Heron rapist's court appeal denied

A Heron man convicted of five felony counts of sexual abuse of a girl over a 16-year period is likely to spend the rest of his days in prison after the Montana Supreme Court denied his latest appeal.

Douglas Guill, 63, made numerous complaints in an appeal to the high court that his counsel was ineffective, that he was not granted an appropriate amount of credit for jail time served prior to being sent to the Montana State Prison, and that the judge handling the case should have recused herself.

On Wednesday the court ruled that Guill was entitled to 650 days jail credit for time served prior to his conviction, more than he was originally granted. The rest of his claims are either found to be without merit in previous appeals or not procedurally allowed, the court found.

Guill is not eligible for parole.

He was sentenced to five concurrent 50-year terms by Sanders County Judge Deborah Kim Christopher. He and his wife, Nicole, repeatedly engaged in sexual conduct with a girl from the time she was 6 until she was 22 and escaped the cult-like home.

The victim’s mother told jurors that Douglas Guill had told the family that he was God and that members of the family should do whatever he wanted or they would go to Hell.

Douglas Guill will be more than 100 years old before he is eligible for release.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com