A Turah man accused of killing two teenage girls last month while driving under the influence of alcohol apologized to the victims' families during an emotionally charged court hearing on Thursday.
David James DelSignore, 29, is charged in Missoula District Court with two counts of vehicular homicide while under the influence and two counts of negligent vehicular assault leading to serious bodily injury. The charges are all felonies and carry a maximum punishment of 80 years in the Montana State Prison and up to $120,000 in fines.
Although DelSignore opted to not enter direct pleas at Thursday's arraignment, a standing judge entered denials on his behalf.
DelSignore's attorney, Morgan Modine, said the seldom-invoked plea alternative was meant as a sign of respect to the victims' family members, who were present in the standing-room-only courtroom. Modine initially requested a 60-day continuance of the hearing to allow time for additional facts to emerge from the investigation. Barring that, he asked the judge to enter a plea on his client's behalf in order to advance the case procedurally.
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"With respect to the family and friends, my client is not comfortable entering a not guilty plea," Modine said, adding that DelSignore did not wish to shirk responsibility for the tragedy altogether.
"Whether it qualifies under the statute as the charged criminal offense is a different matter, but the fact remains that these girls were killed and it was his vehicle that did it," Modine said in a telephone interview after the hearing. "Despite what comes out at trial or in a plea bargain, the ramifications are tremendous in the community and to these families. We don't want the community to think he's unaffected."
DelSignore showed an outpouring of emotion and remorse for the tragic events that unfolded on Dec. 26, and which claimed the lives of Taylor Cearley, 15, and Ashlee Patenaude, 14.
The Bonner girls were members of the Hellgate freshman basketball team, and were killed as they walked along Highway 200 between Missoula and East Missoula. They were walking from a slumber party in the Missoula area to a party near Bonner, according to court records.
"This horrible accident has affected so many families and individuals by taking two young women from this world at a very young age. I want everyone to know that I am truly sorry for the outcome of this tragic accident," DelSignore said while facing the families of the victims, who were seated in the front row of the courtroom and cried loudly along with the defendant. "If I could bring these two young women back I certainly would. If I could trade places I most definitely would."
Two other girls, Teal Packard and Hailey Rumpel, were also injured in the crash but survived.
"Not only were two young ladies lost, but also two other young women suffered major bodily injuries that may keep them from otherwise living a normal life if this accident had not occurred," DelSignore continued. "This horrible accident haunts me every single day and night. I relive that night over and over. I can't even come close to understanding how these families might feel. I apologize to everyone in our community, and especially to the families of this tragedy, for their injuries and unbearable grief. I pray that one day these families will find it in their hearts to forgive me. I am truly, truly sorry for their pain I have caused."
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DelSignore's blood alcohol concentration was allegedly above the legal limit when his 1999 Chevy Silverado pickup hit the four girls at about 11:45 p.m. as they walked just off the roadway. He told investigators that he did not see the girls or feel the impact, despite damage to the front end of his pickup and a dented hood, according to court records.
DelSignore said he only heard screaming, and when officers arrived he was knelt down and crying near the ditch.
He admitted drinking alcohol and taking prescription medications earlier in the evening, as well as talking on his cell phone at the time of the crash, records state. His blood was drawn at the hospital and he was taken to jail. Approximately three hours after the crash, a breath test showed that his blood alcohol concentration was 0.147.
Modine said the blood analysis has not yet been completed at the Montana State Crime Lab in Missoula, and will be a factor in determining how to proceed with the case.
"We don't have his blood results back, and his being on a cell phone will probably be a factor, but these girls are dead and it has devastated him," Modine said.
A memorial of flowers is arranged along the roadside where the crash occurred, east of the Cobblestone apartments and west of Easy Street. It serves as an homage to the girls' lives, as well as a reminder of the toll that impaired driving takes on a community.
Chief Deputy Missoula County Attorney Kirsten Pabst said the plea option on Thursday was reasonable under the circumstances, given that "the investigation is ongoing, and is quite voluminous and complex."
Modine said his client is undergoing chemical dependency counseling and has installed an in-home alcohol monitoring device. DelSignore posted a $120,000 bail shortly after his arrest, and must abide by other court-ordered conditions.
He has no criminal history and dressed in a dark suit and blue collared shirt for Thursday's hearing. The next court date is a status conference set for March 4.
Reporter Tristan Scott can be reached at 523-5264 or at tscott@missoulian.com.