Montana man convicted of killing wife, injuring her roommate

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOZEMAN – A Montana man accused of killing his estranged wife and critically injuring one of her roommates was convicted Dec. 10 of multiple charges.

Jurors in Gallatin County found Joseph “Paul” DeWise guilty of deliberate homicide in the January 2018 death of Lauren Walder DeWise and guilty of attempted deliberate homicide for shooting Ashley Van Hemert. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 4.

Joe DeWise, 17, testified earlier that he was with his father when he drove to Belgrade and shot the women. He also said his father ordered him to get rid of the murder weapon and he discarded it at a pond near their house, where it was located.

Natalie DeWise, 19, testified that her father confessed to killing Lauren DeWise when he woke her up to go to church the next morning. She also said her father called her from jail and asked her to convince her younger brother to confess.

Witnesses testified to physical abuse in the relationship, while defense attorney Annie DeWolf told jurors the family was happy. “There was no abuse,” she said.