Hale family frustrated with pace of justice

Last Wednesday was a sunny morning – too beautiful for the sadness members of Kaylee Hale’s family and friends felt as they gathered in front of the Lake County Courthouse. Ravens cawed raucously as Hale’s grandmother and aunts handed out bright red signs and t-shirts reading “Justice for Kaylee.”

Hale’s family was on hand for John Philip Donaldson’s appearance in Polson District Court on charges of partner or family member abuse related to Hale, as well as obstruction of justice, and felony assault on a peace officer.

Those charges are tied to an incident on Dec. 30, 2023, at Mission Meadows RV Park north of Ronan. According to charging documents, law enforcement responded to a report that “a male had ripped a girl out of a camper and threw her to the ground” at a rental space in the park. When deputies arrived, they located Donaldson in a vehicle, and he refused police orders to exit.

Donaldson allegedly fought so vigorously with deputies as they tried to remove him that they all went to the ground. Witnesses told deputies Donaldson had pulled Hale from the camper, and then “hovered” over Hale as she screamed and cried while on the ground. The deputies observed that witnesses helped the paraplegic woman off the ground, and documented bruising and other injuries to Hale.

Donaldson, 45, is also the primary suspect in Hale’s suspicious death, which occurred March 27, 2024, in Whitefish, although charges have not been filed in Flathead County.

“It’s been almost a year since Kaylee’s death. The family was told to kind of keep it hush-hush because they (Flathead County law enforcement) were waiting for crime lab results,” said Carla Matt, Hale’s aunt. “We’re done being quiet.”

After the first incident, Donaldson was jailed, then posted bail and was released on his own recognizance Jan. 9 and ordered by the court to have no contact with Hale. On March 28, Deputy Lake County Attorney Lori Adams asked that his recognizance bond be forfeited and revoked, that the court issue a warrant for his arrest, and that his bond be set at $50,000.

Donaldson was jailed and posted bond again. A trial on the Lake County charges was originally set for July 19, 2024, has been reset three times, and is now scheduled for Feb. 24, 2026, with Adams prosecuting the case.

According to the initial report on Hale’s death, police believe she may have been murdered by asphyxiation, and duct tape may have been used.

Whitefish Police were alerted to Hale’s “suspicious death” on March 27, 2024, when they were contacted by attorney Ryan Peabody. He called the police on behalf of Donaldson, who was staying in a camper at the Whitefish RV Park. Upon arrival, an officer located Peabody and Donaldson standing outside a trailer.

Donaldson had informed Peabody that there was a deceased female in the trailer, identified as Hale, and indicated to the officer that she had “fallen” into the bathroom door and died sometime overnight.

A coroner’s warrant was issued by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office when Donaldson invoked his right to avoid self-incrimination as advised by Peabody. Hale’s death remains under investigation and no charges had been filed in Flathead County as of press time.

According to Hale’s dad, Randy Mattson, “Anything we know about what happened to my daughter is what has come out in the paper. We want transparency.”