Dixon killer gets life

THOMPSON FALLS – Almost one full year after committing a brutal murder that shook the small town of Dixon, Nathan Lee William Calvert was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Judge Deborah K. Christopher sentenced Calvert to two life sentences at the Montana State Prison to run consecutively with another 80 years to run concurrently with the life sentences. Because Calvert spared the family a painful trial by pleading guilty to the crime, Christopher elected not to impose a parole restriction, as many family members had wanted.

“He had nothing to lose by taking this matter to trial,” said Judge Christopher. “Quite frankly, the family had a lot more to lose if they had to relive this in the public eye.”

It was made clear in court that Calvert suffered from a mental disease but the focus of the case had recently shifted to whether he would be sent to the Montana State Prison or the Montana State Hospital. Various healthcare professionals provided testimony recommending that Calvert be housed in the Montana State Hospital instead of prison.

Testimony of the victims – and a recommendation from the state – suggested otherwise.

Several relatives of Doug Morigeau, who died in the Dec. 2012 attack, took the stand to articulate their pain.

Among them was Morigeau’s younger sister, Elene Morigeau Marion, who described her close relationship to her brother.

“I was very close to my brother so it’s difficult to give you an accurate picture of the overwhelming effect this has had on me,” said Marion. “It’s never going to bring my brother back.”

Morigeau’s widow, Cheryl Morigeau, also went before the court to speak, her voice quieted by damage to her vocal cords that was sustained when Calvert slit her throat in the violent home invasion.

Morigeau explained that to this day she doesn’t understand why this happened to her and her family.

“I don’t understand why this man picked our house, I probably never will,” Morigeau said.

“I have a lot of consequences from Mr. Calvert’s actions. I’ve lost my husband, my family has lost their dad, their grandpa, their uncle, their brother. I lost my home,” said Morigeau, who no longer lives at the house she once called home with her husband because the memories are too painful.

“I’ll never be 100 percent,” she said.

When Calvert was asked if he had anything to say to the family, his response was simple.

“Nothing I can say will bring closure for what I’ve done,” Calvert said.

Following the individual statements, county attorney Bob Zimmerman said that the state’s recommendation paralleled that of the family – the maximum punishment without parole.

During sentencing, Judge Christopher said Calvert’s long history of violence weighed in the court’s decision.

“It was clear reading [his] history that he had been given a number of chances,” Christopher said.

“He is and will remain an incredible threat to the public for the rest of his life unless there is some significant change in our ability to treat mental illness.”