Warrant issued in connection with homicideScott Price identified as suspectScott Austin Price, 37, is a suspect in the aggravated assault and kidnapping of Helen Martin. Anyone knowing his whereabouts, please contact Miles City Police Department at 234-3411. The police chief said other charges are pending, but Price is the suspect they have been seeking.Friday afternoon a warrant was issued for 37-year-old Scott Austin Price of Miles City for felony aggravated assault and felony aggravated kidnapping of Helen Martin, in connection with the murder of her husband, 78-year-old Ed Martin, on Monday night.
More charges are pending, according to Miles City Police Chief Doug Colombik.
On Thursday Colombik said a suspect had been developed in the investigation, and on Friday Colombik confirmed of Price, “That is the suspect we are looking for.”
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Price is asked to contact the MCPD at 234-MCPD or Central Dispatch at 232-3411.
The MCPD Facebook page notes that Price is about 5 foot, 10 inches and 180-200 pounds.
According to 16th Judicial District Court records, at 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, Central Dispatch received a call from Glen Greer saying there was a possible hostage situation at his in-laws’ (Ed and Helen Martin’s) house at 901 N. Second St.
According to Greer, a man named Scott held them hostage and Helen had escaped. Ed was unaccounted for.
Miles City Police responded to the address and cleared the home, but were unable to locate Ed.
Records state that Helen told the police she and her husband had arrived at their home earlier that day to find a note on the door from a man stating he had been to their home twice and would try again later. The note was signed “Scott.”
Price arrived to the home to look at buying Ed’s 2001 Chevrolet 1500 truck.
Ed and the man left the house to look at a fifth-wheel camper.
A short time later the man returned to the house with a large cut on the bridge of his nose and asked Helen for a bandage She gave him a bandage, then he assaulted her, tied her up and drug her into the basement of the home, records state.
He threatened to cut her throat if she screamed.
She eventually got herself untied and escaped. Once out of the home, she drove to her daughter’s home.
According to records, Price had told her that Ed was tied up inside the fifth-wheeler.
Officers located Ed inside the camper, deceased.
The next morning, Capt. Casey Prell located the 2001 Chevrolet 1500 parked near the 800 block of Palmer Street. It was seized and impounded.
Helen told police the man was a former renter of theirs, named Scott Price.
A search of the Martin residence revealed the contents of a safe were missing.
On Dec. 17, Jacob Idland was interviewed. He said Price had been staying at his house, and at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, Price left the home to test drive a vehicle. He later came home with a bandage on his nose.
Idland said Price was nervous and uneasy when he returned, and when he observed police cars nearby, he became extremely nervous and decided to leave. He packed up his belonging and was picked up by an associate.
Price disposed of the garbage in his room before leaving Idland’s home.
Idland lives a block from where the truck was found, the records state.
Aggravated assault carries a maximum penalty of 20 years and a $50,000 fine, and aggravated kidnapping carries a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment and a fine of$50,000. Bail is set at $500,000.
The investigation is being conducted by the Miles City Police Department, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Custer County Sheriff’s Office.
Price has a criminal record in Custer County.
In 1997 he was sentenced to five years in prison on burglary and theft charges, according to court records. He was sentenced in 2010 for criminal production or manufacture of dangerous drugs, a felony, and for theft, a felony, for stealing $1,796 from Walmart.
He had been sentenced to seven years on each count, which was suspended with conditions. He also was fined $1,000 and was ordered to pay restitution to Walmart.
In August of this year he admitted to 10 violations of the suspended sentence terms and was sentenced to seven years, suspending four years.
The court had recommended that he be screened by the Department of Corrections for placement in an inpatient chemical dependency treatment, followed by placement at a prerelease center.
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