Change of plea hearing postponed for Kalispell teen accused of shooting sister

A Kalispell teenager accused of shooting his sister in the head on Halloween 2024 saw his change of plea hearing postponed earlier this month.  

Kiefer Votaw, 15, is charged with attempted deliberate homicide in connection with the Oct. 31, 2024 shooting that left his teenage sister hospitalized. He was arraigned Oct. 2, 2025 in Flathead County District Court, where he was set to be tried as an adult. Votaw pleaded not guilty to the felony charge at the time.   

His change of plea hearing was initially scheduled for March 11 before Judge Paul Sullivan, but was postponed after Deputy County Attorney Larissa Malloy — who is prosecuting the case — filed a March 2 motion seeking a continuance. Defense attorney Jason Bryan did not object, according to court documents.  

The scheduling change means Votaw’s change of plea hearing and sentencing can occur on the same day, preventing him from being isolated after leaving the Missoula Juvenile Detention Center.  

The juvenile detention center will no longer house Votaw once he changes his plea, court documents said. Were he to change his plea without immediately being sentenced, he would need to be moved to the Flathead County jail, where authorities would have to separate him from adult inmates. 

“Therefore, the parties hope to hold both hearings in the same day to prevent [Votaw] from potentially being isolated for any significant length of time,” court documents said.  

THE SHOOTING on the 400 block of South Meridian Road occurred while Votaw’s mother and 18-year-old brother had left home to run a brief errand, according to court documents.  

That’s when Votaw allegedly retrieved a gun from the family safe, tested its operations, loaded it and gathered extra ammunition. Then he shot his 16-year-old sister once in the back of the head, court documents said.  

While Kalispell Police officers responded to the South Meridian Road home, Votaw arrived in the Police Department lobby, where he allegedly admitted to shooting his sister and said he had the gun on him. 

Officers seized a 9 mm handgun from Votaw, and it was determined that the girl’s wounds were from a gunshot, court documents said. 

Sullivan in October of last year denied Votaw’s request to be tried in youth court. He said in his order that there was overwhelming evidence indicating Votaw made a premeditated attempt to kill his sister, who was rushed to the hospital for surgery for an injury that involved months of rehabilitation. 

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@dailyinterlake.com.