Libby's daylight burglar pleads guilty

A Libby woman caught in the midst of a daylight residential burglary in July pleaded guilty in district court Monday to a pair of felony charges.

Kelsey Nicole Orr, 25, entered a plea of guilty to burglary and felony drug possession, the latter charge stemming from a previous incident involving a traffic stop. In exchange for the plea, the county attorney’s office agreed to recommend a three-year deferred sentence for the burglary charge and a two-year commitment to the Montana Department of Corrections for the drug charge.

Orr was arrested on July 23 following a report of a burglary in progress at a residence along West First Street in Libby. In an affidavit filed in support of the charges, Libby police officer John Powell reported that he arrived at the scene around 1 p.m. and spoke to witness Justice Fahland, who said he had been watching the residence while the person who lived there, Brandon Anderson, was away. Fahland told Powell that he had received a call from another person who had seen Orr in the house, prompting him to go there.

Fahland reported that he found Orr in the back yard handling items, and that she had told him that she had been walking by when she saw two men burglarizing the residence. She said she was putting things back as a favor to Anderson, Fahland told Powell.

Looking around the yard, Powell saw totes containing electronics and other items, two backpacks containing hunting and fishing items, and a large bag containing tools and more electronics.

In an interview following her arrest, Orr told Powell a story similar to the one she told Fahland. She said she had seen two men who appeared to be stealing things from Anderson’s house and was putting things back. Orr identified one of the men, who was initially charged in connection with the burglary. The charges were later dismissed due to lack of evidence.

The drug charge against Orr had been filed after she was pulled over for speeding in a construction zone on U.S. Highway 2 between Libby and Troy on July 2. The arresting officer reported that he had found a “snort tube” made from a pen in Orr’s vehicle and that the tube had tested positive for methamphetamine residue.

Along with the recommended sentences for the burglary and drug charges, the county attorney’s office agreed to dismiss an additional count of burglary and one count of felony theft associated with the July 23 incident along with misdemeanor charges of speeding and a construction zone violation associated with the July 2 traffic stop.

Orr is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 12.