” a synthetic cannabinoid known for powerful and dangerous side effects, for a week and a half to two weeks, using Bible pages as rolling paper. He continued smoking Spice while at his girlfriend’s sister’s residence and apparently for some time after — a partially smoked joint was found near Calvert when he was arrested. 

Calvert said he and his wife’s sister’s husband or boyfriend, later identified as Gordon Northpiegan Jr., went from house to house trying to get cigarettes. At some point, Calvert became convinced Northpiegan was going to kill him, so Calvert stabbed Northpiegan in the back and left, walking down the side of the highway alone. He attacked the Morigeau family shortly after.

According to court documents, Calvert said he did not know why he attacked and killed Doug Morigeau. Cheryl said neither she nor her husband knew Calvert. 

Calvert said he couldn’t remember a woman being present during the attack. When shown a picture of Cheryl, he said he had stabbed her in the neck. He could not remember how many times he stabbed Cheryl or Doug.

The .22 caliber rifle stock had broken while Calvert was hitting Doug with it. Though Calvert took money and a check from Cheryl’s purse on the counter, he said he did not intend to rob the house. 

Doug Morigeau was stabbed 54 times. 

Calvert was seen in district court Dec. 20 with Judge Deborah Kim Christopher presiding over the case. Calvert did not enter a plea and will not until the court finds him “fit to proceed.” Christopher ordered a mental health evaluation. Once the evaluation is complete, the issue of bail may be revisited and Calvert will be arraigned.

An omnibus hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5, at 10 a.m. with a jury trial commencing Monday, March 18, at 9:30 a.m.

The Morigeaus were long-time employees at Two Eagle River School and beloved community members in the valley. 

Two Eagle River School held a benefit for the Morigeau family last week. The parking lot was at capacity half an hour before the event was scheduled to start, and the line to buy an Indian taco stretched through the kitchen, hallway and into the auditorium where an auction was set to take place. 

“It makes everybody’s efforts worthwhile,” English teacher Rebekah Dalbey said. “Since the word got out, it’s been an amazing show of support. It’s really gratifying and amazing to see.”

Dalbey said the event was also a way for school administrators to take their minds off everything that’s happened and put their emotions toward a good cause. 

“We’ve been able to put our thoughts toward something other than loss,” she said. 

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