In the late summer of 2014, the quiet city of Missoula, Montana, was disturbed by a grim discovery. The body of a Caucasian male, identified as 36-year-old Gilbert George Berry, was found floating in the Clark Fork River on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 5th. A fisherman spotted the remains and alerted the authorities, who retrieved the body from the water.
An autopsy would later reveal a brutal end to Berry's life; he had been severely beaten and then shot.
The investigation into the death of Gilbert George Berry, who was also known as "Jack," quickly gained momentum. Detectives believed the assault and murder took place under the Reserve Street Bridge. Details emerged painting a horrific picture of Berry's final hours. It was alleged that he was not only beaten but also had gang symbols carved into his body with a knife before being shot in the head with a 9mm pistol. Following the violent attack, his body was disposed of in the river.
Within days of the discovery, the Missoula County Sheriff's Department began to close in on the individuals they believed were responsible. Two people, Kenneth Hickman and Mechailiah Tembreull, were arrested. Hickman was charged with aggravated assault, and Tembreull faced a charge of accountability for aggravated assault. The primary suspect for the murder, however, was identified as 27-year-old Kevin Joseph Lino, who was sought on a warrant for deliberate homicide. Authorities also began searching for a 27-year-old woman named Angela M. Marchese, who was considered a witness in the case.
Kevin Joseph Lino was eventually apprehended and, in November 2014, entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of deliberate homicide. As the legal proceedings unfolded, it was revealed that his co-defendant, Kenneth Hickman, had reached a plea agreement and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the crime. Faced with the testimony of his co-defendants, Lino also accepted a plea agreement. In July of 2015, Kevin Lino was sentenced to 40 years in Montana State Prison for the beating, torture, and shooting death of Gilbert George Berry.
