Kendall pleads guilty to escape charge

Citing a decision to take a new path in life, Jeremiah Kendall pleaded guilty to a single count of felony escape May 3.

The 39-year-old made his first appearance back in Lincoln County District Court since his short-lived flight from custody last month. Authorities caught up with Kendall, his new wife and an associate near a U.S. Forest Service Road south of Libby on April 16, seven days after he was to turn himself in for the start of two decades with the Montana State Prison.

Kendall earlier in the year had pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and tampering with evidence as part of an agreement with prosecutors. Along with the 20-year sentence, Kendall was to spend another decade under supervision for the brutal beating of his then-girlfriend in 2014 and pay restitution.

But at the time of his sentencing, Kendall was identified as a close contact with an individual infected with the coronavirus. Health officials placed him on quarantine. But District Judge Matthew Cuffe opted to go ahead with sentencing rather than delay yet again.

“I think it needs to get done as soon as possible,” he said at the time. “For the family. For both families.”

Kendall was to turn himself into authorities on April 9 to start his prison bid. On April 7, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies spotted him hopping on a four-wheeler and driving off into the wilderness, according to court documents. During a subsequent search of the area, Kendall evaded law enforcement officers.

According to newly filed court documents, they caught up to him with the unwitting help of his new wife. Jennifer Kendall, 36, pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice at her May 3 arraignment.

In an affidavit, County Attorney Marcia Boris wrote that authorities knew Jennifer Kendall was in contact with her husband despite denying knowledge of his whereabouts to investigators. On April 14, authorities planted a tracking device on her vehicle and followed her movements.

For several hours that day, her vehicle was parked off of a spur in the Libby Creek Road area. The next day, authorities tracked her to Forest Service Road 6209, where she stayed for several hours before visiting her sister-in-law’s home, according to court documents.

On April 16, authorities searching for Jeremiah Kendall came across Jennifer Kendall and another man, Frederick Hersel, on Forest Service Road 6209. Both initially denied knowing Jeremiah Kendall’s whereabouts. Jennifer Kendall said she was horn hunting in the area with a friend, court documents said.

But a noise caught the attention of a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputy, who peered over a hillside into the vista, spotting Jeremiah Kendall in the process. Undersheriff Brad Dodson subsequently chased Jeremiah Kendall down, court documents said.

Authorities also brought Hersel up on an obstructing justice charge. He has yet to appear in Lincoln County District Court.

Jeremiah Kendall offered little else at his arraignment. A sentencing hearing was set for May 24 and he asked the judge whether he could chat with his wife in the meantime.

Cuffe instructed Jeremiah Kendall to have his defense lawyer contact the county attorney’s office for permission for communication between the two.