BOZEMAN — The woman accused of murder after a man was found fatally shot in a Belgrade trailer park has pled no contest to negligent homicide in a plea agreement.
Heather Ann Harrington faced deliberate homicide charges in the Oct. 31, 2023, death of George Sobrepena of Belgrade.
According to the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office, District Court Judge McElyea will hear sentencing recommendations on May 30th, 2025.
“Homicide is the most serious offense in our justice system, and our office is committed to ensuring that those who take a life face the full consequences of the law," Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell said. "Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family, and we hope this conviction provides some measure of justice and closure.”
KBZK first reported the story on Oct. 23, 2023, after Harrington was arrested and appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court.
Court documents say a man working at a construction site called 911 around 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2023, to report a woman who had approached him and asked him to follow her.
The man reportedly sent two of his employees with Harrington, who led them to a residence in the Lexley Acres Trailer Court. The workers told their boss they saw a man lying on the floor, bleeding, but did not know if he was conscious or not.
According to court documents, emergency responders arrived at the residence and contacted Harrington, who wouldn’t open the door but said no one was hurt and everything was fine.
Harrington eventually came out when prompted by law enforcement, but said officers still were not allowed to enter the residence. Officers reportedly told Harrington they needed to check inside based on the details of the 911 call, at which point she allegedly told officers there was an intruder and let them in.
Court documents say officers found a man dead of apparent gunshot wounds when they entered the trailer, along with a handgun, four fired casings, and two fired bullets.
Harrington was transported to the Gallatin County Detention Center, where police allegedly found four additional fired casings that matched the caliber of the handgun found in the trailer. Court documents say Harrington also had a men’s wristwatch in her pocket. She declined to speak with detectives after being read her Miranda rights.
In a release, the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office expressed appreciation to the following agencies and individuals for their efforts in investigating, supporting, and prosecuting this case: Officer Paul Wilson and Officer Jesse Stovall of the Belgrade Police Department, Deputy Nicholas Redburn and Deputy Alberto Tapia of the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, the Montana State Crime Lab, Victim Advocate Stacy Wesen, Chief Deputy County Attorney Shannon Foley, Deputy County Attorney Stephanie McKnight, and Deputy County Attorney Henry Westesen. "Their dedication and commitment to justice were instrumental in bringing this case to a successful resolution."
