Petersen pleads guilty

By John Grant Emeigh - 10/03/2008

A Butte man admitted Thursday to causing a deadly, drunken crash almost a year ago that left the bodies of three girls strewn alongside a dark road.

Wade Petersen, 21, changed his plea to guilty to all four felony charges in a hit-and-run accident that killed 14-year-old Mariah McCarthy and severely injured her two best friends.

Dressed in blue jeans and a pull-over Carhartt shirt, Petersen showed no emotion as he pleaded guilty to one count of negligent vehicular homicide, two counts of negligent vehicular assault and a hit-and-run charge involving death or personal injury.

District Judge Brad Newman ordered a pre-sentence investigation before determining Petersen's punishment. Under the plea agreement, Petersen will have to remain in the Butte jail until his sentencing hearing. Since the crash, he has been free on bond.

Petersen can receive as much as 20 years in prison for the vehicular homicide charge, and up to 10 years each on the other three felony charges. (See related story at right.) Petersen drove his pickup truck into three girls, who were all 14 at the time, while they were walking on a pedestrian path along Blacktail Lane in early Oct. 28, 2007. McCarthy was pronounced dead at a Missoula hospital, and her friends, Kaitlyn Okrusch and Valarie Kilmer, were seriously injured.

Police arrested Petersen later that morning at his parents' home at 4399 Blacktail Loop more than an hour after the incident. He told police he was driving his pickup truck that evening and had hit a deer, according to court papers.

Spectators, including detectives and officers with the Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff's Department, packed the courtroom Thursday. Valarie Kilmer is the daughter of a Butte police officer Sgt. Jimm Kilmer.

Petersen's parents, Ray and Lynn Petersen, sat just behind their son and stoically watched the proceedings.

Mariah McCarthy's father, Leo McCarthy, sat a few feet away from Petersen's parents directly across the aisle.

After Thursday's hearing, Leo McCarthy said he believes justice was served, but added it won't make up for the loss he has suffered.

"I can never get my daughter back no matter how many years he (Petersen) sits in prison," McCarthy said outside the courtroom after receiving consoling embraces from family and friends.

During the hearing, Petersen was flanked by his lawyers, Brad Belke and Greg Jackson. Jackson told the judge his client has little recollection about what happened the morning of the hit-and-run. He added that Petersen may have to go through therapy in order to remember most of the events of that day.

However, Jackson admitted a trial would have shown that Petersen had been drinking and was legally intoxicated when he hit the three girls. He also stated that his client left the scene without rendering aid to the victims.

"He caused the accident that killed a young lady and severely injured the other two," Jackson stated.

Petersen made no comments about the incident during the hearing.

Petersen's plea came during a final pre-trial hearing in Butte district court. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges and his trial was set to begin Oct. 14 in Roundup, near Billings.

After the hearing, Jimm Kilmer said he was glad Petersen decided to "act like a man" and plead guilty to his crimes.

"It's about time him and his counsel took responsibility and realized they can't beat the system," Kilmer said. "This case was rock solid." Chad Okrusch, the father of Kaitlyn, said he wants to be able to forgive Petersen in order to "start the healing process." However, he says it's difficult to show any sympathy for Petersen at the moment.

"I want to give him as much pity as he gave the girls," Okrusch said.

Kaitlyn Okrusch and Valarie Kilmer, who watched the proceedings in the courtroom, both agreed afterward that their lives have been forever changed since the incident. Though the hurt over losing their friend is still evident in their young faces, both Valarie and Kaitlyn say they've been able to find a light through these dark times.

"I have a better outlook on life; I don't take it for granted, and I still have Kaitlyn and that helps a lot," Valarie Kilmer said.

Kaitlyn said it's still painful to wake up each morning and know Mariah is gone, but she's managed to keep going.

"We all believe in our hearts that Mariah is in a better place," Kaitlyn Okrusch said.

— Reporter John Grant Emeigh may be reached via e-mail at john.emeigh@lee.net or by telephone, 496-5511