Man, 85, beaten with 2-by-4

 BILLINGS (AP) — The Big Horn County sheriff’s office is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the “completely senseless” beating of an elderly Hardin man.

Undersheriff Mike Fuss said Curtis Wilson, 85, was attacked in his home on Oct. 17, suffered fractured bones in his face and other injuries and is still hospitalized in Billings.

“He was left for dead,” Fuss said. “This was a completely pointless beating.”

Wilson told investigators a man who appeared to be in his 20s or 30s knocked on his door at about 10:30 p.m. last Friday, asked for a bottle of water and then struck him in the head. Wilson fell backward down the stairs and into the basement, where one or more attackers beat him with a 2-by-4 until he lost consciousness, Fuss said.

A flat-screen TV was taken.

Wilson called for help when he awakened the next morning.

Fuss said the crime was initially investigated as an aggravated assault is now considered an attempted deliberate homicide, the newspaper reported.

Fuss said he’s confident his office will identify the attacker.

“We’re developing leads, and we’ve got a bunch of evidence we’ve sent to the lab,” including the board used to attack Wilson, Fuss said.