Woman sentenced to 60 years for strangling man to death in Wal-Mart parking lot

By Ashley Nerbovig - Billingsgazette.com

June 22, 2016

During her sentencing hearing Wednesday, Lindsay April Haugen said the prosecution's recommended prison sentence of 65 years was "overwhelming" but that she deserved it.

Haugen acknowledged she knew it was wrong to strangle Robert Glenn Mast to death on Sept. 15 inside a car at the Heights Wal-Mart.

"I feel like I deserve whatever I get," Haugen said. "Because I can’t bring Robbie back.”

Haugen pleaded guilty to the deliberate homicide of Mast, 25, in April. According to court documents, Haugen killed Mast by putting her arm around his neck to choke him before holding his mouth and nose shut for as long as 20 minutes. She and Mast had eaten pizza and drank wine in the parking lot that night before she said Mast asked her to kill him.

Yellowstone County District Judge Gregory Todd ordered Haugen to serve 60 years with the Montana State Women's Prison.

Mast's step-mother, Mindy Pendleton, testified during the hearing.

Pendleton had raised Mast since he was a 2-year-old, she said. She described him as a "traveler" who had spent his life working seasonal jobs, going state-to-state and indulging in adventures. He was different from the rest of the family, made different choices, but a good man, Pendleton said.

"His life mattered. It mattered. It mattered to all of us," Pendleton said. "He was loved, and he loved well."

Mast had a girlfriend he planned to return to in Minnesota, Pendleton said. He did not love Haugen, but he trusted her, and that was what killed him, Pendleton said.

Mast was from Florida and would return to his family during the holidays, in part for the climate, Pendleton said.

"He was not a transient whose life didn’t have meaning," Pendleton said. "It did. If this proceeding were held in Flordia, this courtroom would be filled with those who loved him."

Haugen robbed Mast's family of him, Pendleton said. She told the court she would never again hear her son say he loved her, just as his brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews would never again hear the stories that used to bring them joy, Pendleton said.

For that, Pendleton said she and her family wanted Haugen to spend the rest of her life in prison.

"We will represent Robbie and his life. We will fight to have you stay incarcerated," Pendleton said, promising to attend every one of Haugen's future parole hearings.

Mast had a documented history of suicidal idealization, but friends and family said he would seek help when he had bouts of depression. They did not believe he actually wanted to die.

Haugen said it was a request Mast had made of her more than once.

When Haugen testified, she apologized to Pendleton. Haugen described Mast as the love of her life, after knowing him only 28 days. That was why she "chose to take his life," she said.

At the end of her testimony at the hearing, she requested 25 to 30 years of her sentence to be suspended so she could try to be a productive member of society again after she had served a good portion of her sentence.

Just as Haugen did not dispute strangling Mast, no one disputed Haugen's documented past trauma.

Todd called her an "intelligent person with a horrendous background of abuse."

Haugen's crime did not happen "in a vacuum," Public Defender Gregory Paskell said.

Paskell argued Haugen was predisposed to be submissive to Mast's request for her to kill him, because of the abuse men had subjected her to.

Licensed clinical professional counselor Lisa Matovich-Brooke was brought in to testify about Haugen's mental health. She said Haugen had grown up with an abusive father, was beaten by a group of "skin heads" when she was a young woman and had nearly died when her ex-fiance threw her against a bathtub and strangled her until she passed out. He raped her, broke her hand, broke her nose and, when she tried to leave, threw her keys onto a roof, Matovich-Brooke said.

Haugen testified when she was with her fiance he wouldn't let her walk into their home. She had to crawl over the threshold and was only allowed to speak to him on her knees.

When Haugen, a sergeant with the National Guard at the time, reported the abuse to her commanding officer, her commander kept Haugen in the barracks for her protection. Even then, she tried to stay in contact with the man who had beat her, Matovich-Brooke said.

Haugen served in the military for 10 years, volunteering to fight in Kuwait as a gunner on a Black Hawk helicopter. Haugen's life was a jumble of counter-intuitive choices, Matovich-Brooke said.

Battered women will do anything to prove how much they love the men they are with, Matovich-Brooke said.

"She said it was like she was floating above the car and didn’t feel like she was really committing the crime,” Matovich -Brooke said about Haugen's description of killing Mast.

Matovich-Brooke said the disassociation Haugen displayed in the attack is consistent with PTSD and battered woman syndrome. Haugen did what she did to prove how much she loved Mast, Matovich-Brooke said.

Todd said he did not see a connection between Haugen's past abuse and what she did to Mast. He said "niceness" triggering violence did not make sense.

"Haugen strangles him and plugs his nose and mouth for 20 minutes," Todd said. Mast fights the strangulation and foams at the mouth. She gets in and drives eight blocks away before attempting to get help, Todd said.

"Everything I have here points to Robbie Mast as not an abuser, not someone that would trigger a fatal reaction," Todd said.

In Montana, deliberate homicide typically carries a sentence of up to 100 years in prison.

The Yellowstone County Attorney's Chief of Criminal Operations Christopher Morris and Senior Deputy County Attorney Julie Patten said the 65-year sentence they recommended took into consideration all mitigating factors of Haugen's life.

Woman sentenced for strangling boyfriend in Billings

June 23, 2016

By Aja Goare - MTN News

BILLINGS - The Washington woman who claimed she strangled her boyfriend at his request had known the victim for less than a month prior to the murder.

Lindsay Haugen, 33, was sentenced Wednesday in Yellowstone County District Court to 60 years to the Montana State Women’s Prison for the death of Robert Mast, 25.

Haugen, an Army veteran, admitted she strangled Mast in the Heights Domino’s Pizza parking lot last September.

“She straddled him and put her hands around this throat and pinched his nose ... for 20 minutes,” said Yellowstone County Deputy Attorney Chris Morris.

Haugen and Mast had stopped in Billings to drink wine and eat pizza during a trip from Washington state to North Dakota.

Haugen, who described herself as the victim’s girlfriend, said Mast had told her time and time again that he was depressed and wanted to die.

"I remember, one of those mornings he woke up and just said, 'Have you ever been disappointed that you woke up and you're still alive?'" said Haugen.

Haugen testified that Mast had asked her to kill him before but she said she couldn’t follow through with it then.

“I just remember how disappointed he looked,” said Haugen.

Though the couple had only known each other for 28 days, Haugen said she understood Mast was depressed and suicidal.

Haugen described Mast as being "in a relationship with drugs and alcohol," and said his teeth were rotted and his liver was ruined because of his alcohol abuse.

“We were probably only sober together for four days,” said Haugen. “And that’s because we didn’t have money at the time to buy more alcohol.”

Prosecutors probed Haugen as to how she could possibly have learned so much about the victim’s mental health in the less than one month she knew him.

"In those 28 days, you can't really know someone," said Deputy Yellowstone County Attorney Julie Rostad Patten. "You can't know someone's struggles, his mental health issues, can you? You barely knew Robbie before you killed him."

Haugen disagreed, saying that she loved Mast and had only obliged his request to die because she loved him.

Morris was skeptical that Haugen and Mast were even in a relationship at all.

"The only person that even has them in a relationship is Ms. Haugen,” said Morris. “He never said that to his friends or anyone else in this case. That was in her mind."

But it was the other things in Haugen’s mind that her defense attorney, Greg Paskell, focused on during the hearing.

Paskell argued that Haugen is a battered woman and acted under the influence of a history of abuse.

Lisa Matovich Brook, a counselor who specializes in the examination of battered women, testified about her review of Haugen’s history.

Brook said Haugen became pregnant at the age of 17 and her husband was very abusive.

"Her husband was involved with the Skin Heads and for whatever reason, they attacked her. They kidnapped her for four days and beat her," said Brook.

Brook said the assault was well documented.

"All of these things combined would be very traumatic for a person and according to the nation Center for Disease Control, these incidents can contribute to mental health issues," said Brook.

Haugen had a second husband who was also very abusive and had even held her at gun point once, Brook said.

Haugen's last boyfriend was abusive to her as well, said Brook.

"He repeatedly hit her, pushed her up against a wall, and told her how terrible she was," said Brook.

At the time she committed the murder, Haugen was a member of the National Guard.

"I believe she has battered woman syndrome," said Haugen.

Paskell asked why a woman who had been in the military for 10 years and had obtained the rank of sergeant would be with men who would abuse her.

"Lindsay was a gunner on the Black Hawk, she voluntarily went to Kuwait where the parole said they couldn't function without her," said Broke. "She performed quite well, a lot of women in high positions do. It might be like Stockholm syndrome. They often feel that this is what all men do in a relationship."

Brook compared battered women to combat veterans, "they never know when they're going to be hit again, they always on the defensive," said Brook.

Haugen took the stand and described herself as very well respected in the military. She also said she has a technology degree.

"I've felt for a long time that I'm just not meant to be happy in a relationship," said Haugen. "I did everything I could to make it work to the point where I couldn't even walk in the house with Brandon. He made me crawl in on my knees."

Haugen said she was excelling at work but the abuse "infiltrated" her work.

"I felt like it was a reflection of who I was as a person and my integrity and loyalty that if I was to just leave, I'd be abandoning them when they most needed me," said Haugen.

Haugen did not describe Mast as abusive. "I loved him. I still love him. I adore him. I think he's an amazing person," said Haugen.

Haugen then addressed the victim's family. "I'm so sorry. I think about it every day," said Haugen. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe I did it. He was such a beautiful soul."

Prosecutors asked Haugen about a conversation that Haugen had overheard where Mast said he was only using her for a ride to Minnesota where he would meet a woman named Kate for a job.

"I don't remember those exact words," said Haugen.

The prosecutor reminded Haugen that Kate was an ex-girlfriend and asked if that had made her angry. "More sad than anything," said Haugen.

Paskell argued that Haugen was a victim of repetitive relationships of violence.

Paskell pointed to PTSD and battered woman syndrome as reasons for Haugen's actions and asked for a sentence of 65 years in prison with 25 suspended.

Morris said that it was offensive that Paskell would put any blame on the victim. “He was an innocent, kind soul and she took that away,” said Morris.

Woman admits to killing man in Heights strangulation case

By Zach Benoit - Billingsgazette.com

March 7, 2016

A woman accused of choking a man to death in the Heights in 2015 admitted on Monday to deliberate homicide.

Lindsay April Haugen, 32, appeared Monday before District Judge Gregory Todd and pleaded guilty to the strangling death of Robert Glenn Mast, 25, on Sept. 15 in a car in the parking lot of the Heights Wal-Mart.

She previously denied the charge and entered her guilty plea Monday as part of a plea deal in which prosecutors will recommend a 65-year sentence to the Montana Women’s Prison in exchange for her admission.

In Montana, deliberate homicide typically carries a sentence of up to 100 years in prison.

Wearing a blue Yellowstone County Detention Facility jumpsuit and with her arms and legs shackled, Haugen spoke only when addressed by Todd or her attorney, simply responding with a “yes” or “no” to questions.

According to charging documents, Haugen — who is originally from Oregon — and Mast were driving from Olympia, Wash., to North Dakota when they stopped for food and wine in the Wal-Mart lot.

Haugen told police Mast told her he wanted to die and that she said she’d help him if he was serious, the affidavit states.

It goes on to say that when he replied that he was, Haugen climbed into the back seat and put her arm around Mast’s neck to choke him before holding his mouth and nose shut for as long as 20 minutes.

Haugen then drove to the parking lot of a nearby pizza restaurant and tried to revive Mast, which is where officers found her.

Upon her arrest, she told them that she’d always wanted to try killing somebody with her bare hands and saw Mast’s request as an opportunity to do so.

A sentencing date will be set at a later time. Haugen remains in custody at the county jail on a $400,000 bond.

Woman who says she wanted to try killing with 'bare hands' denies homicide charge

Billings Gazette

October 8, 2015

The woman accused of killing a man in the Heights last month denied the charge in court Thursday morning.

Lindsay April Haugen, 32, said she strangled Robert Glenn Mast, 25, because he told her he wanted to die and she had wanted to try killing someone with her “bare hands.”

The court entered a not guilty plea for Haugen, who is charged with deliberate homicide. She is being held on $400,000 bond.

Mast was a transient whose family lives in South Florida, Yellowstone Deputy County Coroner Cliff Mahoney said. The cause of death has not yet been released.

Court documents say officers arrived at about 5 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Heights Domino’s parking lot on Main Street and found Haugen frantic and crying. Haugen had been attempting CPR on an unresponsive Mast in her car for 30 minutes, she told officers.

Mast was pronounced dead at the scene.

Haugen waived her Miranda rights and told officers she had killed Mast because he’d asked her to.

According to Haugen’s account, she and Mast had been dating since August, and they were traveling from Olympia, Wash., to North Dakota, but had stopped at a Billings Wal-Mart to eat some pizza and drink some wine.

The pair were sitting in the parking lot in Haugen’s car when Mast told her he wanted to die.

Haugen said if he was serious, she could make it happen. Mast told Haugen he was serious.

Haugen climbed into the back of the car and put her arm around Mast’s neck as he sat in the passenger seat. She described in detail the process of Mast’s death to officers and said at one point he began to foam at the mouth. According to charging documents, she said she held his mouth and nose shut for at least 20 minutes.

She said she then left the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Haugen told officers her next thought was to dump Mast’s body, but she went to the Domino’s parking lot instead and attempted CPR.

When Mast asked to die, Haugen saw her opportunity to kill someone with “her bare hands,” which is something she wanted to try, Haugen told detectives.

Woman accused in Heights homicide said man asked to die; she wanted to try killing with 'her bare hands'

By Ashley Nerbovig - Billings Gazette

September 17, 2015

The woman accused of killing a man in the Heights on Tuesday night says she strangled the man because he told her he wanted to die and she had wanted to try killing someone with her “bare hands.”

Lindsay April Haugen, 32, appeared in Yellowstone County Justice Court on Thursday and was charged with the deliberate homicide of Robert Glenn Mast, 25.

Mast was a transient whose family lives in South Florida, Yellowstone Deputy County Coroner Cliff Mahoney said. The cause of death has not yet been released.

Court documents say officers arrived at about 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Heights Domino’s parking lot on Main Street and found Haugen frantic and crying. Haugen had been attempting CPR on an unresponsive Mast in her car for 30 minutes, she told officers.

Mast was pronounced dead at the scene.

Haugen waived her Miranda rights and told officers she had killed Mast because he’d asked her to.

According to Haugen’s account, she and Mast had been dating since August, and they were traveling from Olympia, Wash., to North Dakota, but had stopped at a Billings Wal-Mart to eat some pizza and drink some wine.

The pair were sitting in the parking lot in Haugen’s car when Mast told her he wanted to die.

Haugen said if he was serious, she could make it happen. Mast told Haugen he was serious.

Haugen climbed into the back of the car and put her arm around Mast’s neck as he sat in the passenger seat. She described in detail the process of Mast’s death to officers and said at one point he began to foam at the mouth. According to charging documents, she said she held his mouth and nose shut for at least 20 minutes.

She said she then left the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Haugen told officers her next thought was to dump Mast’s body, but she went to the Domino’s parking lot instead and attempted CPR.

When Mast asked to die, Haugen saw her opportunity to kill someone with “her bare hands,” which is something she wanted to try, Haugen told detectives.

Justice of the Peace David Carter set Haugen’s bond at $400,000.

Penelope Strong, Haugen’s defense attorney, argued for a bond of $200,000 and said Haugen was a former military member who was honorably discharged. Haugen was stationed at Joint Base Fort Lewis-McChord and is originally from Portland, Ore., Strong said.

“We’re likely looking at an assisted suicide defense for Ms. Haugen,” Strong said.

Haugen’s 14-year-old son and mother still reside in Portland, Strong said.

The state requested bond in the amount of $500,000.

Carter set the bond at $400,000 and ordered Haugen to submit to GPS monitoring if she posts bond.

Woman jailed on suspicion of deliberate homicide in Tuesday death

By Jordon Niedermeier - Billings Gazette

September 16, 2015

A 32-year-old woman is jailed on suspicion of deliberate homicide after Billings police discovered a dead man in the passenger seat of her SUV Tuesday night.

Lindsay April Haugen and the 25-year-old man she's suspected of killing began dating in August. They weren’t living in Billings and had started driving in Washington but it is unknown where either resided, said Lt. Casey Hafner.

“Basically what we’ve learned so far is they were traveling through on their way to North Dakota to look for work," Hafner said.

Witnesses reported Haugen was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe erratically at about 4:10 p.m. and she was pulled over about 45 minutes later on Main Street near the intersection with Milton Road. The man was found unresponsive and emergency personnel attempted CPR, Hafner said.

He said Haugen is detained in Yellowstone County Detention Facility on suspicion of deliberate homicide based on interviews with investigators after her arrest.

The vehicle had Washington license plates, but was not registered to Haugen or the deceased man.

Hafner said he wouldn't comment on the cause of death until after a scheduled Thursday autopsy. The cause of death and man's identity will be released at that time.