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'Here we are again': Death row Canadian waits as Montana looks at resuming executions

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'Here we are again': Death row Canadian waits as Montana looks at resuming executions


CALGARY — The fate of a Canadian who has been on death row in Montana for the past 42 years has been thrown into more uncertainty as state legislators try again to remove obstacles to resuming executions.

Ronald Smith, 67, is originally from Red Deer, Alta., and has been on death row since 1983, a year after he and another man, high on LSD and alcohol, shot and killed two young Indigenous cousins near East Glacier, Mont.

Time moves slowly at Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, Mont. where Smith has been described as a model prisoner for four decades. But almost like clockwork every two years, another attempt to allow the state to resume executions begins in the Montana legislature.

All executions have been stayed in Montana since 2015 because the state requires the use of an “ultra-fast-acting barbiturate” that is no longer available.

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U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock ruled that pentobarbital — the drug the state was planning to use — didn’t qualify as “ultra-fast-acting” and blocked the state from using it. There hasn’t been an execution in Montana since 2006.

But a new bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Shannon Maness, would remove the “ultra-fast-acting” language and instead allow the state to use “an intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death.”

Maness did not respond to a request for an interview.

Alex Rate, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the proposed legislation is frustrating.

“They’re going to keep trying and do everything they can to dehumanize people and put people to death, so here we are again. What they’re trying to do is loosen the requirements regarding which substances can be used for lethal injection,” said Rate.

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Rate said pentobarbital is still not available and administering something like antifreeze, rat poison or cyanide in a sufficient quantity to cause death is the definition of cruel and unusual punishment.

“I testified in the committee of the House Judiciary Committee and reminded them if they wanted to see the death penalty be rendered unconstitutional, adopting a bill like this would be the right way to do it because it permits just about any substance to be used.”

Going back almost 20 years, bills both to reinstate executions and abolish the death penalty have come close to passing, but have ultimately failed.

Rate said, this time, he’s worried.

“We are living in a new sort of world order here in Montana where the executive and legislative branches of government are dominated by one ideology and the death penalty fits neatly within that ideology,” he said.

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“I feel like everybody is marching to the same playbook.”

Smith’s longtime lawyer, Greg Jackson, didn’t expect this issue to arise again so soon.

“This was kind of a shot out of the blue after the last many sessions we’ve had in the legislature where things went untampered with, so to speak,” he said.

“After this many years it is frustrating. This appears to be a bill, that at least on the face of it, attempts to modify a protocol that they could utilize.”

In an interview in 2021, after a similar bill was defeated, Smith was far from ecstatic.

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“A lot of people look at it and say, ‘Well at least you’re alive,’ but I’m really not. I’m just sitting around like a bump on a log is all I’m doing, and after almost 40 years of this, anything is preferable,” Smith told The Canadian Press.

“I’ve hit that point where I’ve done enough of this. If they’re (legislators) not going to cut me a break, then go ahead and do away with me.”

Jackson said his client’s mood has since improved after he was granted more digital access to his family.

“It’s something that really has made life behind bars in the U.S., away from his family, at least more tolerable.”

Smith and Rodney Munro admitted to marching Harvey Mad Man, 23, and Thomas Running Rabbit, 20, into the woods by a highway. They shot each man in the head with a sawed-off .22-calibre rifle.

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Smith was initially offered a plea deal that would have taken the death penalty off the table, but he rejected it. He pleaded guilty and asked to be put to death but later changed his mind. He has had five execution dates set over the years. Each has been overturned.

Munro took the plea bargain, was eventually transferred to a prison in Canada and has been free since 1998.

Rate said even if the new legislation passes, the matter is far from over.

“There’s all sorts of procedural protections and constitutional requirements that accompany putting anybody to death,” he said.

“Even assuming that the state is able to jump over those hurdles, they would have to acquire a substance that they could use and then no doubt they will be sued.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2025.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press



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Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Jan. 10, 2026

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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

05-19-21-28-64, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

17-24-36-38-43, Lucky Ball: 17

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Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

06-15-20-22-25, Star Ball: 10, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

03-07-20-23, Bonus: 13

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

10-19-39-47-67, Powerball: 18

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

06-12-17-18-25

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
  • Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

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This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Service door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says

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Service door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says


The French owner of the Swiss bar where 40 people died in a fire during new year celebrations has told investigators a service door had been locked from the inside.

Jacques Moretti, co-owner of the Constellation bar in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, was taken into custody on Friday, as prosecutors investigated the tragedy.

Most of the 40 people who died were teenagers, and another 116 people were injured.

Moretti told the Valais public prosecutor’s office that he had found out about the locked door just after the deadly fire.

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When he arrived at the scene, he forced open the door, according to excerpts from police reports published by several French and Swiss media outlets confirmed to AFP by a source close to the case.

Moretti said he had found several people lying behind the door after opening it.

Initial findings suggest the fire was caused by sparklers coming into contact with soundproofing foam installed on the ceiling of the establishment’s basement.

Questions are also being raised regarding the presence and accessibility of fire extinguishers, and whether the bar’s exits were in compliance with regulations.

No safety inspections at site of Swiss bar fire for past five years, mayor says

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“We always add a sparkler candle when we serve a bottle of wine in the dining room,” said his wife and co-owner, Jessica, who was released after Friday’s hearing.

Moretti told investigators he had carried out tests and the candles were not powerful enough to ignite the acoustic foam.

He said he bought the foam in a DIY store and installed it himself during renovations carried out after buying the establishment in 2015.

Regarding the presence of numerous underage kids in the bar at the time of the tragedy, Moretti said the establishment prohibited anyone under the age of 16 and that customers aged 16 to 18 had to be accompanied by an adult.

He said he had given these “instructions” to the security staff, but acknowledged that “it is possible that there was a lapse in protocol”.

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The couple is suspected of “negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson”.



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‘It was apocalyptic’, woman tells Crans-Montana memorial service, as bar owner detained

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‘It was apocalyptic’, woman tells Crans-Montana memorial service, as bar owner detained


‘In this shared grief we stand united’: Day of mourning for New Year’s Eve fire victims in Switzerland

Tragedy brought people together in Crans-Montana and brought the country to a standstill.

On Friday, just down the road from the bar where 40 young people were killed by fire on New Year’s Eve, church bells rang in their memory.

They tolled right across Switzerland, to mark a national day of mourning.

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Then, moments after the last notes of a special memorial service had faded, came the news that one of the bar’s owners had been detained.

Swiss prosecutors said Jacques Moretti, a French national, was a potential flight risk. He and his wife Jessica, who is also French, are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.

Many of the victims’ families had demanded action like this from the start: more than a week after the fire, the anger in this community has been increasing.

At the main ceremony in Martigny, down in the valley, relatives of the dead were joined by survivors. Some had come from hospital for the memorial. People held white roses in their laps and gripped each other’s hands for support.

“The images we faced were unbearable. A scene worse than a nightmare. Screams ringing out in the icy cold, the smell of burning. It was apocalyptic,” a young woman called Marie told the audience.

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She had been in a bar opposite Le Constellation when the fire broke out and suddenly found herself helping the injured as they ran from the flames.

She said she would never forget what she’d seen.

Listening in the front row were the presidents of France and Italy, whose citizens were among those killed and injured in the fire. Both countries have opened their own investigations.

Back in Rome, Italy’s prime minister vowed to make sure all those responsible were identified.

“This was no accident. It was the result of too many people who did not do their jobs,” Giorgia Meloni said.

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She wants to know why the music wasn’t cut as soon as the fire started.

“Why did no-one tell the young people to get out? Why did the council not make the proper checks? There are too many whys.”

In Crans-Montana people have the same questions and many more.

For now, the only two formal suspects are the co-owners of Le Constellation, Jacques and Jessica Moretti. Early on Friday, the pair were called in by prosecutors. They are being investigated for causing death and injury through negligence but have not been charged.

Now Jacques Moretti has been remanded in custody. In a statement, the public ministry said the move followed a “new assessment of the flight risk.”

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“I constantly think of the victims and of the people who are struggling,” his wife told a crush of TV cameras after several hours of questioning at the ministry.

It was her first public comment since the fire.

“It is an unimaginable tragedy. It happened in our establishment, and I would like to apologise.”

Nine days on, Le Constellation is still obscured from view behind white plastic sheets. A lone policeman stands guard, his face covered against the relentless snow.

What unfolded inside the building’s basement has gradually become clearer – and it’s the story of a disaster that should never have happened.

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Mobile phone footage shows a sparkler tied to a champagne bottle apparently starting the fire as it brushes the ceiling. Covered with soundproofing foam that was never safety tested, it ignites quickly.

When the crowd eventually rush for the exit in panic, there is a crush on the stairs. It seems the emergency doors were blocked.

But another video, from six years ago, suggests the risk was well known. On the footage, a waiter can be heard warning that the material on the ceiling is flammable.

“Be careful with the foam,” the voice shouts, as people wave the same sparklers.

But the questions here are not just for the owners.

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This week the local authorities in Crans made the shocking admission that they hadn’t carried out mandatory safety checks of the bar for five years.

They offered no explanation.

“It was a hell inside that bar. More than 1,000 degrees of temperature. There was no way to escape,” Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, told the BBC, citing a long list of safety violations.

Six Italians were killed as a result.

“Italy wants justice, the Italian government wants justice and the Italian people want justice, for sure. The families want justice,” the ambassador stressed.

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That includes for those with life-changing injuries.

The regional hospital in Sion took the first major influx of patients. The stress was compounded by the fact that many doctors’ own children were partying in Crans for the New Year.

“They were all scared the next stretcher to arrive would be carrying their own child,” hospital director Eric Bonvin remembers.

But he’s proud of how his team coped.

Some casualties were unconscious and so badly burned, it took time to identify them.

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The most serious cases were moved to specialist burns centres elsewhere in Switzerland and in Europe where some are still in a critical condition.

All face a long, tough path to recovery which the doctor likens to a “rebirth” because many of his young patients have severe burns to the face.

“First the body needs to be protected, like the foetus in a mother’s womb. That’s what’s happening for many now. Then they will have to re-enter the world and find their identity,” Professor Bonvin says.

“It will take a lot of work and resilience.”

Add to that the anguish of surviving.

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“They came round and at first they felt lucky to be alive. But some now feel this guilt, wondering why they are here, but not their friend or brother,” Bonvin explains.

“It is a delicate moment.”

In central Crans, the heap of tributes for the dead is still growing, protected from the elements by a canvas.

After leaving their own fresh flowers on Friday, many people then stood in front of the ruins of the bar itself for a moment. Remembering, in silence.



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