Sex dispute may have led to killing

Teens charged with deliberate homicide

Bail for a Kalispell teen charged with murdering a 67-year-old man at a campground southeast of Libby was set at $250,000 Thursday during an initial appearance in Lincoln County Justice Court.

Heather Michelle Henson, 19, is facing a charge of deliberate homicide. She is accused of using a rifle and a .22-caliber pistol to shoot Larry M. Kingsley approximately 16 times after a confrontation over sex, according to investigative reports.

Drugs and alcohol were involved.

Henson told investigators she met Kingsley on July 8 at a bar in Libby, where Henson agreed to accept $2,300 to help launch her career as a writer. But when Henson lost the money, Kingsley implied she would have to repay him with sex.

Henson and her boyfriend, Stephen Michael Thomas, 17, of Kalispell went with Kingsley to his campsite on Sylvan Lake, located about 30 miles southeast of Libby in the Kootenai National Forest.

Henson said she had sex with Kingsley, but that over the course of several days he became increasingly jealous of Thomas. Henson said she awoke one morning to see Kingsley holding a knife to Thomas' throat because she "belonged" to Kingsley now.

On the night of July 12, Henson told authorities she was firing a rifle into the air but then turned the weapon on Kingsley and loosed a round at his head. Kingsley, who was sitting in a chair by the campfire, didn't open his eyes, so Henson aimed at his chest and began firing again.

Thomas also shot at Kingsley, according to Henson.

Henson said she believed her life was in danger and that Kingsley would have killed her if she hadn't shot him.

After the shooting, Henson and Thomas returned to Kalispell and left a message with a family member saying they had just killed a man. The family member notified authorities, who found Kingsley's body early on the morning of July 13.

Henson was arrested at a Caroline Road home, where deputies found Kingsley's truck, and Thomas was taken into custody in Kalispell.

Thomas is charged with deliberate homicide, tampering with physical evidence, and felony theft. Thomas will be tried as an adult in Lincoln County District Court, Lincoln County Attorney Bernard Cassidy said.

Henson also could face additional charges, Cassidy said.

If convicted, Henson and Thomas each face sentences of as long as life in prison.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com