Former Libby man accused of custodial interference

A former Libby resident is locked up in the Lincoln County Detention Center on felony custodial interference charges.

Almanzo Blake Canavan, 38, of Kalispell pleaded not guilty to the charge in Nov. 25 in district court. His next court hearing is set for Jan. 6.

Canavan was lodged in the jail Nov. 14 on $100,000 bail.

According to the narrative by county Det. Derek Breiland, the grandmother of Canavan’s child came to the sheriff’s office Oct. 24 seeking help in finding the boy. She has been the legal guardian of the child since 2016. She allowed the child to stay with Canavan for a few weeks in the spring, but he allegedly refused to return the child to her, despite multiple court orders demanding him to do so.

The grandmother learned the child may be in Washington with Canavan’s ex-wife, who is not the child’s mother. Canavan, in phone conversations with Breiland and the grandmother, said he didn’t know where the child was.

A computer records check indicated the child was in Washington. Breiland asked Snohomish County law officers to check the address. Ultimately, he learned from the Everett Police Department that the child was at the home with Traci Canavan and was fine.

The grandmother then had to obtain a court order to get the child returned to her.

Nov. 6, Breiland filed another narrative reporting the grandmother filed motions on Oct. 18 to have her grandson returned to her. An order stated the child must be returned to the woman within seven days, but it hadn’t yet happened.

Breiland said he called Traci Canavan multiple times, but hadn’t spoken to her. According to Breiland, Blake Canavan refused to give him any more information about the child and said he wouldn’t return the child.

Breiland called Traci Canavan Nov. 6, left a voicemail and told her the child needed to be returned to his grandmother immediately. He reported he hadn’t heard back from her.

Snohomish County jail records indicate Traci Canavan was booked Nov. 9 on a custody transfer charge. She was released on Nov. 25.

Deputy county attorney Lauren O’Neill is prosecuting the case while Ben Kolter is defending Canavan.

A conviction on the charge may result in a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.