BOZEMAN — Chris Wardle was sentenced to 4 years, 2 suspended, after District Court Judge Andy Breuner turned down a controversial plea agreement on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
Wardle is accused of assaulting and strangling his now-deceased wife, Catherine Sorensen.
Last June, Wardle appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court accused of violating release conditions tied to a 2022 assault case involving Sorensen.
Prosecutors said Wardle came home intoxicated, assaulted and strangled Sorensen, then allegedly took her phone, broke it, and fled the scene. Sorensen reportedly left the house and reached a neighbor’s home, where police were contacted.
According to court documents, officers found Sorensen with fresh blood and red markings on her neck when they arrived.
Sorensen died in February 2023, a little more than a year after the alleged assault, after being run over by a vehicle near Divide Creek Road in Park County. Wardle reportedly brought Sorensen to the emergency room in Livingston, where hospital staff contacted dispatch to report that she had arrived deceased.
That case remains under investigation.
On May 21, 2026, Chief Deputy County Attorney Edward Hebb offered Wardle a plea agreement related to the charges involving Sorensen.
Under the agreement, Wardle would plead guilty to tampering with witnesses or informants and violation of an order of protection. All other charges, including strangulation of a partner or family member, would be dismissed.
According to the plea agreement, Wardle would receive a sentence of 2 1/2 years, all suspended, meaning he would not serve time in prison.
At that time, the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the agreement.
The plea agreement caused Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen to speak out, saying the plea deal offered to Wardle amounted to less than "a slap on the wrist."
Knudsen sent a letter to Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell, expressing concerns over the plea deal.
In the July 8, 2026 letter, Knudsen said his office was flooded with requests to intervene after news of the plea agreement became public. However, he said his office lacked the authority to step in because the plea agreement was a signed contract.
RELATED: Montana attorney general speaks out about letter sent over Wardle plea deal (JULY 8, 2026)
