Death at Silver Mountain lodge leads to arrest

KELLOGG - A Washington man was charged with voluntary manslaughter after he allegedly killed Eric G. Crouse late last week at the Silver Mountain base lodge, Prosecuting Attorney Keisha Oxendine reported.

Brett McCallister, 39, of Port Angeles, Wash., was arrested Friday, Feb. 21, after the Kellogg Police Department was dispatched to a report of a battery occurring at the Kellogg ski resort's lodge.

McCallister appeared in Shoshone County Magistrate Court Monday for a felony arraignment. Judge Daniel McGee set his bail at $20,000 on several conditions including twice weekly urine analysis. McCallister was released from Shoshone County Jail today after posting bond, according to a jail officer.

Details surrounding motive for the killing remain unclear as Judge McGee made a motion to seal the case's affidavit.

The case's criminal complaints states that McCallister "did willfully and in a sudden quarrel or heat of passion, but without malice or aforethought and premeditation, kill Eric G. Crouse."

Court minutes show McCallister's request for a public defender was denied by McGee. McCallister stated that for the last two years he has worked for mass transit, though, an exact description of his job was unclear.

McCallister is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on March 13.

Crouse, 42, was taken by helicopter to Kootenai Medical Center with injuries, and he died from those injuries on Saturday, Feb. 22, according to Oxendine's press release.

An autopsy was scheduled to be performed Monday morning and the investigation remains ongoing.