The two men charged with crimes relating to the death of a Ronan man have now been convicted for their involvement. 

James Lawrence, 71, entered a plea of guilty in District Court in Polson April 22 to deliberate homicide and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in the death Ed Loder, 67. The plea was entered as part of an agreement that calls for the state recommending 50 years Montana State Prison for deliberate homicide, and 10 years on the tampering charge. 

The defense reserved the right to argue for a lesser sentence and present mitigating evidence at sentencing. Judge Molly Owen tentatively set sentencing for June 12 at 9 a.m.

Jonathan Michael Drennan-Beck, 31, pleaded guilty in District Court in Polson April 9 to two counts of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence for deleting information from an electronic device.* 

The plea came as part of a plea agreement that comes with a joint recommendation of 10 years in the Montana State Prison on each count to run consecutive for a total of 20 years. It will dismiss at sentencing one count of deliberate homicide by accountability and one count of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

His case was before Judge John A. Mercer. A sentencing date for Drennan-Beck will be set at a later time. 

The case began with a missing persons complaint filed on Sept. 4, 2024, as Loder hadn’t been seen since Aug 30, 2024. Blood was identified in an area east of Loder’s residence on Timberlane Road and at least five 9mm shell casings were located near the blood. A pair of bloody eyeglasses were located in a ditch nearby, and Lake County Search and Rescue members began an immediate search of the area. 

The search party increased to include teams on horseback, on foot, and the use of drones. The search ended around 11 p.m. that night. Investigators also searched the Loder residence and located a will that named Loder as the beneficiary of the Mendenhall estate, including 80 acres of land adjacent to the Loder property. Debra and James Lawrence were each bequeathed $5,000 from the estate.

The investigation that followed included data analyzed from Loder’s cell phone to determine when and where he may have been taken. That information, coupled with coinciding camera footage from area businesses and private property, helped investigators locate the general area of where Loder’s body was. Investigators used that same phone data, DNA and surveillance cameras to link both men to Loder’s death. Lawrence ultimately led investigators to Loder’s body.

* This story has been updated to correct the reason for the tampering charge. We apologize for the error.

    Jonathan Michael Drennan-Beck