Belgrade man gets 220 years for murder of wife

“Town Crier” newsletter – Briefs from the Region (1) – 2/6/20

On Feb. 4, Joseph “Paul” DeWise of Belgrade, 49, was sentenced to 220 years in the Montana State Prison—without parole—for the murder of his estranged wife and the attempted murder of her roommate. The sentence was handed out by Judge Holly Brown in Gallatin County District Court after the defense team asked for a sentence of 62 years—the prosecution called for a longer sentence noting the surviving victim, Ashley Van Hemert, has sustained significant emotional and physical trauma in the Jan. 6 attack. “During the trial, Joe DeWise, Joseph Paul DeWise’s son, testified that he saw his dad shoot his mother and Van Hemert in their Belgrade home,” reports the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. His daughter also testified, telling the court her father admitted to the killing the following morning, before taking the family to church. DeWise will also pay $25,000 in restitution.