Eureka man sentenced in intimidation case

A Eureka man received a deferred sentence in Lincoln County District Court on June 5 in relation to a 2022 case in which he threatened to murder his ex-wife.

According to court documents, Joseph Daniel Heil, 38, pleaded no contest to one felony count of intimidation for alleged acts he committed in March 2022. The plea deal calls for a 3-year sentence. A sentencing date has not been set.

Heil originally faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in the Montana State Prison.

Heil initially pleaded not guilty on June 20, 2022. He has remained in the Lincoln County Detention Center since then.

During a hearing last year, Heil's public defender Keenan Gallagher sought his release, saying his client is indigent and if released, he wouldn’t be living in Eureka, but instead, would live in Polson. The attorney also characterized Heil as “more of a public nuisance and that his behavior can be easily corrected.”

But Lincoln County Attorney Marcia Boris said the state’s concerns were that “within the last three months, four people have restraining orders against him.”

“We believe he’s a significant threat to the victim and the public,” Boris said. “We’d prefer his bail stay where’s it at.”

According to information in the complaint against Heil, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Bo Pittman reported that Heil moved from Kalispell to Eureka sometime in March 2022. From March 29 to May 26, law officers in Eureka responded to eight calls involving Heil, according to the charging document. The calls included four disturbances, a threat, two disorderly conducts and a public safety complaint.

Pittman reported that in the two-month time period, Heil was served with two restraining orders from people he allegedly threatened as well as his ex-wife and father, both of whom live in Kalispell, who recently obtained restraining orders against the defendant. Heil’s father said his son threatened him via phone and text and also allegedly posted a video on social media threatening to kill his ex-wife.

When Pittman spoke to the ex-wife, she said after watching the video, she applied for and received a protection order. She also told the officer that Heil’s behavior was the worst she’s ever seen, according to court documents. She also said he texted her threats that included “I dream of murdering you.”

She told Pittman that when Heil stopped taking his medication in September 2021, she stopped letting him see his 4-year-old son, according to the charging document. She said that’s when Heil became upset and allegedly began threatening her.

It wasn’t the first time Heil allegedly threatened his ex-wife. She received a temporary order of protection against him in August 2018. She was concerned for the welfare of her child, 10 months old at the time, her parents and others.

In the petition, she said Heil’s behavior changed after he allegedly bought cocaine from a local person in Mexico on March 7, 2018. She said he was admitted to the psychiatric unit of the Billings Clinic on March 21. The woman also said Heil was arrested in Whitefish after getting into a fight outside a bar.

She also said that Heil was admitted to Pathways on April 24, 2018, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

According to Flathead County District Court records, another former wife of Heil’s received an order of protection in April 2018 because of her concerns over his behavior and alleged threats he made due to a mental illness. 


In March 2022, a former coworker of Heil’s also requested an order of protection against Heil. The man said Heil threatened his wife and son as well as his ex-wife. The man said Heil also threatened other people who worked for the construction company where the two worked together in 2017.