A California man faces three felony charges, including attempted murder, after police say he stabbed a Kalispell homeowner during a Dec. 12 home invasion because “it felt good.”
Prosecutors with the Flathead County Attorney’s Office have charged Dante Kirpal Kier, 19, of Santa Barbara, Calif., with attempted deliberate homicide, aggravated burglary and assault with a weapon. All three charges are felonies.
According to charging documents filed in Flathead District Court, homeowner Brian Bay was fixing the dishwasher in his southeast Kalispell house when he went out to the garage to get a tool. His wife and children were home as well.
When he returned inside, Bay said he saw Kier in the hallway. Bay confronted the intruder, who had a weapon in his hand. During the confrontation, Kier allegedly stabbed Bay in the upper arm and inside his mouth.
Prosecutors say Kier then tried to stab Bay in the ribs numerous times with what turned out to be a wood-handled steak knife. Investigators said the blade was “bent severely” after the stabbing.
Bay wrestled Kier to the ground and held him while his wife called the police at about 9:35 p.m. Officers arrived and arrested Kier. Police say Bay’s wife and children were unharmed during the incident.
Bay was taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center where he received treatment for his injuries, which included the stab wounds to his arm and mouth, as well as bruising on his chest.
Once Kier was taken into custody, court records state that he agreed to talk with investigators without an attorney, making several voluntary statements about entering the Bays’ home and that he had “attempted murder” because “it felt good.”
When police officers canvassed the neighborhood, several of the Bays’ neighbors said they found notes on their windows that said, “Your house is being watched tonight by … the creeps.”
Kier also allegedly told police that he is a member of the Insane Clown Posse gang, and referred to himself as a Juggalo. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment, law enforcement in at least 21 states have identified criminal Juggalo sub-sets.
Juggalos are typically fans of the Insane Clown Posse, a hip-hop duo from Detroit. The duo has denounced violence in previous media interviews.
According to court documents, Kier has a conviction in Santa Barbara for entering a non-commercial dwelling in 2010. Charging documents also state that Kier’s father called KPD and said his son has a history of drug abuse and mental illness and “he believes Kier should stay in jail out of concern for the public and his son.”
Kier is in custody at the Flathead County Detention Center on $500,000 bail. Because a dangerous weapon was allegedly used in the crime, Kier faces up to 110 years in prison for attempted deliberate homicide alone.