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Bretz chargesvanishesGREAT FALLS (AP) -7 A judge today dismissed the solicitation and conspiracy charges against Lavori Bretz in the'wake of the dlsap-• pesrance of a second prosecution witness..Pistricl Court Judge William Coder ruled that the slate did hot have enough evidence to prove ' Us charge's,- ■ .“The state has had difficulty in getting their „ witnesses here, as you well know,” Coder told the jury. • The Judge said the state had the testimony of , bn alleged ctKwnspirator, Jack Lande, but had to have evidence from others to support Landed ■ testimony.’ . • Bretz was accused of arranging for Lande to rob ;the home of Great Falls businessman £allie Kelman bv telling him Kelman had 60,000 uncir-; culated sliver.dollars worth f250,00G. Lande was one'of three men arrested when police sur-rounded the house and interrupted the robbery -.attempt.’;. •r :Waller Bndgeford of. Spokane, Wash., was• J'the only person, still alive, who could have «' linked Lande to Bretz and corroborated Lande’stestimony,” Deputy Cascade County AUy.'Car-- roll Blend said after the'ruling.: _ . / r. Brldgeford was to have testified on Monday/ but failed to appear, and Coder gave Blend until this morning to find him, 'Blend said- he. bad ,- talked;'with Brldgeford Suiiday .night and1 had : made reservations for the* rhan to fly to Great •: Falls, but later could find no trace of him,'■ . “I feel good,” Bretz said after Coder’is ruling.' ; HI thought it was courageous that a district judge ^ would apply the law to such a case.”Barbara Reich, 21, of Billings, caused a three-. week delay in the start of the . trial when she failed to appear to testify-for, the prosecution• April 11. She later reappeared and testified on Monday, but much of her testimony was not al-. lowed on grounds that it was hearsay.-
Newspaper Details
Independent Record
Helena, Montana, US
Tue, May 10, 1977
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Ted B.
NA, 14 Aug 2024
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