Pastor shooting case heading to court

COEUR d'ALENE — The case of a Coeur d'Alene man accused of shooting a pastor multiple times is still heading to court, despite attempts this week to resolve it outside the courtroom.

Kyle Odom, 30, faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted on charges associated with the shooting of Pastor Tim Remington in the parking lot of The Altar Church in Coeur d'Alene on March 6. Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh told The Press a scheduled mediation session on Wednesday between prosecutors and defense attorneys did not result in a resolution.

"No further mediation is scheduled at this time," McHugh added. "But further mediation can take place if the parties agree that it may assist in resolving issues in the case."

A senior, retired district judge served as a mediator during the session on Wednesday. The goal of the sessions is typically to determine a plea agreement that's suitable to both sides, while allowing the victim of the alleged crime to give their input.

Mediation sessions are held behind closed doors and remain completely confidential.

After allegedly shooting Remington following church services on the afternoon of March 6, Odom reportedly drove to Spokane before heading south to Boise. On March 7, Odom boarded a commercial flight from the Boise Airport to Washington, D.C., and was seen throwing flash drives and other items over the White House fence prior to being arrested by Secret Service agents.

Odom signed a waiver of extradition in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on April 6, and was escorted to Kootenai County by the U.S. Marshals Service. He was booked into the Kootenai County jail on May 6 and is still being held at the facility on a $500,000 bond.

Although he was originally charged with attempted murder, prosecutors amended the charges against Odom to aggravated battery, which carries the same maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Prosecutors also attached a felony deadly weapons enhancement to the charge, which carries an additional 15-year sentence if Odom is convicted.

Since no agreement was reached Wednesday, court proceedings in the case will continue as scheduled, beginning with a status hearing on Thursday morning in Kootenai County District Court.