Purkhiser picks up 18 additional counts of tampering

Prosecutors filed a slew of new charges last month against a man accused of felony partner or family member assault, indicating he has continued to contact witnesses in his case from the county jail.

The additional 18 counts of tampering with a witness and informants come as Walter Jason Purkhiser’s alleged victim, Heather Harrison, contests investigators’ accounts of the Jan. 22 incident. Harrison contacted The Western News earlier this month to dispute the details in an affidavit filed in Lincoln County District Court, which were reported in an article on his initial arraignment. He pleaded not guilty to a trio of charges on Feb 14.

Harrison called on officials to drop the charges against Purkhiser.

“It was just a stupid argument. That’s all it was,” she said.

County Attorney Marcia Boris declined to comment, saying her office does not discuss ongoing cases.

According to the accounts of Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies who headed to the Silver Butte Road home, they arrived following a 911 call from resident Katrina Newton. Deputy James Derryberry recounted learning from dispatchers that Newton was calling on behalf of Harrison because “Purkhiser was assaulting her …” and she had locked herself in the bathroom.

Newton told authorities she had received text messages from Harrison and was relaying the information, court documents said. She also said Purkhiser had a criminal history, according to court documents. It was one of two 911 calls authorities reported receiving regarding the alleged assault. The second originated at the scene of the incident, according to court documents.

Reached by phone this week, Newton confirmed contacting authorities on behalf of another individual, but said it was someone other than Harrison. Neither Harrison nor the third party had regular phone service, she said.

Other than that, she was not involved, Newton said.

Derryberry, though, identified her in a vehicle parked outside the home when he arrived at the scene, according to court documents. Inside the house, Derryberry reported finding Purkhiser, Heather Harrison and her ex husband, William Harrison, and Tim Newton.

According to Derryberry’s narrative, Heather Harrison said she and Purkhiser were in a relationship and living together. That night the two argued over text messages on her phone, with Purkhiser accusing Harrison of infidelity. Harrison told Purkhiser that “it’s time he goes,” according to court documents.

Purkhiser allegedly got increasingly upset and Harrison fled to the bathroom with her phone, according to Derryberry’s account. Purkhiser allegedly forced his way in, grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back.

Harrison told Derryberry that her shoulder hurt, court documents said. While Purkhiser never hurt or threatened her previously, she allegedly told Derryberry “after tonight … I have no doubt that he would do something stupid.”

Acknowledging that Purkhiser grabbed her arm, Harrison said last week that the law enforcement narrative and subsequent news article made the situation seem more serious than it was in reality. The disagreement never rose to the level of assault, she said.

“The article makes it sound like serious abuse and it wasn’t,” she said.

Purkhiser denied any wrongdoing when speaking with deputies that evening. He also denied engaging in domestic abuse in his past, which investigators later learned was false. According to court documents, Derryberry found a 2012 domestic battery conviction out of Duval County, Fla. Court documents also list a 2019 assault with intent to murder conviction.

Derryberry wrote that Heather Harrison’s ex-husband also shared concerns about Purkhiser’s past. William Harrison told deputies that he had once brought Purkhiser to a dinner with Tim Newton. Purkhiser raised red flags and Newton, described in the document as a former child protection officer, decided to check into his background, eventually uncovering his medical history, according to court documents.

Tim Newton declined to comment on his investigation and Katrina Newton said the couple “was not interested in sharing” any more information.

Owing to Purkhiser’s criminal history, prosecutors charged him with felony partner or family member assault, third offense. In the initial charging documents, they also accused him of two counts of tampering with a witness and informants for allegedly calling Harrison from the county jail in late January and early February. On both calls, which violated a no-contact order, Purkhiser allegedly encouraged Harrison to change her story and refuse to cooperate with investigators.

Harrison earlier this month said that she asked Purkhiser to call her from the jail.

“He was calling me, but then they blocked my number because of the no contact order,” she said.

Harrison said she has asked the courts and petitioned Purkhiser’s attorney to see the no contact order dropped, without success.

“I’ve tried repeatedly to get the no contact order terminated and no one is doing it,” she said. “No one is helping me.”

According to the amended information, filed in district court on Feb. 22, Purkhiser has kept up his lobbying from the county detention center. Two of the charges stem from Feb. 3, one on Feb. 4, two from Feb. 5, two from Feb. 7, two from Feb. 8, one from Feb. 9, two from Feb. 10, one from Feb. 11, two from Feb 12 and three from Feb 13.

Purkhiser was scheduled to be arraigned again on March 14, but the case was continued.

Partner or family member assault, third or subsequent offense, is punishable by between 30 days and five years at the Montana State Prison and a fine of between $500 and $50,000. The tampering with a witness and informants charges carry a maximum punishment of up to 10 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine.