MISSOULA – A victim in the March shooting incident that killed one man, critically wounded a Montana Highway Patrol trooper, and left another man a paraplegic has died.
Chelan County, Washington coroner Wayne Harris has confirmed with MTN News that Julie Blanchard died Monday afternoon in Wenatchee, Washington.
Harris will now investigate Blanchard’s cause of death.
Julie Blanchard, her son Casey Blanchard, and Shelley Hays were shot on March 14 off Expressway Boulevard when they pulled over after noticing a vehicle behind them had their flashing lights on.
When the three pulled over, suspect, Johnathan Bertsch, opened fire. Hays died on the scene. Both Casey and Julie Blanchard were transported to the hospital.
Bertsch was later arrested near Evaro after shooting Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer.
This past Saturday,Casey Blanchard returned home from a Salt Lake City hospital to his home in Stevensville. Palmer returned home — also to Stevensville — on May 22.
-Connor McCauley and Melissa Rafferty reporting for MTN News
