St. Ignatius man, mother plead guilty to roles in fatal crash, cover up

A St. Ignatius man and his mother have pleaded guilty to felonies related to their roles in a January 2021 fatal crash and attempted cover up that sparked widespread calls for justice for the victim.

Rope Kinkade Ardis, 19, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide while under the influence as part of a plea agreement in Lake County District Court on April 6. Immediately after Ardis’ plea, his mother, Roberta Virginia Asencio, pleaded guilty to tampering with witnesses or informants, also as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

Their cases stem from a one-vehicle rollover near mile marker 6 on Back Road, west of Pablo and south of Polson, on Jan. 23, 2021. Dispatchers received a report of the crash around 10:30 p.m. A Montana Highway Patrol trooper responding to the scene found Ardis’ 2006 Ford Mustang and an ambulance crew tending to two people outside of the vehicle. One person receiving medical care was Saul Blackweasel, 18, of Polson, who was seated in the front passenger seat, court documents said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ardis was absent from the scene when authorities arrived, but his mother was on site. She confirmed the vehicle as her son’s, but claimed not to know his whereabouts. Investigators discovered Ardis’ wallet and ID card at the scene.

Further investigation revealed that Ardis used his phone to call relatives shortly after the crash, but he did not report the crash to dispatchers, nor did he request medical assistance for his passengers.

Court documents indicated that Ardis was picked up from the scene and taken to another location, where Ascencio picked up her son and took him to her sister’s home. Authorities located Ardis at his aunt’s house and took him to St. Luke Medical Center in Ronan, where he admitted to a Tribal Police officer that he had been drinking. The officer noted that Ardis was wearing only one shoe, a Nike. A matching shoe was discovered at the scene of the crash.

Subsequent testing revealed Ardis’ DNA was present on the deployed airbag of the steering wheel, indicating Ardis was driving at the time of the crash.

Asencio initially denied helping her son flee the scene and claimed no knowledge of his role in the crash.

Vehicular homicide while under the influence carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Ardis’ plea agreement recommends a sentence of 20 years, with 10 years suspended. The agreement also acknowledges that a lesser charge of felony negligent homicide — which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine — is no longer an option.

Felony tampering with witnesses and informants carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Asencio’s plea agreement recommends a sentence of five years in prison, with all suspended.

Lake County Attorney Steve Eschenbacher is handling both cases for the state. Both Ardis and Asencio are being represented by Polson defense attorney Britt Cotter.

Sentencing is now in the hands of Lake County District Court Judge James Manley, who is not bound by the terms of the plea agreements and has the option to impose harsher penalties for either defendant. Manley set sentencing in both cases for May 25.

The cases sparked a “Justice for Saul” movement in the county, with many believing Blackweasel may have survived if Ardis had called 911 immediately after the crash. A cross has been installed near the scene of the crash, and a small memorial can be found there as well.

The movement gained momentum on social media, and there were several marches around the one-year anniversary of the crash to bring attention to the case.