A Gallatin County man accused of strangling his now-deceased wife has been offered a plea deal that would result in no prison time, drawing public outrage and calls for the Montana attorney general to intervene — the latest controversy for a county attorney’s office already embroiled in a lawsuit over its refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Christopher Wardle was accused of assaulting and strangling his wife, Catherine Sorensen, in January 2022. Officers who responded to the incident found Sorensen with fresh blood and red markings on her neck. According to court documents, Wardle came home intoxicated, pulled Sorensen from bed, beat her head against the ground, strangled her, took her phone, broke it and fled the scene. Wardle has denied the allegations.
Sorensen died in February 2023, more than a year after the alleged assault, after being run over by a vehicle near Divide Creek Road in Park County. Wardle brought her to the emergency room in Livingston, where hospital staff reported she arrived deceased. That death remains under active investigation by the Park County Sheriff’s Office, and no criminal charges have been filed in connection with it.
The case has dragged through the courts for years. Wardle violated his release conditions at least eight times, appeared on DUI charges, was linked to a dog hoarding case involving 58 animals removed from his property, and was later jailed on a felony stalking charge. Despite that record, Chief Deputy County Attorney Edward Hebb offered Wardle a plea agreement on May 21 under which 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. Wardle would receive a sentence of two and a half years, fully suspended, meaning no time in prison.
Family and friends of Sorensen have circulated a social media post urging people to contact the Montana attorney general and request the agreement be reversed. Wardle’s sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 6. The Gallatin County Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the agreement, citing the pending sentencing.
The plea deal adds to the scrutiny already facing Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell, a Democrat whose office is locked in a lawsuit with Attorney General Austin Knudsen over its refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The dispute centers on Cromwell’s refusal to recognize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a criminal justice agency entitled to receive confidential criminal justice information. Knudsen invoked supervisory authority over her office in April after she declined to rescind the policy, and the case is now before the Montana Supreme Court.
Knudsen has also pointed to Cromwell’s February trip to Minneapolis with other Montana Democrats to protest ICE. In his letter to Cromwell, Knudsen noted that the delegation referred to ICE as “the Gestapo.”