POLSON, MT — A deliberate homicide trial is underway at the Lake County Courthouse in Polson. Ashley Whitmore is accused of killing Adam Mowatt in a shooting last November on Fifth Street in Polson.
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On Thursday, prosecutors called several witnesses to the stand.
The defense questioned Sergeant Kyle Cooper about whether Whitmore could have been experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of the November 6, 2025 shooting.
"What is your training on how to deal with someone who is dealing with a mental health crisis?" the defense asked.
"Essentially trying to get an understanding of where they're at, regarding what they are saying," Cooper said.
The prosecution then questioned Cooper about when officers call for crisis response.
"We don't have a crisis response team in Lake County. We do our best in terms of when we are responding to these kinds of instances," Cooper said.
Cooper said officers can contact EMS for an evaluation, but testified Whitmore was not considered a threat to herself while detained.
"No, because she was at Lake County Detention Center and had restraints," Cooper said.
The defense also questioned why Whitmore was not tested for drugs or other intoxicants after the shooting, but testimony did not provide a clear answer.
Adam Mowatt's adoptive father, Eugene Mowatt, testified that Mowatt and Whitmore had lived with him before the shooting. He testified about alleged methamphetamine he had witnessed in the bedroom the couple shared.
"Yes ma'am, I had the credibility of drug and alcohol abuse, so I know what meth was and I seen it," Eugene Mowatt said.
The state is expected to continue presenting its case into next week. We will continue to follow this story.
