Calvert to plead insanity
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DIXON — Nathan Calvert, a Missoula resident charged in the grisly home invasion and murder in Dixon last winter, will argue that he suffers from a mental disease or defect and lacked specific intent when he allegedly murdered Doug Morigeau and slit Morigeau’s wife’s throat.
Two psychological evaluations have been ordered in the case, and subpoenas have been issued for State Medical Examiner Gary Dale and Forensic Scientist Lacy Van Grinsven. The jury trial date has been set and continued four times. The current jury trial date is Sept. 16 at 9:30 a.m.
The results of both psychiatric examinations are confidential.
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 an alleged home invasion and stabbing at a residence on Highway 212 outside Dixon around 8 p.m. Dec. 6, 2012.
Upon arriving at the scene, 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 Morigeau 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. 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.
Calvert 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.
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. While 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.
Sanders County Attorney Bob Zimmerman has said in the past that the state will not seek the death penalty.
