In the quiet, rural landscape of Glendive, Montana, the life of 80-year-old Wilbur "Will" Lee Fisher came to a tragic and violent end on October 16, 2017. Fisher, a man known for his intense determination and positive spirit despite being a triple amputee, was found deceased in his bed at his home on a country road. He had sustained a single gunshot wound to the head.
The initial report to authorities came from his son, Todd C. Fisher, who claimed to have discovered his father's body. However, the ensuing investigation by the Dawson County Sheriff's Office and the state's Division of Criminal Investigation soon focused on the son as the primary suspect. Just days later, on October 20, 2017, Todd Fisher was arrested in connection with his father's death.
The legal proceedings that followed painted a grim picture of the family's circumstances. Todd Fisher was formally charged with deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence.
During the trial, it was revealed that Wilbur Fisher was believed to have been dead for at least a day before his son contacted the authorities. The prosecution presented its case, and in December 2018, a jury found Todd Fisher guilty of deliberately killing his elderly father.
Following his conviction, Todd Fisher was sentenced to a 70-year prison term. He challenged the verdict, but the Montana Supreme Court upheld his conviction in 2021, solidifying the legal conclusion to the tragic death of Wilbur Fisher. The case involved further complexities, including allegations that a deputy who was a beneficiary in Wilbur's will had been a suspect and had disturbed the crime scene, though these claims did not alter the final outcome of the trial against Todd Fisher.
