On a summer day, a vacationing family's outing turned into a scene of unimaginable horror at a popular Montana lake. Eric Ray Newman, a 40-year-old White male from Bend, Oregon, was shot and killed on July 26, 2023, at the Rexford Bench boat launch on Lake Koocanusa, near Rexford. The tragic event unfolded in the late afternoon, shattering the tranquility of the scenic recreational area.
Newman, who was on vacation with his family, had spent the day on the water. As he was preparing to remove their rented boat from the lake, a verbal altercation erupted between him and another man, later identified as 51-year-old Christopher Foster of Kalispell, Montana. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, the argument escalated as Newman was backing his vehicle down the boat ramp.
It was at this point that Foster produced a handgun and fatally shot Newman.
The shocking act of violence was witnessed by Newman's wife and their three young children, who were present at the scene. In the immediate aftermath, as chaos and panic ensued, Foster retreated to the parking area. Law enforcement and emergency services were dispatched to the boat launch following reports of the shooting.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered Newman deceased from the gunshot wound. A search of the area led them to Foster, who was found in his own vehicle with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has since described the incident as a murder-suicide. An investigation into the motive behind the deadly confrontation is ongoing, as authorities await the results of a toxicology report for Foster.
