Plea agreement reached for Big Arm man

A plea agreement left a jury trial vacated that was scheduled earlier this week.

According to district court documents, on Friday, Dec. 14, a motion enter a change of plea for Joseph Conko Parizeau, 23, of Big Arm, was entered by Lake County Attorney Steven Eschenbacher.

“A Plea Agreement has been reached between the parties,” Eschenbacher stated in the document.

Parizeau has been charged with homicide for June death of 24-year-old Cassandra Harris.

Originally, Parizeau was scheduled for a jury trial Tuesday, Dec. 18 in front of District 20 Court Judge James A. Manley.

The change of plea hearing was moved to Wednesday, Dec. 19, documents show.

Court documents allege that Parizeau pushed Harris out of a moving vehicle in the McDonald Lake area after Harris met up with Parizeau, Donnovan Sherwood, 19, of Ravalli, and Julia Vaile, 18, of Missoula.

A charge against a fourth person, Gale Hendrickx III, of Pablo, was dismissed out of Lake County Justice Court.

Sherwood was handed a deferred sentence on Nov. 29 for an obstruction charge, stemming from his involvement in the case.

As of press time Tuesday, Parizeau was at the Lake County Jail on a $150,000 bond for the negligent homicide charge.

Sherwood was also at the jail on a $100,000 bond for a partner/family member assault charge stemming from a Dec. 4 incident, as well as a probation violation.

More information regarding the plea agreement was not available at press time Tuesday.

Vaile is scheduled for a trial in January.