Sandpoint killing suspect sits in jail on unrelated charges

A suspect in a Sandpoint killing is sitting in jail with a $15,000 bond on for unrelated charges, and prosecutors say it may take weeks until homicide-related charges are filed.

Michael R. McDermott was an early suspect in the disappearance and killing of Robert Hegseth Wohali, 26, of Sandpoint.

Hegseth Wohali was reported missing March 17, but family had been searching for him days earlier.

Sandpoint police got a tip about McDermott’s whereabouts for an arrest warrant alleging car theft.

An officer drove to Evergreen Towing at 2208 Great Northern Road at 6 p.m. March 16 to find McDermott.

When police arrived at Evergreen, McDermott lied about his name and birthday, but police were able to identify him by a distinctive tattoo on his left ring finger. McDermott was arrested for providing false information to a police officer.

He remains in the Bonner County Jail.

Hegseth Wohali’s body was found March 19 in a rural area south of Sandpoint, according to a news release.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall confirmed McDermott is a suspect in the slaying, but he has not yet been charged. It may take a few weeks for charges to be filed, he said.

Evergreen was later identified as the spot of Hegseth Wohali’s death, according to the news release. The towing company was also the location where another man was killed in 2005.

A family member who asked not to be named said Hegseth Wohali’s early ’90s white Chevy Camaro was stolen about a week prior to his disappearance and he was setting up deals to recover it.

Apparent messages of Hegseth Wohali’s plans to retrieve the car were posted to Facebook as comments to news articles about his disappearance, but they cannot be confirmed by detectives.