County Attorney's Office not pursuing charges in Snowslip Inn shooting

The Flathead County Attorney’s Office will not pursue charges in an April 2022 fatal shooting outside the Snowslip Inn near Essex.

On April 16, shortly before 11 p.m. Jeremy McKenzie, 36, of Odessa, Texas was allegedly shot once in the abdomen by Joseph Pino, 40, a Flathead Valley resident.

“Our office has officially declined to press charges in the matter,” County Attorney Travis Ahner told the Hungry Horse News on Wednesday. “There were issues of self defense.”

Ahner said both men were armed with pistols during the encounter. He declined to reveal specific details of the incident or a motive, other than to say the pair were talking about Pino doing some work for McKenzie prior to McKenzie allegedly attacking Pino.

Pino then allegedly shot McKenzie. Pino’s wife, Mia McKean, called 911 and the couple administered first aid to McKenzie until medical help arrived, Ahner said.

McKenzie and his then-fiancee were reportedly planning to fix up the motel and its restaurant. A longtime watering hole for locals and visitors coming off Marias Pass on U.S. 2, the motel has since been torn down.

A “Justice for Jeremy” Facebook page was once active, but has since been permanently closed.

Ahner noted that family members of the victim could ask the state Attorney General’s Office to review the case.

Ahner said it took 10 months to make a determination on the case because they were waiting for test results from the state crime lab and returns on search warrants for phone records, as well as other evidence in the case.