Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Jury Finds Luke Strommen Guilty of Rape

A jury of 12 found ex-Valley County undersheriff Luke Strommen guilty of sexual intercourse without consent in the afternoon hours of July 17, 2020 at Valley County District Court.

The State's case had argued that Strommen began raping a 14-year-old girl while she stayed in a hotel room with the family in Great Falls in September of 2009. In the night, Strommen initiated digital intercourse and continued to repeatedly meet the girl to rape her throughout the course of the following months to years.

Using only witness testimony, corroborating witnesses and an indirect phone call admission by Strommen to the victim's mother, the prosecution argued in closing arguments that the conviction hinged on whether the victim's testimony was credible or not and nothing else.

"As a society, we strive for a world where 14-year-old children are not sexually assaulted," stated Assistant Montana Attorney General and prosecution services bureau chief Dan Guzynski during closing arguments. He went on to argue that when children do disclose rape they are not responsible for what that adult did to them. "All [the victim] did was fall for the very unsophisticated trap [by Strommen]."

Strommen's lawyers countered that they merely needed to show a reasonable doubt that the allegations were untrue and that the burden of proof was only on the state. They reiterated that to find "reasonable doubt" the evidence needed to be of "such a convincing character that a reasonable person would rely or act upon it in their own personal affairs."

"Luke [Strommen] is presumed innocent," stated the defense attorney, Jason Holden, to the jury. "His presumption is not overcome unless you are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt by the state's evidence."

In the end, the verdict came after the weeklong trial, six state witnesses, two defense witnesses, two rebuttal witnesses, a constant barrage of COVID interferences, numerous breaks, four hours of closing arguments and nearly three-hours of deliberations that, ultimately, affirmed beyond a reasonable doubt the state's case and found Strommen had, in fact, had sexual intercourse with the victim when she was just 14 years old.

Strommen was immediately arrested after the verdict was read and is detained at the Valley County Detention Center. Sentencing is set for August 28 at the Valley County Courthouse. Strommen faces life in prison or a sentence of no more than 100 years or no less than 4 years.

This article has been updated to remove the words "sexual relationship" and replace them with "rape" to add clarity.