Montana teen charged in connection with September assault

Jake Kraus was attacked by three people while walking home in downtown Great Falls on the night of September 8, 2024.

The brutal attack left him hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury and in a medically induced coma for days.

Three teenagers were charged with the assault, one of whom appeared in court on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

Ethanel Philip Pherigo, 19, was charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of robbery because surveillance video of the attack allegedly shows Pherigo searching the victim’s pockets.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges at an arraignment hearing earlier this month and his trial date is set for January 27, 2025.

Shaun Anthony Deberry, 19, appeared in court for arraignment on Thursday, Oct. 17, and was charged with one count of aggravated assault, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years if convicted.

Deberry pleaded not guilty and has a trial date set for February 10, 2025.

The third suspect, 14-year-old Jesse James Edwards Jr., was charged as an adult with one count of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated assault.

He was originally charged only with aggravated assault, but court documents dated Sept. 18 included a charge of attempted voluntary manslaughter.

Surveillance video of the attack allegedly shows Edwards repeatedly stomping on the victim’s head. He is the only suspect charged with attempted first-degree murder and remains in custody on a $250,000 bond.

On October 8, 2024, Jake Kraus was transferred from Benefis Hospital in Great Falls to Craig Hospital in Colorado to continue his recovery.

Craig Hospital is a neurorehabilitation and research hospital specializing in spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.