Defendant Enters Guilty Plea in 2025 Wolf Point Homicide Shooting

A Montana man has entered a guilty plea to an incident dating back to September of 2025 in the small town of Wolf Point, Montana near the Fort Peck Indian Reservation that took the life of one person and injured another.

Ethan Murphy of Fort Peck was later taken into custody by the Fort Peck Tribes Law Enforcement and has been incarcerated since that time.

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Defendant Enters Guilty Plea in 2025 Wolf Point Homicide Shooting

The shooting happened on September 28th, 2025, at an Albertson's parking lot located near Fort Peck.  Upon arrival, officers found one person dead and another with a gunshot wound.  Authorities soon identified Murphy as the possible shooter.

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Now, after over 4 months in jail, the defendant made his appearance in U.S. District Court in Great Falls Montana on February 10, 2026.  During the proceedings, court documents show that Muphy was charged with the following:

• Count 1 - charges of second-degree murder
• Count 2 - charges of use of a firearm during a crime of violence

Once presented with the documents, Murphy chose to plead guilty to both during the court appearance.

More Details of Defendant's Plea Deal in District Court in Great Falls

In making the plea deal with prosecutors, Murphy acknowledged the following for the firsts count:

• Unlawfully killing John Doe
• Killed John Doe with malice aforethought
• Defendant is an Indian Person
• Killing occurred within exterior boundaries of For Peck Reservation

The second count acknowledgement includes:

• Committed second-degree murder which is a violent crime
• Defendant discharged a pistol in relation to the crime

The agreement between the court and the defendant is now under review for consideration, with sentencing to be performed at a later time.