Spang girl to be tried as an adult

By Alan Sorensen

The teen-age girl charged in connection with the murders of two Havre residents in September will be tried in 12th Judicial District Court as an adult.

District Court Judge John Warner issued his ruling Monday to try Francine Spang as an adult and filed it with the Clerk of Court's Office Tuesday morning. Spang, who turned 16 Tuesday, will be tried as an adult on the five felony charges related to her alleged involvement in the murder of Kristi Walker and Kevin Caplette.

Spang is charged with two counts of deliberate homicide by application of the felony murder rule, two counts of intimidation by accountability, and one count of tampering with evidence.

Warner wrote in his ruling that state statute "clearly states that leave to file the information in district court shall be granted if it appears from the affidavit or other evidence supplied by the county attorney that there is probably cause to believe that the youth committed the alleged offenses."

Warner also cited consideration of the seriousness of the alleged offenses in terms of community protection, Spang's level of suspected culpability in the commission of the crimes, her prior record of delinquency and her history of dependency treatment programs. He said he also weighed the adequacy of disposition in the juvenile system and the dispositional options available for Spang as a youth.

He said he gave more weight to the seriousness of the alleged offenses and her prior record.

"If the state establishes its case, the two victims were killed in cold blood over a drug debt," Warner wrote. He added that the state claims that Spang "watched the shooting of both victims."

Spang appeared in 12th Judicial District Court Jan. 12 with her attorneys to argue against being tried as an adult.

Kristi Walker, 30, and Kevin Caplette, 35, were found shot to death at a home in the 1200 block of Sixth Street shortly before 1 p.m. on Sept. 16.

Spang denied each of the charges in juvenile court in October. She is awaiting arraignment in district court.

An omnibus hearing in Spang's case, which will follow the arraignment, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Feb. 16.

Spang is accused of being with her brother, Jacob Spang, and Reid Danell, both 18, when Danell allegedly shot Walker and Caplette over a drug debt. Spang is accused of fleeing with the pair in a stolen car and then helping clean up blood and wipe fingerprints from the car when it was abandoned at Rocky Boy.

Jacob Spang and Danell, the alleged shooter, were captured at a Great Falls motel the next day. Spang turned herself in later.

Danell's trial is scheduled to begin April 10. He pleaded innocent to all charges, including car theft, at his arraignment in October.