Shane Kyle Talksabout Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Montana
December 2, 2010

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on December 2, 2010, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, SHANE KYLE TALKSABOUT, a 22-year-old resident of Browning, pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Sentencing has been set for March 10, 2011. He is currently detained.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vince Carroll, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

At approximately 2:00 a.m.., on April 8, 2010, TALKSABOUT was driving a vehicle on U.S. Highway 89 North, northwest of Browning and south of St. Mary's. Four passengers were in the vehicle with TALKSABOUT. Near mile marker 25, TALKSABOUT drove off the road, hit the brakes, and sent the vehicle into a skid causing the vehicle to hit a sign and roll backwards and to the right. The vehicle landed on its top. Three of the passengers were thrown from the vehicle, including the victim, J. B. The victim, J.B., a 19-year-old male, died on April 8, 2010, at 3:53 a.m. at the hospital in Browning. An autopsy determined that the victim died from blunt force injuries to his head, neck, and chest that he received in the vehicle wreck.

TALKSABOUT had been drinking for several hours prior to the wreck. Shortly after the wreck, TALKSABOUT's blood alcohol level was 0.3055. TALKSABOUT admitted that he was drunk when he was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. The incident occurred within the exterior boundaries of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

TALKSABOUT faces possible penalties of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years' supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.