Columbia Falls man sentenced to 20 years in Montana State Hospital after fatal stabbing in 2022

A 25-year-old man who admitted fatally stabbing his sister’s boyfriend in Columbia Falls two years ago was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison at Montana State Hospital.

Zain Alexander Rayne Glass of Columbia Falls pleaded guilty to negligent homicide before Flathead County District Court Judge Robert Allison in August.

Judge Allison also sentenced Glass to an additional three years in prison at Montana State Hospital as a result of a previous charge and probation violation in 2017, to run concurrently, and ordered him to pay $8,487 in restitution to the victim’s compensation unit the crime. Glass was given credit for 759 days served.

As part of the plea deal, the initial charge of intentional homicide was amended to a felony count of negligent homicide. Glass’s public defenders, Dianne Rice and Nick Aemisegger, and Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner, jointly recommended that the defendant be taken into custody by the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and sentenced to twenty years the Montana State Hospital would be placed with credit for time served.

Glass previously pleaded not guilty to the original charge of intentional homicide in February 2024, more than a year after he was arrested in September 2022.

Shortly after Glass’s arrest more than two years ago, the defendant was deemed mentally unfit to enter a plea and was admitted to Montana State Hospital, where he was diagnosed with multiple disorders. He began a treatment plan and doctors performed several condition assessments before he was transported to the Flathead County Detention Center nearly a year later.

During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Glass apologized to the court and described Lukas Davis’ death as an accident.

“There had been an accident – ​​my mind wasn’t in the right mindset,” Glass said. “My sister had been arguing with Lukas for a while and I was afraid for the safety of her and myself. My apologies – there are things I should have done differently. I can’t change what happened.”

Although Judge Allison did not recognize the incident as an accident, he hoped Glass’s mental condition would improve at Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs.

“I don’t think this was an accident in any way, other than just the unfortunate tragic outcome of a life poorly lived up to that point that has led us to where we are today, and I hope they stay in Warm Springs for a while. to make sure you’re okay,” Judge Allison said.

Judge Allison referred to Glass’s extensive drug use, which he said likely exacerbated his mental disorders. He banned the use of alcohol and drugs, including marijuana, when he was released from the state hospital.

“I am of the opinion that drugs played a role in Mr. Glass’s behavior,” Judge Allison said. “Many people with mental illness use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate.”

Before the sentencing, Ahner, the Flathead County attorney, described Glass’s drug use as the root cause of the tragedy that began when he first tried marijuana at age 11. His drug use continued to escalate and he began using synthetic marijuana known as “spice.” ” at age 15, which led to his first psychotic episode, followed by methamphetamine use at age 16.

“In this case, it caused real harm to Mr. Glass and led to the death of Lukas Davis,” Ahner said.

Davis’ mother provided a victim impact statement to the court, expressing her frustration at the defendant’s lack of responsibility and blaming those close to him for not taking his condition seriously. Although she described Glass as distant and unrepentant, she hoped he would receive treatment during his sentence to help him safely reenter society one day.

“You had to kill someone before anyone paid attention to it,” Jodie Davis said.

According to charging documents, Glass was arrested on September 21, 2022, after his sister reported he stabbed her boyfriend following a verbal argument in her bedroom. When Davis left the room, Glass stood in the hallway and stabbed him.

Glass’s sister then locked him out of the house until an officer from the Columbia Falls Police Department arrived and saw Glass standing in the yard with a knife in his hand. After being ordered to drop the knife, he was handcuffed. He later told investigators during an interview that the stabbing “was an accident,” the documents state.

According to documents, authorities found Davis with a knife wound to his abdomen. He was transported to Logan Health where he was pronounced dead.

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