Man denies attempted homicide allegation

A Kalispell man accused of stabbing another man repeatedly more than a year ago has pleaded not guilty to attempted deliberate homicide.

William Irwin Smith Jr., 51, who already had pleaded not guilty to felony assault with a weapon in January 2013, entered his plea to the added charge Thursday in Flathead District Court.

Smith is alleged to have stabbed Saylen Nielsen three times in the abdomen and once in the neck on Dec. 11 after Nielsen pulled over following an argument in the vehicle as they traveled down Farm to Market Road shortly after leaving Cattleman’s Bar.

A court document states that Nielsen then left the vehicle and ran away, ending up on the back patio of a Barron Way home, where he was found by police.

Smith, driving Nielsen’s vehicle, was arrested by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper about a half hour later on U.S. 93 North. The trooper reportedly found a knife in Smith’s pocket and a fixed-blade serrated knife in the back of the vehicle.

With the additional charge, Smith now faces between 10 years and 120 years in prison, life in prison or the death penalty if convicted, as well as a fine of up to $50,000.

Smith was initially incarcerated in the Flathead County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond, but was later released on his own recognizance on a pretrial monitoring program. He has had no violations since his release.

The next hearing in Smith’s case is currently set for May 7.