New details released in Three Forks double homicide

BOZEMAN, Mont. — A judge set bail at $1 million for a 24-year-old Three Forks man charged with killing two brothers during a weekend fight.

Zachary Eugene Norman made an initial appearance in Gallatin County Justice Court Tuesday on two counts of deliberate homicide.

Gallatin County Sheriff and Coroner Dan Springer previously identified the victims as brothers Brendon Estabrook, 32, from Three Forks, and Chase Estabrook, 31, from Butte.

Norman was arrested on two courts of felony deliberate homicide in connection with the shooting. He did not enter a plea Tuesday.

Court records say he and other people left a bar when it closed Saturday and went to a home in Three Forks, where Norman got into a fight with the Estabrook brothers. The fight spilled out into the street, where the brothers were shot.

Police arrested Norman at a house where he lives with his father. A search of the home led detectives to the gun they believe was used to kill the Estabrook brothers, a partially loaded Glock 19 handgun. The ammunition “in the handgun’s magazine appeared to match the spent casings found at the crime scene,” according to court documents.

Norman was interviewed by detectives and reportedly provided, "multiple inconsistent statements, was evasive in his answers and continued to claim he could remember any of the events of the previous night."

In a later interview, Norman admitted he was carrying his, "handgun concealed on his person when he went to the Sacajawea Bar from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m."

"During the execution of the search warrant at Norman's residence, detectives located the Glock 19 handgun in a plastic, inside the waistband holster, with a partially loaded magazine, behind the water heater in a closet in Norman's father's bedroom. Norman's father indicated the handgun belonged to Norman, and there was not reason it should be found in that location. Ammunition found in the handgun's magazine appeared to match the spent casings found at the crime scene. Detectives located the wet sweater in a bathtub, which appeared to have been washed. A pair of jeans, Timberland hiking boots and bleach were also found near Norman's room," according to court documents.

Read the full affidavit below: