Heart Butte man sentenced to more than two years in prison for stabbing employee in Glacier Peaks Casino and Hotel on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS - A Heart Butte man who admitted to stabbing an employee of the Glacier Peaks Casino and Hotel while in the business was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Kal William Runningcrane, 27, pleaded guilty in July to assault with a dangerous weapon.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court ordered Runningcrane to self-report when assigned to a Bureau of Prison's facility.

The government alleged in court documents that in the early morning hours of Feb. 25, Runningcrane stabbed a Glacier Peaks employee, identified as Riverblu Boggs, with a knife while in the Browning business. Runningcrane had been drinking with family and friends to celebrate his birthday. The group was listening to live music, and Boggs was sitting alone at an adjacent table. Runningcrane and Boggs did not know each other. Without provocation, Runningcrane walked to Boggs's table and stabbed Boggs in the neck. Boggs fought back and was able to get way from Runningcrane. Runningcrane stabbed Boggs three times, left the scene and was arrested later that night miles from Browning, off the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. An emergency medical services worker who happened to be in the casino, provided initial treatment of Boggs and rushed him to the hospital. Boggs was flown to Great Falls for life-saving treatment of wounds.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Pondera County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation.

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