Russian roulette convict returned to county jail

A Libby man who pleaded no contest to his involvement in the death of another local during a game of Russian roulette last year was returned to the county jail following multiple traffic offenses earlier this summer.

Keigan I. Ball, 23, was sentenced Feb. 29 in Lincoln County District Court to a 3-year deferred term following his plea to a felony count of criminal endangerment on Dec. 4, 2023. A charge of negligent homicide was dismissed as part of a plea deal. Ball originally faced a 10-year sentence.

In the Russian roulette case, Ball, as he said to an investigator following the shooting, believed he had unloaded his gun during the incident on Memorial Day weekend.

Cuffe said it was, “a difficult case. There was poor judgement the whole way around and it rose to the level of a felony.”

Cuffe also described Ball as a low risk to reoffend and his criminal history only included minor traffic offenses.

According to court documents, 30-year-old Shane Ellison died in the tragic shooting on May 27, 2023, that occurred when he mistakenly shot himself with a revolver that he thought was unloaded.

In the recent traffic cases, Ball was stopped by county deputy Cody Dewitt at 10:32 p.m. Aug. 9, 2024, on Louisiana Avenue after the officer saw a motorcyclist turn from Ninth Street to Louisiana Ave. and quickly sped up in a careless manner. Dewitt learned Ball’s driver’s license was revoked and he was listed as a habitual traffic offender.

The officer gave Ball a verbal warning for careless driving and citations for driving on a suspended license and as a habitual offender.

Then, at 10:23 p.m. Sept. 15, Libby police officer Caleb Thomas stopped Ball after seeing a black 1993 Dodge Stealth without license plates traveling 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. He also reported the Dodge did not stop for a red traffic light.

Thomas said Ball didn’t have proof of insurance and dispatch reported his driver’s license was revoked and the car registration was expired. Dispatch also indicated Ball had four previous convictions for driving without insurance between Dec. 30, 2022, and June 20, 2023.

Ball appeared in City Court Sept. 16 and pleaded guilty to being a habitual offender operating a motor vehicle, driving on a suspended or revoked license, failing to carry proof of insurance, driving on an expired registration and other traffic offenses.

City Court Judge Jay Sheffield sentenced Ball to serve a total of 31 days in the county jail. For the habitual offender conviction, the sentence was one year with 344 days suspended.

Ball must all pay $3,060 in fines and fees by Sept. 16, 2025. Ball’s driving privileges are also suspended for one year.

The investigation into the last year’s criminal endangerment case began when Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies Anthony Jenson and Ben Fisher responded to the scene at a location on Farm to Market Road. Jenson saw a Dodge Stealth that had come to a stop in a chain link fence. He saw Ellison laying just outside the driver’s side door of the vehicle.

Jenson also saw two men standing at the end of the driveway, one of whom he recognized as Ball. Jenson wrote in his report that Ball’s arms and jacket were covered with blood.

The deputy approached Ball and asked him what happened. Ball allegedly said, “It was (expletive) unloaded.” Ball then told the officer he and Ellison had been messing around. He said they would usually go into the woods, put one in the chamber and play Russian roulette. Ball allegedly said he emptied the revolver and left the loaded cartridges in his hand. He then handed the gun to Ellison who spun the cylinder, put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger, according to court filings.

According to Jenson’s report, Ball said he drove to the current location where Ellison had been living in a shed on the property because he didn’t know what to do.

Deputy Fisher found four live rounds in the grass near Ball’s vehicle. Fisher’s inspection of the gun showed it held five rounds. One spent round was in the cylinder behind the firing pin.