Two men charged with killing 28-year-old man during a fight near a Kellogg bar

Apr. 26—Two men were charged with felony manslaughter after a fight left 28-year-old Reed Norris dead last weekend in Kellogg.

Idaho State Police detectives, who are handling the investigation, arrested August C. Mota, 33, and Martin D. Duncan, 42, Tuesday in Coeur d'Alene and booked them into the Shoshone County Jail, according to court documents.

Mota and Duncan were staying in Kellogg as part of a firefighting crew and went out to the Dirty Dog Saloon the night of April 20, documents say.

One of the bar patrons told police a man told her that Norris, who was also at the bar that night, directed possible racial comments toward Mota and Duncan, agitating them. A bartender told police Duncan was extremely intoxicated that night and informed Mota that Duncan was cut off from drinking.

Video surveillance from the bar showed Norris following Duncan and Mota out of the bar and into the parking lot at about 12:05 a.m. Sunday, court records show. Security footage showed the three had limited contact while inside the bar. But once outside, court documents say the men got into a physical fight.

Detectives contacted the fire crew, including Mota and Duncan, Tuesday morning at the Fernan Forest Service Facility in Coeur d'Alene.

Norris told Mota that night that Norris was in a gang and threatened Mota, saying he had a gun, Mota told detectives.

Mota said Norris didn't hit him, and that Norris walked away after the altercation. Mota said he was then worried about Norris and told him to go home.

Duncan requested a lawyer when asked to provide information to police Tuesday, according to documents.

Video surveillance from the Kellogg rental where Mota and Duncan were staying showed a man leaving the rental in a truck at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday and returning with Duncan and Mota at about 12:45 a.m. Duncan appeared disoriented and possibly injured, and needed Mota's help to get out of the truck and into the house, the footage showed.

The driver told police Mota called him and said Duncan's leg was injured, that they'd been in a fight and they needed him to come pick them up from the bar.

While driving, the driver saw Mota and Duncan sitting on a bench on the side of the road. A detective found what he suspected to be blood near or on the bench Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the driver stopped the truck, and Mota assisted the injured Duncan to the truck, the driver told police.

They got in, and the driver turned around near the Trim Time Barber Shop across from the bar. He saw the man from the fight lying on the street next to the curb, mumbling and moving.

The driver said Mota was concerned about the man, got out of the pickup and helped the man to his feet. He said Mota asked the man if he was OK and told the man he needed to go home.

The driver said Mota helped the man off the street and toward the back of the barbershop. Mota got back in the truck, and the three of them went back to the rental.

Mota and Duncan told the driver later that morning they met Norris at the bar, and Norris was bragging about his gang affiliation and challenged Mota and Duncan to a fight, the driver told police. Mota and Duncan told the driver they left the bar and Norris was following them.

Duncan told the driver at some point he got into a fight with Norris, which is what caused the injuries to Duncan's face and leg, and which knocked Duncan out. Mota then came to Duncan's aid and punched Norris, the driver told detectives.

Another person who stayed at the rental told police he learned from Mota that Norris had followed them and engaged in mutual combat.

He told police that Mota told him Norris hit Duncan, knocking him down, and then Mota hit Norris. Mota woke both Duncan and Norris up as they had both presumably been knocked out. Norris then walked away.

The man said Duncan's lower leg and ankle were visibly swollen.

He said Mota had to slap both Duncan and Norris to wake them up, and that Mota last saw Norris walking up the road toward the hair cutting location. He said there should be blood in front of the shops where the confrontation occurred because Mota told him Duncan's nose was gushing blood when Mota was trying to wake him up.

A person living nearby found Norris on Monday. Police said Norris was lying on his back near the backside of the barbershop.

Norris had cuts and other marks on his hands, left leg, and head and face, police said in documents.

Preliminary findings from the Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office concluded Norris died from blunt force trauma to the head, documents say. He had a skull fracture and brain hemorrhaging.

Mota and Duncan are set for preliminary hearings May 8 in Shoshone County Magistrate Court.