By Alan Sorensen
Jacob Gary Spang was given a 6-month suspended sentence and ordered to undergo chemical dependency treatment at the conclusion of a hearing Monday to revoke a deferred sentence for family assault.
Twelfth Judicial District Court Judge John Warner also ordered Spang to undergo counseling and to remain law-abiding.
Spang, 18, his 16-year-old sister Francine, and Reid Danell, 18, are charged with two counts of deliberate homicide by application of the felony murder rule, two counts of intimidation by accountability, one count of tampering with evidence, and car theft.
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. Danell is accused of pulling the trigger on both victims.
Warner recently set Spang's bail on those charges at $25,000 with conditions.
His release would be contingent on his cousin Andre LaFrance taking Spang into his home in Bighorn County. Should LaFrance let Spang move in, Spang would have to comply with an 11-hour curfew. He would be required to be in LaFrance's home from 7 p.m. each night to 6 a.m. the next morning.
Spang also would have to submit to electronic monitoring at his own expense and have no contact with the relatives of his co-defendants except when accompanied by LaFrance or LaFrance's wife. He would be required to refrain from the use of alcohol and drugs and maintain contact with his lawyer by telephone.
As an added condition of his release, Spang would be forbidden from returning to Hill County except for his court proceedings. He must also remain law-abiding.
Spang's family assault charge stemmed from an incident at a Havre residence on Jan. 12, 1999. Spang pleaded guilty to that charge in July and was ordered to enter and complete at least 25 hours of an anger control program by Aug. 15, just one month before the slayings.
At the time he was given his deferred imposition of sentence, Spang was fined $100 and given credit for 13 days he had already served in jail.
Spang appeared before Warner on Oct. 5, 1999 and denied that he failed to enroll in anger control. He appeared before Warner again on Oct. 25, andthe judge found as a result of evidence that Spang had violated the terms of his deferred.
The hearing Monday was for disposition of the judge's findings and Spang's sentence.
Spang's mental health counselor testified Monday, according to court documents, that Spang had completed counseling and required no further counseling. Warner removed the condition that Spang undergo counseling and gave him credit for attending AA meetings while in jail.
Spang's murder trial is set for June 5 and Francine Spang is scheduled for trial on June 19.
Danell is scheduled to go on trial May 22.
