$200,000 Bail For Man Who Allegedly Caused I-90 Rollover Deaths – Victims Identified
Missoula County Sheriff and Coroner T.J. McDermott has released the names of the two individuals who were killed on Saturday night when a Jeep rolled on Interstate 90, ejecting them.
The victims have been identified as 33 year-old Vannessa Anderson and 36 year-old Donny Barlow, both of Missoula.
42 year-old James Bayford was charged in Missoula Justice Court on Monday with two counts of felony negligent homicide, and eight more counts of felony criminal endangerment for those who were injured.
Deputy Missoula County Attorney Lacey Lincoln asked Judge Marie Anderson for $200,000 bail. Lincoln also revealed that Bayford was already on felony probation at the time of the incident.
"The reason the State is asking for $200,000 bail is that the defendant was just sentenced on July 25th on two counts of assault on a minor," Lincoln said. "In that case, he had assaulted his nephews while he was intoxicated."
Lincoln then addressed the present charges.
"This case stems from him being highly intoxicated and causing a rollover crash of a shuttle in which he was a passenger coming back from the Testicle Festival, by grabbing the steering wheel," she said. "Two other passengers were ejected and killed in that crash. Given his previous history of alcohol, that is why the State is requesting full-time alcohol monitoring, as well as the high bail."
In the courtroom to view the charging via video from the Missoula County Jail were over a dozen friends and relatives of the victims and of those who were injured in the crash. None agreed to be interviewed following the proceedings.
Judge Anderson set bail at $200,000 and remanded Bayford back to the Missoula County Jail.