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Birmingham held without bail, on suicide watch

By Maggie Plummer

POLSON — Kelly Birmingham, 19, accused of killing 18-year-old tribal member Tasheena Craft last Tuesday in Arlee, sits this week in the Lake County Detention Center in a solitary cell, on suicide watch.

He is being held without bail.

Tasheena was strangled with a cord or rope at about 3 a.m. last Tuesday, according to a forensic report.

Tasheena Craft

A cooperative effort between three law enforcement agencies — Tribal Law and Order, the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office — produced the prompt arrest of Birmingham, who also goes by the name Kelly Stanfield, of Arlee. Tribal officers succeeded in locating Tasheena’s body in the Arlee Pines area that was Birmingham’s childhood home, an arrest report states.

Birmingham’s father, Wayne Stanfield, was believed to be the owner of that property.

As he was being transported down highway 93 north of Arlee by Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Levi Read, Birmingham kicked out a rear door window and jumped out, in handcuffs, from the moving patrol car. He was taken to St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula due to injuries from that attempted escape, and remained there under armed guard for several days.

Just two days before the murder took place, Birmingham’s father was killed in a motorcycle wreck on I90 near Missoula.

During an initial court appearance late Friday afternoon before Lake County Justice of the Peace Chuck Wall, Birmingham was charged with felony deliberate homicide and felony escape.

Diane "Weezee" Cote spoke with reporters after watching last Friday's court hearing (Maggie Plummer photo)

Tasheena's family was on hand for the 3 p.m. court appearance, which was done via video monitor from a holding cell in the county jail. Also on hand were two television reporters as well as a Missoulian reporter and photographer.

Deputies wheeled Birmingham into the holding cell in a restraint chair, apparently because of his injured feet.

Lake County Attorney Mitch Young, the prosecutor in the case, asked the court to not set bond because of two escape attempts Birmingham made, because Birmingham’s is a potential death penalty case, and because he is potentially suicidal. Young said Birmingham attacked officers who were interviewing him after he was taken into custody, in addition to the patrol car escape.

Defense attorney Lance Jasper of Missoula told the court that while Birmingham did not oppose being held without bail this week, he did reserve the right to seek a bail amount when arraigned in District Court.

That arraignment is not expected to happen this week, but rather around June 13 or 14, according to the county attorney’s office.

An arrest report states that with Tasheena’s body, officers found a red slipper matching a slipper in Birmingham’s truck.

Tasheena and Birmingham were acquaintances, since Birmingham was a friend of her boyfriend, Tyler Vale, according to reports.

The local rumor mill was working overtime last week, as some speculated that the murder was racially motivated

“It was absolutely not racially motivated,” Doyle said during an interview Friday afternoon.

“We know that Kelly had tribal friends,” he added.

There were also plenty of graphic rumors about the condition of Tasheena’s body when it was found by police. One version was that the body had been dragged behind Birmingham’s truck.

Not true, says Doyle. “The victim did have drag marks on her body,” he explained, “but not to the extent of being dragged in back of a vehicle.”

Further details about the murder were not being released at press time Tuesday afternoon, and the affidavit in the case had not yet been filed.

Tasheena’s mother, Diana “Weezee” Cote, said that after watching Birmingham on the courtroom monitor during Friday’s Justice Court proceeding, she believed that he regretted what he’d done. She commented that he looked sad and pitiful.

She believes Birmingham was taught hate rather than love, and referred to something called Toxic Parent Syndrome.

“Love your children,” Diana said. “Give them positive feedback, not negative.”

Children need hugs and approval, and if they got those things there would not be trouble like this tragic murder case, she said.

She feels that Birmingham never had a chance to be loved as much as he could have and should have been.

She was referring to the suspect’s father having a history of domestic violence.

Stanfield was arrested in Ravalli County about a year ago and charged with assaulting his family, according to an article in the Missoulian. That article cited court documents as stating that Stanfield was intoxicated, started a fight with Kelly, and also shoved his wife Jane, injuring her. That fight included Stanfield pointing a shotgun at his family, discovering that the gun wasn’t loaded, grabbing a baseball bat, and smashing things in the house, some of which were in Birmingham’s bedroom, according to the article.

The original Ravalli County charge of felony assault with a weapon was reduced to criminal mischief.

And, according to the article, Stanfield also had a felony assault with a deadly weapon conviction in California.

This Friday, Diana is planning to be in Spokane, where Tasheena had been living with her brother, Shonto Pete, and finishing high school. During what was supposed to be Tasheena’s graduation, Diana will accept an honorary diploma from Havermale High School.

Tasheena traveled home to Arlee to see her boyfriend, a Marine who was coming home from Iraq on leave.

A traditional wake for her was held at the Arlee Indian Senior Citizens Center last week. Funeral services were Saturday, also at the Center.

The young woman was buried on some family land along Agency Road outside Arlee.

Diana commented that since the family has a tradition of holding reunions there, Tasheena will always be there with them.

The grieving mother added that she wants to stay on that family land now. Before her daughter’s murder, she had been getting ready to move, because she was being evicted from her home.

Although the Salish Kootenai Housing Authority offered her a six-month extension after Tasheena was killed, she said she didn’t want to stay at that Arlee house any more.

Family members described their loved one as a person who laughed and smiled a lot, who maintained a positive attitude even when her family was tough on her, who worked hard, and was honest and caring.

“Tasheena was descended from Chief Charlo and BearTracks,” Diana said. “Her great great great grandmother was Sack Woman.”

Her son, Shonto Pete, is asking that those interested in helping his mother send donations to Diana Cote, P.O. Box 74, Arlee, MT 59821.