Polson man sentenced to 75 years for murdering his mother

A Polson man convicted of murdering his mother was sentenced in district court in Polson Feb. 13 to a total of 75 years in the Montana State Prison.

Twentieth Judicial District Judge Molly Owen sentenced Garrett Edward Vaska, 48, to 73 years for deliberate homicide and added two years for a weapons enhancement.

Vaska pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide with a dangerous weapon on Aug. 6. The plea was entered as part of an agreement that dismissed one count of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

The agreement did not include a sentence recommendation, which put Vaska at the mercy of the court.

According to charging documents, sometime between Aug. 28 and Sept. 6, 2023, Vaska stabbed his mother, Phillista St. John, multiple times, killing her. He attempted to conceal her body by putting her remains in garbage bags and storing them under blankets in a room of her home where they remained for several days.

The investigation began with a welfare check by tribal health care providers with the Confederated and Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Suspicious circumstances led the health care providers to contact law enforcement, which resulted in the discovery of St. John’s body.

Owen gave Vaska credit for having served 891 days. He was the longest serving inmate in the Lake County Jail.