Man charged with second-degree murder in fatal Kootenai shooting

KOOTENAI — A man connected to a fatal Kootenai shooting in mid-July has been charged with second-degree murder after a grand jury found there was enough evidence to pursue criminal charges.  

Shawn Webster, 21, is being charged for the fatal shooting of Jason Leroy Sparks, 50, after an alleged altercation July 19. 

Webster, also Sparks' ex-wife's fiancé, was arrested in Boundary County on a $1 million bond. It is unknown when he will be extradited to Bonner County.  

The recent arrest contradicts a statement released by the Bonner County Sheriff's Office that originally believed the crime to be a result of self-defense. The statement noted that officials believed self-defense was the leading cause of an alleged altercation, but said the investigation was still ongoing.  

Days before the arrest was made, Sparks' family went to social media to release their own investigation into his death, citing a lack of faith in an ongoing investigation by the county's justice services.  

The self-assessed investigation believes the incident falls in line with homicide rather than self-defense. The differing accounts found by the family and what was shared with the original press release raised questions about what happened that evening, what witnesses told investigators and how those accounts informed the initial description of the shooting as self-defense.   

"I think there's enough information in here for first-degree murder, and I also think there's enough information in here for accessory to murder, for her," Trisha Combo, Sparks’ cousin, told the Bonner County Daily Bee about the information they obtained.

At the time of the incident, the shooting was classified as self-defense, allowed by Idaho's Castle Doctrine. But a certificate of death by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare filed July 29, 2026, reports Sparks' manner of death as a homicide, referred to as an intentional killing by another person.  

The case has now been officially classified as a felony and will be taken through the applicable legal process.  

The family's investigation includes declaration documents from a 14-year-old who witnessed the incident, Sparks' brother and father, who were nearby during the incident, the gas station attendant who was approached by Webster after he shot Sparks, a bystander who witnessed Webster approach the gas station attendant, and a neighbor to the property where the incident occurred.   

A declaration is a formal written statement that asserts facts, intentions or circumstances, often used in legal matters. 

The family's investigation also includes an autopsy report, an eviction notice for Ashley Sparks (Bickel, according to Facebook) and Webster, and the original press release published jointly by the Bonner County Sheriff's Office and Bonner County Prosecutor's Office. Screenshots of Ashley's Facebook and audio of Webster and Ashley arguing are also among the materials.  

Each account, according to the declarations, reports that Sparks was at the residence where Ashley and Webster lived to fix Ashley's car.   

"(Jason Sparks) and us kids were going to my mom's house to fix her car because she was walking to work and stores in the blazing heat. (He) didn't want that and he felt bad for her so he went there to fix her car," the 14-year-old wrote in his declaration.   

A neighbor recalled similar circumstances, Jason fixing a car while Ashley, Webster and one of Jason's children were outside. The neighbor's declaration further noted that the unit they resided in was "calm and quiet" throughout the afternoon. The account differs from the BCSO press release, which reported that "witnesses described hearing yelling at the residence throughout the day."  

The documents follow the timeline of how events transpired that evening, from the 14-year-old stating that Ashley insisted Sparks come into the house, to Sparks entering the house after learning that Ashley and Webster were fighting.   

The boy said Sparks entered the house to stop the fight. In explaining why his father intervened, he alluded to previous allegations that Webster had abused Ashley. Upon entering the house, the boy said Ashley directed Sparks to the bedroom, where Webster was with his gun.   

"They were standing there yelling at each other. I then seen my dad push Shawn in the upper part of his chest backwards on the bed as they were standing very close to each other. (Jason) did not advance towards him at all," the boy said in the declaration. "(Ashley) and Shawn's stories are different than mine and the police just believed their story and that's what caused them to go towards self-defense. (Ashley) said Shawn 'had his hands by his side and that (Jason) picked him up by the neck and threw him on the bed.' (JASON) DID NOT DO THAT!"   

In their declarations, Sparks' father and brother said responding officers were "extremely aggressive and hostile" toward them when they arrived on-scene, and believed Sparks had not held Webster by the neck before he was shot. They also said sheriff's office officials found no bruises, red marks or grease from Sparks' hands on Webster.   

The family's findings stood in contrast to the initial characterization of the shooting as self-defense. Now, what Sparks' family has maintained is being tried in the court system to determine whether Webster will be found guilty of second-degree murder.  

In an email to The Bee, Prosecutor Louis Marshall said his office always encourages families to work with law enforcement agencies and the prosecutor's office when questions or concerns arise during an investigation.