Spokane man held in connection with Missoula homicide pleads not guilty

A Spokane man who showed up at a Missoula hospital in July with the cold, stiff body of his friend in the passenger seat pleaded not guilty to evidence tampering Tuesday in Missoula District Court, the Missoulian reported. Lee A. Rodriguez, 34, has been in jail in Missoula since he drove to St. Patrick’s Hospital on July 26 with the body of Jacob Colvin in the passenger seat and told hospital staff his passenger had been shot. Police later found Rodriguez at a sink in a nearby restroom, looking nervous and with dilated pupils. Though he had no weapons on him, a 380 Hi-Point handgun was found underneath a plastic garbage bag in the restroom. A Missoula judge lowered Rodriguez’s bond from $100,000 to $25,000 at the hearing Tuesday, the Missoulian reported. Rodriguez told investigators his friend was shot in Spokane and that he drove to Missoula looking for a hospital. A medical examiner ruled Colvin died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head, but investigators in Spokane and Missoula have been unable to figure out where the homicide took place. Two shell casings in the car and a bullet in Corvin’s head did not match the caliber of the gun found with Rodriguez, court documents say. “We cannot find evidence or anything to support the idea that it occurred in our jurisdiction,” said Missoula police spokesman Sgt. Travis Welsh. Missoula police said they’re waiting on more interviews from Spokane police to proceed and currently have no suspects in the homicide. Spokane police also had no reports of shots fired in the city on July 25 or 26. Police spokeswoman Ofc. Teresa Fuller said the case is in Missoula’s jurisdiction until they hear otherwise.