Accused Ferndale killer pleads guilty to deliberate homicide charge

Twentieth Judicial District Judge Molly Owen set a sentencing date of Sept. 18 for a Bigfork man accused of shooting three people last year, killing one of them.

Matthew Thomas Vitek, 50, entered a plea of guilty in district court at Polson on July 31 to felony charges of deliberate homicide and two counts of attempted deliberate homicide.

The charges each carry a maximum 100-year prison sentence, plus 10 years for a weapons enhancement. However, Vitek entered his guilty plea as part of a plea agreement in which prosecutors agreed to drop the weapons enhancement charge.