Vaile pleads not guilty in Harris case

One of four suspects linked to the death of a Ronan woman in late June was in court last week, entering her plea to a negligent homicide charge.

Julia Vaile, 18, of Missoula, entered a not guilty plea in the 20th Judicial District Court on Wednesday, Aug. 1, in connection with the death of 24-year-old Ronan resident Cassandra Harris.

Vaile is scheduled to appear for an omnibus hearing Dec. 12 and a jury trial Jan. 14, 2019.

According to court documents, on June 24, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to McDonald Lake for the report of an unconscious woman.

On his way to the scene, the deputy learned that a black Ford F150 truck was seen leaving the area travelling westbound on McDonald Lake Road at high speed.

A few minutes later, a Flathead Reservation Tribal Officer conducted a traffic stop on the truck while the LCSO deputy proceeded to the scene.

As the deputy arrived, EMS was exiting the area with the victim, later identified as Harris.

While at the scene, the deputy met with hikers who discovered Harris, the document states.

When the hikers found Harris’ body, they called 9-1-1.

One of the hikers told the deputy that a black F150 approached while they were on the road waiting for an ambulance, describing the occupants of the vehicle including a young male driver, “a passed out woman in the passenger seat” and another young woman acting “hysterical like she knew and was concerned.”

The driver shared his name with the hiker as Donnovan Sherwood, and asked that the hikers contact him through Facebook to let him know what happened to the woman, Harris.

Sherwood then left the scene “at a high rate of speed.”

The court document then states that initially, Sherwood denied knowing anything happening to Harris, but later sharing information from the incident.

Sherwood was charged with a charge of tampering with evidence.

THE NARRATIVE states that Harris was in communication with Joe Parizeau of Big Arm, meeting him at Taco Bell in Polson, the document says.

Sherwood was picked up by Gale Hendrickx III, of Pablo, as well as Parizeau and Harris.

The group travelled to Missoula to pick up Vaile, who is identified as Hendrickx’s girlfriend in court documents.

Together, they then “went to McDonald Lake to party,” the document reads.

The document then alleges that the group arrived to the party early, so Parizeau and Harris exited the truck.

Parizeau then ran back to the truck, yelling to leave Harris.

Harris tried to catch up to the truck, which was travelling around 10-15 m.p.h., to reenter when Parizeau pushed her, causing her to fall onto the road and hit her head.

Hendrickx, Sherwood and Vaile were released on their own recognizance while Parizeau posted a $25,000 bail earlier this week.

Sherwood is scheduled back in court for an omnibus hearing on Sept. 13 with a jury trial Nov. 26.

Parizeau is scheduled back in court for an omnibus hearing Nov. 14 and jury trial Dec. 17.

More information on Hendrickx’s case, which was dismissed out of Justice Court, was not available.