Wood murder trial continues this week

The murder trial of Thompson Falls woman Danielle Wood continued this week at the Sanders County Courthouse.

Here is a look at some of the testimony offered during the first week of the trial.

TUESDAY, Jan. 19

Testimony began Tuesday at the Sanders County Courthouse in the long-awaited trial of a Northwest Montana woman accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend nearly three years ago.

Danielle Jeanette Wood, 56, of Thompson Falls, is accused of shooting Matthew LaFriniere three times with a .38 caliber revolver during the evening hours of May 2, 2018, at his home in Thompson Falls.

In their respective opening statements, Montana Department of Justice attorney Stephanie Robles and defense counsel Keenan Gallagher both offered reasons why the jury should find Wood guilty or be acquitted.

“Danielle Wood was a planner in most everything she did and her plan on May 2, 2018, was to make sure Matthew LaFriniere was gone,” Robles said. “Together they had a daughter in 2009. But her problems with alcohol led to Matt wanting sole custody of the girl and she (Wood) was angry over the possibility of losing custody.”

Robles said Wood went to LaFriniere’s employer, a hardware store, the afternoon of May 2, 2018, picked up the child and went home so she could spend time with her half brother. Wood was also hosting a Pampered Chef party that evening and she told friends during the gathering she had to take the child home to LaFriniere.

But, Robles said, when Wood left the party, she didn’t take the child with her.

Investigators with the state Department of Justice who were handling the case because LaFriniere had worked with the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office, alleged during this time Wood went to her ex-boyfriend’s home and shot him three times, twice in the chest and once in the back.

But Gallagher, the defense attorney, had a much different take on the evening’s events.

“The state’s story is Danielle left her home baking cookies with friends, shot Matthew, hid his body and returned to the party,” Gallagher said. “If the circumstances weren’t so tragic, some may say it’s comical.”

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20

Friends, coworkers and family members of murder victim Matt LaFriniere knew it was very unusual when he didn’t come to work on the morning of May 3, 2018.

Later that day, a longtime friend and supervisor of LaFriniere at a local hardware store explained to jurors how she found his body at his residence in Thompson Falls.

Danielle Jeanette Wood, is accused of shooting Matthew LaFriniere three times with a .38 caliber revolver during the evening hours of May 2, 2018, at his home in Thompson Falls.

Theresa Sink, a manager at Ace Hardware in Thompson Falls, testified Wednesday morning she had known LaFriniere since 1984. She described in heart-wrenching detail how his dog helped her find his body.

“A few different employees called me and said Matt hadn’t come to work,” Sink said. “I called him several times, but never heard from him. I had a meeting at 1 p.m. and after it was over I decided to go to his home.

“I saw a dog in the driveway and after giving it some treats, I saw it was friendly,” Sink said. “The door was wide open and I went in. I saw the horses and went to the other side of the building. The dog was nuzzling at some wood and it drew my attention.

“I first saw blue jeans sticking out of the pile of wood and then I saw Matt’s legs. There was a snow shovel, a 2x6 board and two pieces of plywood on top of him. I moved them off him and checked for a pulse, but he was very cold. I saw his face and realized he was gone and then I called 911,” Sink said. “I wouldn’t have noticed Matt if not for the dog.”

Sink said she saw a cellphone with blood on it and a pool of blood near LaFriniere’s body.

She also talked about the day before LaFriniere’s body was found.

“Danielle had come into the store to pick up [her daughter],” Sink said. “I didn’t hear their conversation, but Danielle stormed out of the store. She was very angry.”

Defense attorney Greg Rapkoch asked Sink if LaFriniere had any relationship with any of Danielle’s boyfriends. She said she didn’t know about any relationship between Matt and her boyfriends, but said “Matt said he was having trouble with Danielle’s new boyfriend and her son, but that was it.”

THURSDAY, Jan. 21

A writing in the margin of a religious study book found inside a murder suspect’s vehicle was probably the standout detail of Thursday’s testimony in the Danielle Wood trial.

Danielle Jeanette Wood, 56, is accused of shooting Matthew LaFriniere three times with a .38 caliber revolver during the evening hours of May 2, 2018, at his home in Thompson Falls.

Wood is on trial at the Sanders County Courthouse in Thompson Falls.

On May 8, investigators from the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation had a warrant to search Wood’s home and vehicle. Inside her vehicle he reported collecting a book titled “Jonah.”

Part of the text of the book included a question: “In your wildest dreams, what would God accomplish in this situation?”

In the margin of the page, someone wrote “Matt gone, [daughter’s name] with me.”

State attorney Dan Guzynski asked retired state criminal investigator Mark Hilyard what it meant to him.

“It shows intent,” Hilyard said.

Wood defense attorney Greg Rapkoch objected and Guzynski withdrew the question.

He rephrased it by asking Hilyard if he had arrived at a crime scene on May 3 where someone named “Matt” had died and you became aware of a custody dispute involving [daughter’s name]”

Hilyard said “yes” to both questions.

Hilyard, who retired from the department in 2018 and is now a state probation officer in Great Falls, said he was called on the afternoon of May 3 to help with the investigation along with Kevin McCarvel and Mark Strangio, along with the state Division of Criminal Investigation.

Jurors also saw crime-scene photos, which included LaFriniere and how he was found by investigators after a friend and co-worker found him May 3.

FRIDAY, Jan. 22

State investigators probing the 2018 shooting death of Thompson Falls resident Matt LaFriniere allege cellphone records link ex-girlfriend Danielle Wood to the crime.

Friday afternoon in the Sanders County Courthouse in Thompson Falls, jurors saw phone records that seemed to indicate that belief.

Wood, 56, is accused of shooting and killing LaFriniere, May 2, 2018, at his home in Thompson Falls.

State prosecutor Dan Guzynski introduced the records while he questioned Montana Division of Criminal Investigation’s Kevin McCarvel, the lead investigator in the case.

According to records introduced as evidence, someone using a phone with the number 406-270-0633 made a 911 call to Sanders County Dispatch at about 7:30 p.m. May 2.

Wood received two text messages earlier in the day from the 270-0633 number. One received at 6:07 p.m., said “I’m up in Trout Creek, hang on to [our daughter], I’ll call when I get back.”

Then, records showed Wood texted to 270-0633 at 8:32 p.m. May 2, “I’m not sure what’s going on, it’s well past bedtime, we’ll snuggle on the couch and wait for your call.”

Records also indicated that at 8:32 p.m. May 2, Wood texted the same message to Matt LaFriniere “I’m not sure what’s going on, it’s well past bedtime, we’ll snuggle on the couch and wait for your call.”

“It was a point of interest for us,” McCarvel said.

Also, on Friday morning, a forensic scientist with the Montana State Crime Lab said gunshot residue was found inside Wood’s vehicle a few days after the shooting death of LaFriniere.

It was part of the state’s circumstantial case against Wood.

Stacey Wilson of the Montana State Crime Lab testified to it in the trial. Wilson said three stubs used to collect gunshot residue from Wood’s Ford Escape were submitted to the lab. Her testing concluded residue was found on the steering wheel, driver’s side and passenger’s side front doors.

“It doesn’t always infer a person was in contact with gunshot residue or the presence of gunfire because the residue could be transferred,” Wilson said. “It could be transferred by touch, or by a gun being fired inside a vehicle or outside a vehicle with the windows down.”

Wood’s defense attorney Greg Rapkoch asked Wilson if the state Crime Lab had been compromised in the last few years.

“We had a scientist in the chemistry lab take methamphetamine for his own personal use,” Wilson said. “He was fired in February 2018.”