Murder victim’s family relieved after killer dies in prison

The family of a Flathead Valley woman who was murdered by her husband in 1979 is feeling relief after the killer died in the Montana State Prison.

According to Montana State Prison Public Information Officer Amy Barton, Jerry Forsyth, 74, died Wednesday, April 8. She said he died after an extended illness, but said it was not COVID-19 related.

Forsyth was tried three times for the murder of Karen (Kienas) Forsyth, on Dec. 12, 1979, whose death was prompted because he was having an affair and wanted to retain her share in the bowling alley they ran together in Kalispell.

He was convicted in 1986 and sentenced to 110 years in state prison for the crime. He was up for parole four times, in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2018.

Sharon Snell, the sister of the victim who worked to keep Forsyth in the Montana State Prison since his first parole hearing in 2002, said Thursday she feels relief.

“I’m relieved to be done with it,” Snell said. “I wish my parents were still alive to have seen it because he put us through so much hell over the years.”

Snell said she and her husband got the phone call early Thursday morning from VINELink, a victim notification network, about Forsyth’s death.

“My first thought was he was being released due to the COVID-19 virus, but when my husband called back to see what it was, he said to me ‘You should listen to this.’”

Snell heard the words she has waited decades to hear — that her sister’s killer was dead.

“It was overwhelming,” Snell said. “Frankly, I’ve been waiting for it for a long time.”

She also wanted to thank those who wrote letters to the Montana State Board of Pardons and Parole.

“After so many years had passed we were concerned the case would be forgotten, so we are very thankful to everyone who wrote letters to the board,” Snell said. “Life is difficult knowing what happened to Karen, but it would have been very bad if he had been released.”

Karen Forsyth was 31 years old when she was shot and killed by Forsyth at their business, the Skyline Bowling Alley.

Forysth and his friend Douglas Richards planned the murder, according to law enforcement officials.

Richards and Forsyth told a story that the three of them were closing the bowling alley for the night when someone came through the door and knocked out Forsyth. Richards said he was in the basement and heard a popping sound before finding Forsyth unconscious and his wife dead.

Richards was later arrested for having sex with a girl under 16. He was offered immunity in the homicide case and recanted his original statement to police.

Richards said he offered to kill Karen Forsyth for between $40,000 and $50,000. He tried to drug her at Forsyth’s request, but she survived.

Richards then suggested staging a robbery at the bowling alley. He told police Forysth shot his wife in the head with a .22-caliber gun and put her fingerprints on a 9mm pistol he left by her side. Richards said he hid the murder weapon and money from the counter in a basement locker to bolster the lie about the robbery.

Forsyth’s first trial ended in his conviction in April 1980, but it was overturned by the state Supreme Court because Flathead District Judge Robert Sykes didn’t define homicide for the jury.

Forsyth’s second trial ended in a hung jury in December 1982. Jurors in that trial, held in Polson because of publicity issues, said the bailiff made several prejudicial comments.

Forsyth was convicted in his third trial in December 1985.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.