Jamie Doran / Valley Press
Cutline: Tom Jones was an active member of the Polson City Council.
A Polson man accused of murdering his father Aug. 30 had his initial appearance in front of Judge Deborah Kim Christopher Tuesday morning at the Sanders County Courthouse.
Ross Johnson, 20, has been charged with deliberate homicide, a felony, which can be punishable by death, life imprisonment, or no less than 10 years in jail.
Johnson is accused of shooting his father, Roger Johnson, in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun. Roger Johnson’s body was found outside of Thompson Falls near the Clark Fork River. After allegedly shooting his father, Johnson went back to his home in Lake County, where he engaged in a two-day standoff with police.
At the initial appearance both the county attorney, Coleen Magera, and Johnson’s attorney Noel Larivee agreed to have the matter continued for an arraignment on Oct. 7. Larivee said that he and Magera are currently trying to contact mental health facilities to have an examination of Johnson done and possibly have him committed.
Johnson was being held in the Sanders County jail on a $1 million bond, however, further investigation by authorities into the actual location of the murder scene indicates the case - and Johnson - may be returning to Flathead county.