A mother of two with suspected “white nationalist ideology” has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including vehicular homicide, in the death of a young Native American woman on an Indian reservation in Montana.
Sunny K. White, 28, appeared in Lake County District Court on Wednesday to enter a plea to five misdemeanor charges after she was accused of attacking and killing Mika Westwolf, 22, on Highway 93 in the early hours of 31 March.
White’s children, fouryear-old Aryan and two-year-old Nation were in the car when she allegedly hit Westwolf as the young woman walked along the road on the Flathead Indian Reservation.
When authorities finally tracked down White, she claimed she thought she had hit a deer and was passing a bottle to her baby when the accident occurred. According to the affidavit, a blood sample tested positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine.
White’s arraignment on Wednesday came seven months after Westwolf’s death, much to the dismay of her mother Carissa Heavy Runner and supporters who stormed the courtroom wearing red shirts emblazoned with the words “Mika Matters.”
Sunny White, 28, is accused of striking and killing a Native woman along a Montana highway while her two young children, 4-year-old Aryan and 2-year-old Nation, were in the car
Mika Westwolf, 22, was walking along Highway 93 in the early hours of March 31 when she was struck by a vehicle and killed.
Westwolf’s body was found by Flathead Indian Reservation tribal police around 4 a.m. on the day of her death (photo)
“Look what we had to do to get here,” Runner said. “Just to have my daughter’s case investigated.”
The Montana Human Rights Network said the names of White’s children “clearly indicate her support for white nationalist ideals.” ‘
“Upon further investigation, MHRN came across information that lent credence to claims that Sunny White attributes to an extremist white nationalist ideology,” they said in a statement.
Charges were officially filed against White on October 20, after Westwolf’s family waited months to see if she would be found criminally liable in court.
Westwolf’s family led a statewide campaign calling for justice in her case, as well as in other cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
“Our mission is to support affected families, advocate for accountability, and raise awareness of the systemic issues perpetuating the MMIR (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives) crisis,” reads a website in her honor set up.
“Together we stand as a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves and work toward a future where justice is served.”
White was briefly held in a Kalispell jail after charges were filed, but she was released after posting $200,000 bail.
Westwolf was walking home from the 4-Star Bar in Ravalli where she had been with her brother before her body was found by tribal police at about 4 a.m.
Evidence collected at the crash site shows Westwolf was walking in the northbound lane when she was struck.
Westwolf was struck head-on by the passenger side of the car and died at the scene from multiple blunt force injuries, according to the affidavit.
She was one of approximately 15,560 members of the Blackfeet Nation, one of the first Native American tribes to settle in Montana.
She was a passionate athlete and an award-winning poet and photographer one of four tribe members selected to attend an indigenous cultural exchange with the Sherpa people of Nepal.
Westwolf’s mother Carissa Heavy Runner (along with her daughter) delivered a passionate message outside the court: ‘Look what we had to do to get here’
Westwolf (pictured center as a child) was one of approximately 15,560 members of the Blackfeet Nation, one of the first Native American tribes to settle in Montana
Westwolf’s relatives and attorneys have accused authorities of bungling the investigation into her death.
Lead investigator Wayne Bieber admitted during an April 21 meeting with Westwolf’s mother and stepfather that their daughter’s clothing had not been tested — as is standard procedure — and had not been “handled appropriately.”
Bieber also admitted that he had not collected any surveillance footage from businesses or the railroad tracks along the highway where Westwolf ran for three weeks after the crash, explaining that there were “always multiple things going on at once.”
When Westwolf’s stepfather asked why the suspect wasn’t behind bars, the officer replied, “Montana law says you can’t drive on the road while intoxicated.”
‘That is one of the reasons why we ensure that a toxicology report is drawn up. Because that plays a role in the totality of the crash.’
Montana Highway Patrol spokesman Jay Nelson has defended the agency’s investigation into Westwolf’s death, insisting that troopers did a thorough job collecting and reviewing evidence.
White faced separate charges after she was accused of breaking into a home and taking her two children on April 7, just seven days after the crash.
On May 18, White appeared in Butte-Silver Bow County court charged with burglary, parental interference and criminal mischief.
White contacted police around 1:15 a.m. on April 7 to request a civilian escort to pick up her children from their father’s home because he “was not an appropriate parent,” according to an affidavit.
White also faced burglary and parental interference charges after breaking into a home and taking her two children with her on April 7, just seven days after the crash.
Westwolf’s (middle) family led a statewide campaign calling for justice in her case, as well as in other cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women
The officer advised White to return the next morning, but about 20 minutes later received a call about a woman breaking into a home in Butte.
White allegedly lied to the officer and told him that charges in connection with Westwolf’s death had been dropped because “her blood results came back negative.”
In reality, she was bound while the toxicology report remained pending.
According to prosecutors, the case was dismissed at the request of a witness.
White faces one charge of vehicular homicide while intoxicated, one charge of accident involving another person or deceased person, two charges of criminal child endangerment and one charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for January, with a trial date set for May 6. If convicted of vehicular homicide alone, White faces up to 30 years in prison in the state of Montana.
Although Native Americans make up 6.7 percent of Montana’s population, on average they account for 26 percent of the state’s active missing persons cases.
Indigenous women face a murder rate nearly ten times the national average.
A GoFundMe campaign in Westwolf’s honor has raised just over $35,000 of its $100,000 goal.