Naples man charged in Boundary County murder

BONNERS FERRY - A Naples man has been charged in Boundary County with the shooting death of 43-year-old Naples resident Anna Old.

John A. Funkhouser, 61, is in the Boundary County jail on a charge of second-degree murder with a $1 million bond.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 18 in Boundary County in front of Judge Don Swanstrom. If convicted, Funkhouser could face 10 years to life in prison.

According to court documents, Funkhouser called 911 late last week and told dispatchers he wanted to report a murder.

He then told the dispatcher he shot and killed Old in the Deep Creek Loop home they shared, documents said.

Sheriff's deputies arrived at the home and found Old, who appeared to have been dead for some time. She had a wound that appeared consistent with Funkhouser's statement that he'd shot her once in the back of the head.

"She had been dead for an undetermined amount of time when we arrived on scene," said Rich Stephens, Boundary County chief deputy sheriff. "A single gunshot is what killed her."

Funkhouser, according to reports, told deputies and an Idaho State Police investigator he had shot Old and he was taken into custody without further incident.

Stephens said there was no history of violence in Funkhouser's background.

After a search warrant was issued, investigators recovered the murder weapon, a small-caliber handgun.

Stephens said the relationship between Old and Funkhouser is still under investigation.

"We are trying to be careful of characterizing Funkhouser as Old's boyfriend," said Stephens. "All we know is that there may have been a romantic relationship there prior to this and may have led to what happened."

Stephens said, "It was not a premeditated murder, and not an accident, it was intentional and we are trying to prove it."

Old was new to the Bonners Ferry area. She has family in Sandpoint and in Washington, according to Stephens.

She often was seen downtown running errands on her yellow Harley with her dog Charlie in the sidecar.

The sheriff's office and state patrol still are investigating the murder and will release new information as it becomes available.