Trial starts for elder abuse accusation

A Havre woman is in court today facing charges she misappropriated her 88-year-old grandmother-in-law’s retirement money after the elderly woman trusted her to help her.

The trial of Trina Frickel, accused of using Bonnie Killibrew’s monies inappropriately from a joint bank account she set up, started Tuesday in state District Court in Havre.

Frickel is being tried on a charge of elder abuse.

The state also filed a case against Eric Frickel, Trina’s husband’s brother, for similar actions. He has already agreed to pay Killibrew a restitution of $8,732.46 rather than be charged in court. He has two years to complete the payments, or will face prosecution for elder abuse.

Killibrew moved to Montana around two years ago from Alabama. When she got here, her lawyer Ryan Michelson said, she found herself with limited contacts. She moved into Eagles Manor and originally began relying on grandson Eric Frickel to help her with her finances. After he used her funds in a way she did not agree with, she decided to take him off a joint bank account and place Trina Frickel on a joint bank account with her.

The prosecutor said Tuesday in oepening statements during the jury trial that Trina Frickel did help Killibrew, but it “spun out of control.”

Trina Frickel allegedly made withdrawals ranging from $500 to $1,000 without Killibrew’s knowledge. At first, when Killibrew asked to see statements for the account, which were sent to Trina Frickel’s home, Trina Frickel allegedly told her not to worry about it.

When Killibrew finally looked at a statement, she said she saw that she had much less money than she should have.

“I thought we had a good relationship,” Killibrew said. She was questioned Tuesday, the first day of the trial. “ … My finances have climbed considerably since I took her off the account.”

The trial continues today.