Man arrested in Colorado in '99 Montana death

BILLINGS — Authorities say a 46-year-old man has been arrested in Colorado and charged with homicide in the 1999 drowning death of his wife in southeastern Montana.

The Montana Department of Justice said Tuesday that Brian David Laird was arrested on Sept. 12 in Fort Collins by agents from the FBI and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.

Court documents show Laird is charged with deliberate homicide in the July 31, 1999 death of 28-year-old Kathryn Laird in Big Horn County. The victim’s body was found in the Afterbay Reservoir of Yellowtail Dam a day after she had been reported missing.

Brian Laird’s bail has been set at $500,000 while he awaits extradition to Montana. A Friday hearing in the case is scheduled in Colorado.

It could not immediately be determined if Laird had an attorney.