As officers led a weeping Kala Renee Knaus out of the packed Flathead County District Court courtroom Tuesday, she gazed at the father of the woman she killed in a drunken 2025 collision and nodded weakly.  

Fighting back tears, Scott Sladek — the father of Alyssa Sladek — raised his hands and waved in acknowledgement before Knaus disappeared through a door.  

The moment of recognition capped Knaus’ emotional April 28 sentencing on one count of felony vehicular homicide. Knaus repeatedly broke down as friends and family reflected on Sladek’s life and impact.   

Knaus, 32, of Kalispell pleaded guilty earlier this year to killing Sladek in a motor vehicle accident near Bigfork in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2025. Following the recommendations made in a plea agreement, Judge Heidi Ulbricht sentenced Knaus to 20 years in the Montana State Women’s Prison with 10 years suspended. Knaus will pay $12,537 in restitution to Sladek’s family for funeral expenses.  

“I can’t say I’m sorry enough,” Knaus said to Sladek’s family and friends from the witness stand. “I read all your letters. I’ve gotten to know [Sladek] ... I’m so sorry I’m the reason she’s no longer here.” 

In victim impact statements, those who knew Sladek remembered her as an adventurous and caring woman whose catchphrase, “don’t be boring,” shaped the trajectory of her life. Sladek, who was 37 when she died, loved to travel and taught English in China for three years. She had recently returned home to Montana to help care for her father, who has Parkinson’s disease.  

Addressing Knaus, Sladek’s family members grappled with the young woman’s role in the death of a daughter, sister and friend. They reflected on many of the moments they shared with Sladek and lamented the loss of future moments.  

“[Alyssa] would have still wanted the best for you, and she would have wanted you to know Jesus,” said Janelle Pedersen, one of Sladek’s five sisters.  

Throughout the hearing, Sladek’s friends and family referenced their Christian faith and, with shaking voices, expressed a desire to forgive Knaus. They hoped the tragic event would mark a turning point in her life.  

Ulbricht characterized Knaus’s decision to drink and drive as “reckless and selfish.”  

When first responders arrived at the scene of the crash, they found Sladek dead behind the wheel of a heavily damaged red Kia Rio and an allegedly belligerent Knaus inside a Subaru Forester. Testing later determined her blood alcohol content was at 0.188, which is more than twice the legal limit, according to court documents. 

Investigators concluded that Knaus was driving north on Montana 35 when she crossed the center line and headed into the southbound lane, striking Sladek's Kia. Sladek died from blunt force trauma suffered during the collision, court documents said.    

Sladek had spent the evening ringing in the New Year with her family and then her friends. One friend remembered a long conversation with Sladek that night in which Sladek spoke excitedly about her plans for the next year. She was applying for a job in Malaysia and wanted to hike the Lost Coast Trail in California.  

Knaus’s friends and family filled the courtroom, but defense attorney Sean Hinchey only called on Knaus as a witness. He said the written character statements submitted to the court were sufficient testimony of Knaus’ remorse and efforts to address substance use disorders. 

Ulbricht acknowledged Knaus’s decision to take responsibility for the crash. Prior to the fatal wreck, Knaus’s only criminal history was a speeding ticket.  

“I will strive to live my life to the fullest and honor her and to help others the way she did, to take on life with curiosity and compassion,” Knaus said. “I plan to dedicate this second chance to helping others and being an advocate against drunk driving and to help others who are struggling with addiction and alcoholism.” 

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.

    Kala Renee Knaus is escorted into the courtroom for her sentencing hearing in Flathead County District Court on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider