29 year-old Jonathan Whitworth was sentenced in Missoula District Court on Tuesday to consecutive terms of 100 years in prison with no parole for at least 30 years for the drug related shooting deaths of two people that occurred almost exactly two years ago.

Jonathan Whitworth sentencing
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Megan McLaughlin and Jason Flink were shot and stabbed to death at the Mountain Valley Inn Motel on October 18, 2018. Another man, Kaleb Williams, was also shot and stabbed.

Relatives of the two shooting victims testified at the hearing.

When they brought Megan out in her casket and they opened it, I was not expecting what I saw,” said Gobert. “My sister was shot in the back of her head and the bullet came out of her eye. Her face was disfigured and she didn’t look like herself. There was no way I could fix her hair to cover that, so we had to have a closed casket. I just don’t under stand how anyone could do this.

Sister of Megan McLaughlin Shelby Gobert told Judge Leslie Halligan about her reaction to seeing Megan in her coffin prior to the funeral.

“When they brought Megan out in her casket and they opened it, I was not expecting what I saw,” said Gobert. “My sister was shot in the back of her head and the bullet came out of her eye. Her face was disfigured and she didn’t look like herself. There was no way I could fix her hair to cover that, so we had to have a closed casket. I just don’t under stand how anyone could do this, how someone could be so cold hearted to go on a killing spree and leave no one alive. It’s sickening that someone could do this to another human being, especially to someone they didn’t even know.”

The mother of Jason Flink also addressed Whitworth, who sat at the defense table in Courtroom number three in the Missoula County Courthouse.

“I hope you understand the gravity and complexity of the anguish you caused on the night of October 19th, 2018,” she said. “You not only took Jason away that night, but you also took away a huge part of my life. A part of me also died that night and you took a huge part of my daughter’s life that night, as well. She was very close to her brother and her son just loved him.”

Deputy County Attorney Jordan Kilby was the prosecutor in the case.

“He was sentenced to 100 years in prison with a parole restriction of 30 years, according to a plea agreement that we had reached earlier in the summer,” said Kilby. “He’s 29 right now, and that means he won’t even be eligible for parole until he’s 59 years old. This case was tragic, and I feel very badly about the families of the victims, however I do feel relieved that it’s over, and that we were able to get some form of justice for the victims who will never have their family members back with them, and I feel grateful to have been a part of it.”

After sentencing, Whitworth was led away by sheriff’s deputies to begin his 100 year term in the Montana State Prison.

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