Jonathan Bertsch

Missoula District Court Judge Shane Vannatta sentenced Jonathan Bertsch on Wednesday afternoon to four terms of life in the Montana State Prison without the possibility of parole.

The first day of the sentencing hearing for Jonathan Bertsch, the man who confessed to shooting two people to death and critically wounding two others got underway on Tuesday morning in Courtroom 1 in the Missoula County Courthouse.

Jonathan Bertsch is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24 and 25 in Missoula.

Courtroom number one was packed with reporters on Thursday for the appearance via video from the Missoula County Jail of accused murderer Jonathan Bertsch.

Montana Attorney General Tim Fox has provided an update on the condition of Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer and Casey Blanchard.

Julie Blanchard, 52, one of the victims in a shooting rampage that killed one man and critically wounded three others, has died at a hospital in Washington.

In addition to all the new cases this week, the County Attorney’s Office is still heavily involved with the Jonathan Bertsch case.

Jonathan Bertsch, the man accused of shooting one man to death and gravely wounding three others on March 14, including a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper, was arraigned in Missoula District Court on Thursday, and appeared via video from the Missoula County Jail.

It was an intimidating yet inspiring sight. Over one hundred uniformed law enforcement personnel from agencies across western Montana attended the initial court appearance of 29 year-old Jonathan Bertsch.