Sentencing is set in stabbing case

SANDPOINT — A sentencing hearing is set for a Washington state man accused of stabbing another man in Laclede last spring.

Shawn Montgomery Harp is scheduled to be sentenced in 1st District Court on August 21, court records show. Montgomery was originally charged with attempted murder, but pleaded guilty to an amended charge of aggravated battery.

Harp, a 34-year-old Spokane resident, faces up to 15 years in prison, although a plea agreement in the case is recommending a three- to seven-year prison term.

Harp is accused of stabbing another man in the back and chest, without apparent provocation, during a gathering in Laclede on April 16. He fled the scene in a homeowner’s utility terrain vehicle and became the subject of an overnight manhunt that resulted in his capture by Bonner County sheriff’s deputies.

In addition to the attempted murder charge, Harp was charged with operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent and possession of a marijuana pipe. He also faced a series of charging enhancements that had the potential for a lifelong prison term.

Those enhancements included use of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony and being a persistent violator because Harp has two prior felony convictions..

However, the enhancements were taken off the table amid plea negotiations. The motor vehicle and paraphernalia charges were also dismissed in exchange for a plea, according to court records. Harp is being held at the Bonner County Jail in lieu of more than $250,000 bail.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.