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VERNAL — In a recorded interview with a Uintah County sheriff's sergeant, Montana Stubbs tries to make it clear more than once that he was acting in self-defense when he repeatedly stabbed a man in August.
The man — armed with a small propane canister — was hitting Kaden Holmes over and over in the head, Stubbs told the sergeant. Holmes had a 9 mm handgun, according to investigators.
"He was determined to kill Kaden," Stubbs said. "I don't know how many times I stabbed him because I was starting to black out.
"I wasn't even thinking anything," Stubbs continued. "I was thinking, 'I'm going to … die if this guy gets that gun away from Kaden.'"
Police and prosecutors say there's one big problem with Stubbs' claim of self-defense. They say Stubbs and Holmes, along with Lynn Richens, were in the process of burglarizing a trailer home in the middle of the night when the homeowner decided to fight back.
On Friday, Judge Ed Peterson ordered the trio to stand trial in 8th District Court on charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and conspiracy. Peterson also ruled that there was sufficient evidence to support an alternative charge of attempted murder against Stubbs; however, he asked the prosecution and defense to submit legal briefs to the court before he decides whether Stubbs should stand trial on that charge as well.
Stubbs, 21, and Holmes, 23, each told investigators Richens came to them in August with a plan to burglarize Steven Kidd's trailer home on North Vernal Avenue. Richens, 25, allegedly told the pair Kidd had a safe in the home that contained drugs and money.
In the recorded interview with the sheriff's sergeant that was played in court Friday, Stubbs talked about the preparations the three men made before going to Kidd's home on Aug. 21. They wrapped heavy-duty tape around their shoes in an apparent effort to obscure their footprints, he said. Stubbs told investigators he was armed with a knife, while Holmes had a handgun that belonged to Richens.
Stubbs told the sergeant Holmes offered him the gun at one point and asked, "Are you down with pulling the trigger?"
"I'm not the kind of person who could pull a trigger," Stubbs said.
When the men reached Kidd's trailer, which sits on a large lot surrounded by other dilapidated camp trailers, rusting cars and trash, Stubbs said they simply opened the door and went inside.
"We didn't break in," he said.
Stubbs and Holmes entered the room where Kidd was sleeping and woke Kidd up. They both told investigators Kidd armed himself with a propane canister and began swinging. In the ensuing struggle, Kidd was able to gain control of the handgun despite being stabbed multiple times.
Stubbs, Holmes and Richens ran from the trailer as Kidd fired two shots in their direction, court records show. One of those shots hit Stubbs in the leg.
"The last time I looked back at (Kidd), he had the gun pointed at my head," Stubbs told investigators, adding later, "It wasn't my intention to hurt this guy."
Kidd, 50, managed to make it to the street before collapsing. Passers-by provided first aid until an ambulance arrived and took him to Ashley Regional Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery. Investigators said they found drug paraphernalia in Kidd's home, but did not find any drugs.
Stubbs told investigators he, Holmes and Richens went to Richens' home after the incident, where they cleaned and bandaged his wounded leg. In the recorded interview, Stubbs said he used heroin to help dull the pain before eventually being taken to the hospital for treatment by a family member.
A member of Stubbs' family also called Stubbs' probation officer to notify him about the shooting, according to investigators. Richens and Holmes were taken into custody a short time later.
All three men remain in the Uintah County Jail, where they are being held without bail. They are due in court Jan. 5 for a status hearing.
