The Kalispell teenager who shot his sister in the head on Halloween 2024 was sentenced Tuesday to Montana State Prison for 40 years, with nine of those years suspended.  

Kiefer Joshua Votaw, 15, pleaded guilty to attempted deliberate homicide in Flathead County District Court shortly before Judge Paul Sullivan handed down the sentence on June 23.  

Votaw was ordered to pay $19,376 in restitution to the crime victim compensation program and received credit for 861 days of time served.  

Votaw leaned over the railing and embraced his grandparents upon learning his sentence. His grandmother, teary-eyed, kissed his cheek before he was taken back into custody to serve his sentence.  

Defense Attorney Jason Bryan read aloud a statement written by Votaw apologizing to his family for his actions.  

“I feel guilty and remorseful for shooting my sister, and for putting my family through all of this. I feel like I have made it so they can’t trust me,” the statement read. “I can’t even think of how to rebuild our relationship, and I know that I have forever changed their lives and my own.”  

“I can't give you a reason exactly as to why I shot my sister, because I myself am still trying to figure that out,” it read.  

In the statement, Votaw said that his deceased father was emotionally unstable and said awful things to him and his siblings that may have contributed to his actions.  

Deputy County Attorney Larissa Malloy, who prosecuted the case, sought a harsher sentence for Votaw, arguing that the attack was planned and calculated, and that he showed no remorse immediately after shooting his sister.  

Following the shooting, Votaw’s then 16-year-old sister was rushed to the hospital for surgery that involved removing portions of her skull and required months of rehabilitation, according to court documents. Malloy said that there are still bullet fragments lodged in her head.  

Kalispell Detective Brady Gray testified that Votaw had been watching videos of people dying on his phone up to a year prior to the attack to desensitize himself. Gray also said that while being interviewed, Votaw smiled at the surveillance camera whenever authorities left the room.  

Bryan argued that his client was diagnosed with autism, which can affect how he expresses emotions and may lead to behavior that appears inappropriate.  

Jennifer Ball, an investigator for the public defender’s office and licensed clinical social worker, testified that she spent 80-hour work weeks talking with Votaw. She said that over that time she gained Votaw’s trust and learned about his difficult upbringing, which involved an abusive father who tricked him into drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana as young as 11 years old.  

Ball said Votaw showed remorse for shooting his sister, believes he can be rehabilitated and eventually reenter society.   

THE SHOOTING on the 400 block of South Meridian Road occurred while Votaw’s mother and 18-year-old brother had left home to run a brief errand, according to court documents.  

That’s when Votaw retrieved a gun from the family safe, tested its operations, loaded it and gathered extra ammunition. Then he shot his 16-year-old sister once in the head, court documents said.  

While Kalispell Police officers responded to the South Meridian Road home, Votaw arrived in the Police Department lobby, where he admitted to shooting his sister and a 9 mm handgun was seized from him, court documents said. 

Gray testified that Votaw walked an indirect route from his home to the police station, passing Peterson Elementary School as students were being dismissed. Gray said Votaw likely intended to harm the students before ultimately deciding against it, discarding bullets near the school. Votaw also allegedly tossed a loaded magazine by a coffee shop on Center Street.  

Bryan called Gray’s accusation speculative, arguing that the route Votaw took was one that he and his family regularly walked.  

Sullivan said imposing the sentence was difficult for him both as a judge and as a father, and he ultimately sided with the defense’s argument that Votaw was emotionally affected by his actions.   

“She will carry the literal scars. But also the figurative, metaphorical scars for the rest of her life. I suspect Mr. Votaw, that you will too,” Sullivan said. 

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support. 

    Kiefer Joshua Votaw appears for his change of plea hearing in Flathead County District Court on Tuesday, June 23. Votaw, 15, is charged as an adult with attempted deliberate homicide in connection with the Oct. 31, 2024 shooting that left his teenage sister hospitalized. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Kiefer Joshua Votaw appears for his change of plea hearing in Flathead County District Court on Tuesday, June 23. Votaw, 15, is charged as an adult with attempted deliberate homicide in connection with the Oct. 31, 2024 shooting that left his teenage sister hospitalized. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider