Former Montana resident scheduled for January court appearance

Former Montana resident Shane Northweather is scheduled to make an appearance next month after his sentencing was continued during court last week.

He is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 4.

According to court records, Northweather, 23, moved to Arkansas earlier this year.

He has been charged with felony charges of arson, aggravated burglary, theft and attempted homicide following a Nov. 20 fire that destroyed the home of an 84-year-old doctor on Shelter Bay Lane in Rollins.

The house was estimated as a $1-million loss.

Witnesses told law enforcement that Northweather visited the property earlier that day to perform yard work.

He told investigators the homeowners allowed him to stay in the guesthouse, to take the homeowner to pick up a prescription drug in the morning, which the homeowner denied.

Northweather is facing maximum penalties of 100 years imprisonment or possible death for the deliberate homicide charge, 20 years imprisonment and up to a $50,000 fine for arson, 40 years imprisonment and up to a $50,000 fine for burglary and 10 years imprisonment and up to a $50,000 fine for the theft charge.