70-year-old allegedly killed and dismembered missing man, claims self defense

Alan Bruce appears for his preliminary hearing at the Custer County Courthouse. | Kaitlyn Hart and Jordan Wood, EastIdahoNews.com CHALLIS — A 70-year-old man appeared in court Monday for a preliminary hearing, where the court learned more about the alleged brutal killing and dismemberment of a missing Custer County man. Alan Bruce is charged with the first-degree murder of 47-year-old Patrick Shelton, as well as other felony charges for destruction of evidence, failure to notify of a death, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and an enhancement for being a persistent violator. RELATED | 70-year-old arrested for alleged murder of missing Challis man Bruce appeared for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge James Howard Barrett with his defense attorneys, Jim Archibald and John Thomas. The hearing During the hearing, multiple law enforcement officials testified for the state, describing the investigation into Shelton’s whereabouts and claiming that Bruce admitted to murdering him before dismembering his body, burning the remains, and throwing them into the Salmon River. The first witness, Ethan Kelly, a Custer County Sheriff’s deputy, described coming into contact with Bruce during the search for Shelton. Patrick Shelton | Custer County Sheriff’s Office “I initially went to speak with Alan Bruce at his property, because he was the last person to have been with him,” said Kelly. “It was a pretty brief conversation. I asked Alan if he knew anything about it, which he said he knew (that) no one had been able to find him, but he did not really say anything further.” Bruce reportedly told the deputy that he and Shelton would go to the Bayhorse area in Custer County to retrieve firewood. Deputies later discovered that the last time Shelton’s phone was pinged, he was reportedly on Bruce’s property. The deputy asked Bruce to come to the Sheriff’s Office for an interview, but he did not have a ride, so the deputy picked him up and brought him to the sheriff’s office. After the interview, Kelley says he brought Bruce back to his home, where a search warrant was being served on his property. Sgt. Josh Tuttle with the Idaho State Police then testified that Bruce reportedly admitted to killing Shelton after they showed him where cadaver dogs had alerted on his property. RELATED | ‘Shoot, shovel and shut up.’ Police records detail the horrific alleged murder of missing Challis man “I asked him to basically tell me, man to man, what happened,” said Tuttle. “Then we kind of walked him around and showed him some of the items that we located on the property. And then he started to confess.” Alan Douglas Bruce | Custer County Sheriff’s Office According to Tuttle, Bruce explained that he had been arguing with Shelton for several months over a boat trailer and a generator. “On top of that, Mr. Shelton had been stealing items from Mr. Bruce,” said Tuttle. “Mr. Shelton moved away and left his items on Mr. Bruce’s property. At one point, Mr. Bruce decided to take those items off his property that consisted of an RV, so he pushed the RV with a bulldozer to the county road…and in the process of that, it damaged the grill of the RV.” Bruce claimed Shelton threatened him over text, then returned to retrieve his property, side-swiping his truck. “Mr. Shelton came into the property and struck Mr. Bruce’s pickup,” said Tuttle. “Then Mr. Bruce got in his orange Ford truck and left the area. He said he went to a friend’s house and retrieved a firearm.” Bruce claims he then went back to his property and shot Shelton with an AR rifle before dismembering his body with a chainsaw and burning the remains and chainsaw in a burn barrel, before throwing it into the Salmon River near Deer Gulch in Lemhi County. “He said that he did not (call police),” said Tuttle. “(He said) You shoot, shovel, and shut up.” He reportedly told officers that he cleaned the truck and the crime scene with bleach and a Shop-Vac. Tuttle then said another officer had given Bruce his Miranda Rights, and he had been arrested. Defense attorneys questioned all witnesses whether the Miranda Rights were given before or after Bruce’s alleged confession, but the answer was not clear. Tuttle also testified that he saw Shelton’s truck after it had been booked into evidence. RELATED | Search for missing Challis father’s remains suspended due to safety concerns “When I was looking in the pickup, I observed what could be brain matter on the rearview mirror,” said Tuttle. “And there was a jacket from a bullet on the passenger side window sill.” Detective Travis Roberts with the Idaho State Police then testified that Bruce told him that Shelton had tried to grab his gun before he was shot, and claimed the alleged murder was in self-defense. “He raised his rifle and he said to Patrick, ‘Do you want some of this?’” said Roberts. “Mr. Bruce then stated that Patrick says something to the effect of, ‘You better shoot me motherf*****.’ Then Patrick grabbed the gun, and then Bruce shot him.” Patrick Shelton | Custer County Sheriff’s Office Roberts says Bruce then asked him if he wanted to see a picture of Patrick that he took after he shot him, and then showed him a photo of what officers believe to be Shelton’s body, slumped over the middle console of a truck. There is also reportedly a silver handgun near the body. “It appeared to me when I saw the photo initially off of Mr. Bruce’s phone that the gun was in slide lock,” said Roberts. “In order for that gun to be utilized, you have to stick a magazine in it with rounds and then release the slide so it goes forward.” The last witness was Custer County Sheriff Levi Maydole, who testified that Bruce sent an eight-page letter to a friend from the Custer County Jail on Friday, June 27, admitting to the murder, but claiming it was in self-defense. Maydole read part of the letter to the court, stating, “I really was hoping it would not come down to me shooting him. I got into trouble in (California), was a felon with a gun.” The letter also reportedly read, “In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say. When I pulled the trigger, I was ‘in.’” So why not go in for the pound? If I call 911, for sure I was going in for five years, possibly life. So I went in for a pound, vaporized him, trying to hopefully cover up the fact that I was a felon with a firearm. Repeat offender, with a life sentence, thereby so the rest is history.” Archibald then questioned Maydole about the Custer County Jail’s mail policies, who confirmed that all mail to and from the jail is reviewed, unless it is clearly marked that it is legal paperwork or from a religious organization. “Any correspondence that doesn’t read as legal is subject to be read through to make sure it doesn’t contain anything in regards to escape notifications, accusations, any of those kinds of things,” said Maydole. Archibald then asked Maydole if he knew the letter’s intended recipient, and Maydole said the recipient is a local. When asked if Maydole knew he was a church leader, Maydole said he was not aware of that. Archibald also pointed out that the letter includes lots of content about religion, sin, and God, having Maydole read aloud from the letter, “When my trial is over, all of Challis will know that I acted in self-defense. I will still go to prison, for how long? God only knows.” Barrett then ruled the case would proceed in district court. The date for the next hearing has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Bruce could face the death penalty. Though Bruce has been charged with these crimes, this does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Search for Shelton’s remains The search for Shelton’s remains was suspended on May 16, due to high and fast waters in the Salmon River, which were deemed unsafe for Search and Rescue teams. Shelton’s body has still not been recovered, and according to the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, there is no timeline for when they will be able to resume the search, but they say it will happen as soon as the water levels decrease.The post 70-year-old allegedly killed and dismembered missing man, claims self defense appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com