Ralph Kelly Gallineaux, Sr. Strangulation, Montana 2023

GREAT FALLS—In a shocking turn of events, a 42-year-old man from Browning, Montana, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison for strangling and assaulting a dating partner in two separate attacks on the Blackfeet Reservation.

Ralph Kelly Gallineaux, Sr. pleaded guilty in June to strangulation of a dating partner and to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury, with U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme stating that the defendant’s actions were a serious breach of trust.

According to court records, Gallineaux strangled the victim, a dating partner, on April 8 after the two had purchased alcohol and had driven to Durham to drink. On the drive back to Browning, the two started arguing, and during a three-hour period at Gallineaux’s residence, he assaulted, strangled, and attempted to smother the victim.

The victim told investigators she thought she was going to die and that Gallineaux told her he was not scared of killing someone. When the assault ended, Gallineaux told the victim to leave his house while holding a lit blow-torch. Gallineaux let the blow-torch go out and threw it outside, and law enforcement recovered the blow-torch in the victim’s truck, which he burned.

The victim ran to the hospital and reported the assault, with the victim having bruises and scratches on her back, bruising on her neck, and injuries to her ears. The victim also reported to law enforcement that Gallineaux had assaulted her previously in July 2018, when he punched her multiple times in the face and broke her nose.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the case and ordered $6,817 restitution for the victim’s burned truck.

Gallineaux will serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence. The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of prioritizing the safety and well-being of victims of domestic violence and assault.

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