On a tragic October day in 2015, Clinton OldBull, a 25-year-old Native American man, was fatally shot outside his apartment in Billings, Montana. The incident, which occurred on October 16th, cut short the life of a young man known to his community as "Good Hearted Boy," a name given to him that reflected his kind and caring nature. OldBull, originally from Lodge Grass, was a father who was remembered for his love of music, hunting, and fishing.
The investigation into his death led
authorities to two suspects: Garrett Lee Crandell and Ross Duane Breshears. It was determined that the two men had gone to OldBull's residence with the intention of robbing a woman over a drug deal. When OldBull met them at the door, a scuffle ensued, and he was shot. The Billings Police Department responded to the incident, and OldBull was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, both Crandell and Breshears faced charges related to OldBull's death. Garrett Crandell was initially charged with deliberate homicide. However, after a period of treatment at the Montana State Hospital for schizophrenia, he reached a plea agreement. Crandell pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of robbery and was sentenced in December to 20 years in the state hospital.
Ross Breshears was identified as the individual who fired the fatal shot. In a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide. This admission came after he was initially arrested on federal firearms charges in November 2015. His guilty plea effectively closed the case on the tragic and untimely death of Clinton OldBull, bringing a degree of resolution to a violent act that stemmed from a planned robbery gone horribly wrong.
