Bludgeoning suspect pleads not guilty

COEUR d'ALENE - The suspect in the Bayview hammer bludgeoning from last month pleaded not guilty Wednesday on all seven counts of a grand jury indictment.

Larry W. Cragun, 31, of Bayview, appeared before 1st District Court Judge Benjamin Simpson after being indicted on first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and burglary. The indictment came down last week.

The grand jury was made up of 16 citizens picked by a judge, and was tasked with deciding whether to charge Cragun. It only takes 12 people to agree. Prosecutors decide whether to seek the charges through a preliminary hearing in front of a magistrate or through a grand jury.

Cragun remained silent during the Wednesday hearing and Simpson entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Simpson did not set a trial date for Cragun, who remains in custody at the Kootenai County jail.

Cragun is accused of walking into his next-door neighbors' mobile home overlooking Lake Pend Oreille with a large hammer and kitchen knife and attacking four people inside who were watching TV on Dec. 19.

Cragun is accused of hitting Patricia Heath, 43, in the head with the hammer. She died Dec. 20 at Kootenai Medical Center from massive head trauma.

Patricia Heath's husband, Michael Heath, suffered minor injuries.

Michael Heath's mother, Lorraine Wallis, and son, Jedidiah Heath, were both sent to the hospital following the attack. Both have been released. Wallis also suffered serious head injuries.

The attack occurred at a mobile home on the 34500 block of North Limekiln Road.

Bayview residents familiar with Cragun said he'd been acting irrationally before the attacks, and he'd become known as "Crazy Larry" around the community.

Cragun has previous convictions for drug possession, domestic violence assault, attempting to elude police, drunken driving and battery, according to court records.