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Change of plea hearing set for man accused in shooting death of Jadie Butterfly

Jadie Butterfly
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MISSOULA - A change of plea hearing is set for Oct. 14 for Treyson Sharp, who is expected to plead guilty in the shooting death of Jadie Butterfly last December.

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Change of plea hearing set for man accused in shooting death of Jadie Butterfly

Sharp was arraigned on involuntary manslaughter and possession of an unlawful firearm charges in August.

The Montana Department of Justice alleges the 21-year-old fired a gun while pointing it at Butterfly, killing her.

Prosecutors will drop the gun charge as part of a plea deal, meaning Sharp would then only face the involuntary manslaughter charge.

Watch previous coverage: Suspect in deadly Montana shooting enters plea; victim's family and friends react

Reactions from family and friends of Jadie Butterfly

Sharp would face a maximum of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3½ years of supervised release as part of the plea agreement.

"We are all disappointed by how the case is unfolding in the Federal Court System. The results we anticipated are not aligning with our expectations. Our goal was to take the case all the way to trial. However, the Federal Court System does not typically negotiate and often encourages defendants to plead guilty to avoid the costs of a trial," Jadie's father. Chris Butterfly said in a statement.

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Watch previous coverage: Butterfly family seeks justice during North American Indian Days celebration

Butterfly family seeks justice during North American Indian Days celebration

MTN has reached out to Sharp's attorney and has yet to receive a comment.