Trial dates set in kidnap, murder cases

Joseph Aceto, Lawrence Roedel scheduled to be tried in the spring

The Daily Inter Lake

Trials were set for this spring for a man accused of murdering his wife and another man charged with trying to kill a former girlfriend and her boyfriend.

District Judge Stewart Stadler set a trial date of May 1 for Joseph Aceto and April 3 for Lawrence Roedel.

Aceto was convicted by a jury in 2002 of two counts of attempted homicide and one of aggravated kidnapping. He was arrested after firing a gun at Rocky Hoerner and Eileen Holmquist at Hoerner's art gallery in Columbia Falls in 2000. He abducted Holmquist at gunpoint and took her into the woods of the North Fork, where he later released her.

Aceto was found guilty and sentenced to 210 years in prison. After the trial, Holmquist - the prosecution's main witness - killed herself.

The Montana Supreme Court threw out the conviction and ordered a new trial.

Last week, County Attorney Ed Corrigan added two counts of assault with a weapon to Aceto's charges. On Thursday, Aceto pleaded not guilty to the new charges and objected to them being filed so long after the alleged crime.

Public defenders Ed Falla and Glen Neier will represent Aceto.

Corrigan also will have to prepare for the murder trial of Lawrence Roedel.

He is accused of shooting his common-law wife, Dawn Thompson, at their Ferndale home. Their marriage is considered common law because they reportedly are cousins, and their marriage is not legally recognized in Montana.

He was arrested after calling 911 on Aug. 27, saying he had shot and possibly killed Thompson, 36.

Roedel will be represented by Whitefish attorney Jack Quatman.