BEMIDJI — A Bagley man has pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder for an incident that took place in May 2020.
According to a release from Beltrami County Attorney David Hanson, Devin Charles Belcourt, 35, of Bagley, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, April 19, to committing second-degree intentional murder – aiding and abetting.
The guilty plea comes after the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a gunshot and a burning building on Trengove Road at 12:34 a.m. on May 3, 2020, in Grant Valley Township, 10 miles west of Bemidji.
When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they saw a house engulfed in flames and encountered a male victim, referred to in court documents as B.M., who was suffering multiple gunshot wounds.
The victim indicated to the officers that he had been awakened by the sound of gunshots and observed people running from the house into a car. The individuals shot at him when they saw him.
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Deputies later discovered the remains of a second male victim, referred to as J.M., inside the house. After a thorough investigation, the sheriff’s office along with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified three suspects: Devin Charles Belcourt, Travis Earl Gunning, and Rebecca Elizabeth Lockman.
During the plea hearing, Belcourt admitted in open court that he, Gunning and Lockman intended to rob J.M. and that his death was a foreseeable result of that robbery.
A sentencing hearing will be held on April 26. Lockman and Gunning have already plead guilty to their respective roles in the crime.
In the release, Hanson sent his condolences to the family of J.M., as well as his sympathy to B.M.
"I would like to thank all of the hard-working members of the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for their excellent investigation in this matter that led to the capture and convictions of Belcourt, Gunning and Lockman," he said. "(And) all of the staff of the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office who put in many hours on this matter.
"(I) would also like to thank Clearwater County Attorney Kathryn Lorsbach and Hubbard County Attorney Jonathan Frieden who together prosecuted the case against Travis Gunning as a conflict."
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