HELENA - A Helena man has been found guilty of one count of deliberate homicide in connection with the 2022 killing and robbery of a man near Rimini.

Robert Harvel was charged with deliberate homicide or accountability to deliberate homicide in the death of Michael Biggs.

Harvel appeared before state District Judge Chris Abbott last month for a weeklong bench trial — meaning there was no jury and the judge would determine the verdict himself.

Abbott released his verdict on Friday. He determined Harvel was not guilty of being directly responsible for Biggs’ death.

However, he did find him guilty under Montana’s “felony murder rule,” which says someone is guilty of deliberate homicide if they commit or try to commit a “forcible felony” and a person dies as a result.

Abbott also found

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