Beartusk Sentenced to 135 Years for Triple Murder

A sentencing hearing was held Tuesday in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan for a man charged with three counts of murder. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

On March 29 of 2020, 55-year-old Dana Beartusk murdered Angelina Beartusk, Seana Fisher, and Mochdaveyano “Blackhawk” Fisher at a mobile home in Big Horn. Immediately after the killings, Beartusk called his brother and confessed what he’d done before fleeing the crime scene in a vehicle. Beartusk stopped at a couple of convenience stores in Sheridan before heading north to Montana. Beartusk was arrested soon after and charged with the crimes. In May, three firearms that belonged to Beartusk, including the murder weapon, a 40 caliber Glock pistol, were found alongside a road near Kirby, Montana. Beartusk was originally charged with three counts of First Degree Murder, but at a change of plea hearing in February of this year, pleaded “guilty” to three amended counts of Second Degree Murder.

During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Sheridan County Attorney Dianna Bennett presented images from inside the trailer that were captured with a 3-D scanner that was used by a special agent with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation to document the details of the crime scene. The images confirmed that all three of the victims were shot in the head at point-blank range in what the medical examiner described in their report as execution style wounds. Defense Attorney Marty Scott said Beartusk was “blackout” drunk when he committed the crimes and that his client could not remember exactly what happened inside the trailer the night of the murders. After five hours of testimony from four witnesses for the prosecution and four for the defense, along with seven emotional victim impact statements from family member of the victims, District Court Judge John Fenn sentenced Beartusk to 45 years to life in prison for each of the counts of Second Degree Murder. Judge Fenn ordered that the sentences run consecutive to one another, equating to a sentence of 135 years in prison. Judge Fenn also ordered Beartusk to pay $725 in various court costs and fees and $3,183 in restitution.  Prior to the sentence, Beartusk addressed the Court by saying he did what he did, but didn’t know why, and he deserves whatever sentence the Court chooses to give him.