BONNER COUNTY, Idaho — New court documents are giving more insight into the suspect’s movements following Shirley Ramey’s April 2017 murder in Hope, Idaho.
Judith Carpenter was arrested Friday at her home in Coeur d’Alene. She’s charged with first degree murder.
The Bonner County Sheriff said the murder seems to be random. Court documents said Carpenter was committing a burglary at the time Ramey was killed.
Officials said on the same day of Ramey’s killing, Carpenter was arrested in a road rage incident in Libby, Montana. It's believed that the same gun she used during this road rage incident is the same gun she used to kill Ramey earlier that day. Investigators were able to match the gun Carpenter had in the car to bullet casings found at the Ramey home.
Court documents said a couple called 911, saying Carpenter was following them into Libby and had pointed a gun at them. The couple told deputies that they drove up behind Carpenter on a highway and she pulled over to let them pass, documents said. Carpenter then sped up and passed the couple.
Documents said she then pulled over once again, let the couple pass and pointing a pistol at them. The couple, with Carpenter behind them, continued into town and drove straight to the sheriff's office while calling 911, documents stated. As that happened, court documents said a deputy went outside to confront Carpenter, but she started to speed off.
Another deputy ran towards her and pointed at her to stop, which she did. Deputies said the pistol she pointed at the couple was on the seat next to her and Carpenter was wearing a holster.
When questioned by deputies, Carpenter initially denied pointing a gun at the couple. After several minutes of being questioned, court documents said she admitted to the road rage and said she thought the couple was going to hit her. She was then arrested.
According to court staff in Libby, Carpenter essentially agreed with prosecutors to have her case dropped, provided she continued to stay out of trouble.
She remains in the Bonner County Jail with a bond of $1 million.