Man sentenced for helping hide body

A 28-year-old Kalispell man will spend six months in jail for helping hide the body of a man who was bludgeoned to death with hammers in April 2010.

Cody Naldrett was dealt a 10-year suspended sentence with the Montana Department of Corrections by Flathead District Judge Stewart Stadler Thursday.

The sentence includes a requirement that he spend an additional six months in the Flathead County Detention Center, where he has been held since his April 20, 2010, arrest.

He will face no additional incarceration if he remains law-abiding during the suspended portion of his sentence, during which he will be on probation.

On March 15, Naldrett pleaded guilty with an Alford plea to felony tampering with or fabricating of physical evidence. The plea had the same practical effect as a guilty plea, but allowed Naldrett to assert his innocence while admitting there is enough evidence to convict him.

However, Naldrett admitted during the March 15 hearing to helping hide the body of 49-year-old Wesley “Bubba” Collins after he was beaten to death with hammers on April 12, 2010.

Robert Allen Lake has been sentenced to 110 years in Montana State Prison for the murder. Jeffrey Nixon also has been charged with the homicide, though he has consistently denied that he helped kill Collins.

Sometime after the April 12 murder, Naldrett helped hide the body in a wooded area off of Patrick Creek Road, according to court documents.

Naldrett’s attorney Lane Bennett made clear during sentencing Thursday that Naldrett was not involved with the homicide and was not aware it was going to occur.

“There was no indication in the investigation of this matter that Cody Naldrett had any idea this was going to happen,” Bennett said.

Responding to a letter submitted to the court by family members of Collins, Bennett attempted to distance Naldrett from the four others charged with felonies in connection to the murder.

“He knew nothing about this and was not necessarily a friend or compatriot of any of these individuals,” he said.

Bennett asked for the 10-year suspended sentence dictated in a plea agreement signed by the Flathead County Attorney’s Office and Naldrett with credit for the 373 days he has spent in jail.

The agreement initially called for no credit for time served, but it was amended after the County Attorney’s Office deemed that action potentially illegal.

Bennett described Naldrett as being a “model inmate” for more than a year, and said he recently was approved for Social Security disability benefits.

“It deals with ADHD and a lot of things like that,” Bennett said.

He implied that the income, along with Naldrett’s plans to live with his father following his six-month stay in the Flathead County Detention Center, would provide a stable foundation for him to serve out his probation.

Naldrett chose not to speak Thursday when offered the opportunity by Stadler.

Before delivering the sentence, Stadler acknowledged Naldrett’s previous claims of coercion but noted his actions following the hiding of Collins’ body.

“Even after you were not in the company of Mr. Lake or Mr. Nixon, you did not report to law enforcement,” Stadler said.

Naldrett’s sentencing means Nixon is the only one of five people charged in connection with the murder and aftermath not to be sentenced.

Lake tentatively is scheduled to go to trial in July.

Lake’s former girlfriend, Karrolyn Robinson, was sentenced to eight years in Montana Women’s Prison in December for deleting text messages from two cellphones that were evidence in the case.

Joshua Fritz accepted a plea agreement in October 2010 and pleaded guilty to felony tampering with evidence. He received a five-year suspended sentence.

Reporter Eric Schwartz may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at eschwartz@dailyinterlake.com.