Coroner's inquest into Powers' death set 9 a.m. Friday

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This unchanged article ran on the front page of the Feb. 23, 1981, edition of The North Idaho Press. If you remember this story, or other BLAST FROM THE PAST articles, let us know by writing us or commenting online.

A time and place has been set for Friday’s coroner’s inquest into the Jan. 17 shooting of Daniel Ray Powers, near Pine Creek in the Pinehurst area.

The inquest will begin at 9 a.m. at the Union Hall in Kellogg. It will be open to the public.

Powers, 31, was shot and killed when four police officers from three local law enforcement agencies went to the trailer where Powers was staying to serve Powers with an arrest warrant for a parole violation.

Witnesses said Powers was shot by Pinehurst Police Chief David Yon. The coroner’s jury must now decide if the shooting was justified. If the jury finds that it was not, Yon could face criminal charges.

The six-person coroner’s jury will be chosen by the sheriff’s office working with the County Prosecutor John Cossel’s office. Cossel said Friday that the names of the six persons would not be released until shortly before the inquest begins, so that the jurors would not be bothered with questions and opinions from persons in the community.

Frank Crnkovich, the county sheriff, said the jury would consist of reputable people in the area.

Powers had been paroled to Spokane, Wash., from the Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise where he had been serving a life term for killing another inmate in prison in 1971.

The warrant for the parole violation was issued by Powers’ parole officer Scott Grant, when Powers was discovered to be in the area.

Yon went to the trailer to serve the warrant and was accompanied by fellow Pinehurst officer Bill LaHommedieu, Ben Boley of the Sheriff’s office and Harry Breeden of the Smelterville Police.

Witnesses said Powers “made some type of move to get out,” and he and Yon struggled.

One of the big questions to be answered at the inquest is how far was the gun from Powers’ body when it went off.

Since the shooting, Yon has worked only in an administrative capacity for the Pinehurst police.

Cossel said he expects the inquest to last most of the day Friday and part of the day Saturday.

County Coroner Dr. E. E. Gnaedinger will be the presiding officer at the inquest. Cossel and all six members of the inquest jury will be allowed to ask questions of the witnesses.