BUTTE — The state and defense rested their cases in Lloyd Barrus’ deliberate homicide by accountability trial in Butte District Court, in which Barrus is accused in the death of a Broadwater County sheriff’s deputy in 2017.
The jury is expected to hear closing arguments in the case Tuesday morning and then immediately begin deliberations.
Along with the homicide charge, Barrus faces two felony counts of attempted deliberate homicide for his alleged role in a shootout with police and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Barrus is accused of aiding his son Marshall in the May 16, 2017 shooting death of Broadwater County Sheriff's Deputy Mason Moore. After the shooting, Lloyd is accused of leading police on a wild pursuit across the state that ended in a gun battle with law enforcement in Missoula County. Lloyd surrendered to police, and Marshall was shot and later died in the shootout.
The state rested its case on the eighth day of the trial after calling numerous law enforcement and expert witnesses to the stand to testify. Defense Attorney Craig Shannon also rested his case that day without calling a single witness to testify on behalf of the defense. Lloyd Barrus also never testified in the case.
The prosecution claims Lloyd and his son were anti-government militia types who were looking to kill a cop that night. The defense argued that Lloyd Barrus was just visiting his son from California and had no intention to harm an officer of the law.
