A 39-year-old Flathead Valley man who allegedly stabbed his father in the neck with a kitchen knife on Thursday is facing an attempted deliberate homicide charge in Flathead County District Court. 

Anthony Louis Defazio remains behind bars in the county jail with bail set at $200,000 following his June 6 arrest. He is expected to appear before Judge Heidi Ulbricht on June 27 for his arraignment on the felony charge. 

The victim told authorities that he was finishing up breakfast at the kitchen table of his Farm to Market Road home on June 6 when Defazio sidled up next to him, according to court documents. The younger man allegedly shoved his father out of the chair. On the ground, the victim recalled feeling pressure on his neck, court documents said. 

“He’s dead, he’s dead,” the victim heard his son say, according to court documents. 

That’s when the victim hollered out for help, summoning his wife who struck Defazio with an object, court documents alleged. As Defazio backed off, the victim saw his son holding a 4- to 6-inch kitchen knife. 

Defazio allegedly fled before Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the home. They found blood pooling around the kitchen table and flowing down the front of the victim’s chest, according to court documents. He was holding a towel to his neck to staunch the flow of blood. 

“I’m OK, but as soon as I let go it starts pouring out of me,” he told deputies. 

As deputies provided the victim with what court documents describe as life-saving aid, authorities were on the lookout for Defazio. Deputies working alongside officers with the Whitefish Police Department found his vehicle and took Defazio into custody, according to court documents. They also allegedly spotted a bloody knife in the center console of Defazio’s vehicle. 

Attempted deliberate homicide is punishable by life imprisonment or between 10 and 100 years in Montana State Prison. Because Defazio allegedly used a knife, he could see an additional two to 10 years tacked onto his sentence if he is convicted. 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].