Buxton, North Dakota, man pleads not guilty to attempted murder in trailer fire case
Mar. 15—GRAND FORKS — A Buxton, North Dakota, man accused of attempted murder and other crimes pleaded not guilty to all his charges in court on Wednesday, March 15.
Jeffery Kollin Mundis, 29, waived his preliminary hearing, was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to Class A felony attempted murder. The charge has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
Mundis also pleaded not guilty to his remaining six charges, all Class C felonies: aggravated assault, terrorizing, preventing arrest, simple assault on a law enforcement officer and two counts of contact by bodily fluids on law enforcement. None of the charges have a mandatory minimum sentence.
Mundis is accused of assaulting Ashley Marie Johnson on Dec. 31 in a trailer in Emerado. Johnson was able to escape but later returned, finding the back bedroom on fire, according to an affidavit in the case.
Johnson said she tried to get Mundis to leave the trailer, but he refused.
"He then grabbed Johnson, pushed her into a bedroom, and held her to the bed by her throat and told her, 'If I'm going to die, you're going to die,'" the affidavit said.
Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene at 10:39 p.m., and saw the trailer "fully engulfed with smoke and flames," the affidavit said.
On scene, Mundis was told to move away from the fire, but he resisted and "spit blood and snot" in the officer's face, the affidavit said.
Mundis was eventually handcuffed and arrested.
During the arraignment, Leah Jo Viste, Mundis' attorney, asked to review Mundis' $75,000 cash or surety bond.
Viste asked the court to consider either decreasing the bond amount or only requiring 10% cash or surety for Mundis to be released.
Viste outlined factors such as Mundis' employment, connections to the area and lack of recent criminal history — all elements considered in setting bond.
"It's been a number of years since Mr. Mundis has had any contact with the court," Viste said.
Rachel Egstad, representing the state, expressed concerns about public safety, as well as the safety of Mundis, due to his suspected mental health and alcohol issues.
Romanick said some factors of the incident outlined in court documents "are very concerning," and denied the request to adjust conditions in any way.
Mundis' final dispositional conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on May 25.
