A 37-year-old Blaine County man was extradited Wednesday to North Dakota where he faces a charge of attempted murder.
Blaine County Sheriff Gene Ramsey said officers from a private extradition company arrived at the Blaine County jail Wednesday morning and that Billy Arthur Owens was turned over to them for transport to North Dakota.
"He's officially been released from our custody," Ramsey said.
Owens is wanted in Williams County, N.D., on the attempted murder charge for allegedly shooting Kenneth Moore, a 25-year-old Boise man, several times early on the morning of May 10 in the city of Williston. Owens was arrested by the Bellevue Marshal's Office on the North Dakota warrant and on two Blaine County misdemeanor warrants on May 23 at the Silver Dollar Saloon in Bellevue.
Bellevue Marshal Larry Clark reported earlier that Owens surrendered without incident when confronted by officers at the saloon on Main Street.
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The Blaine County warrants were issued against Owens for his failure to appear on a 2011 misdemeanor DUI charge and a probation violation for a 2011 conviction of driving without privileges. He pleaded guilty to both charges on June 18 in Blaine County Magistrate Court and was sentenced to a total of 58 days in jail. However, he was given credit for 58 days already spent behind bars.
"All his misdemeanor charges have been judicated here and that's why we released him," Ramsey said.
Owens waived extradition to North Dakota in Magistrate Court on June 20.
Ramsey said the extradition followed receipt at the Sheriff's Office of a governors' warrant on Monday. The warrant was signed by both North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple and Idaho Gov. Butch Otter.
Owens was living in the West Magic Reservoir area at the time of his arrest. He has also had addresses in the past in Boise and in Shoshone.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
Billy Arthur Owens
