Paul Sliter (May 5, 1969 – August 15, 2001) was an American politician and businessman who served as a member of the

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House In the event that the parti ...

for the 76th district from 1994 until 2001.

Early life and education

Sliter was born in

Kalispell, Montana Kalispell (, Salish-Spokane-Kalispel language, Montana Salish: Ql̓ispé, Kutenai language: Kqayaqawakⱡuʔnam) is a city in Montana and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2020 census put Kalispell's population at ...

, and graduated from Flathead County High School in 1987. He received his bachelor's degree in political science from

University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana, United States. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. Fall 2024 saw total enrollment hit 10,811, marki ...

in 1996. As a college student, Sliter served as an intern in the office of Senator

Conrad Burns Conrad Ray Burns (January 25, 1935 – April 28, 2016) was an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States Senator from Montana from 1989 to 2007. He was only the second Republican popularly elected to represent Montana in the ...

Career

Sliter worked as the sales and credit manager at the Sliter's Ace Lumber and Building Supply in

Bigfork, Montana Bigfork is a census-designated place (CDP) in Flathead County, Montana, United States. It is within Montana's Rocky Mountains. The population was 5,118 at the 2020 census, up from 4,270 in 2010. History Some say the name "Bigfork" is derived ...

. Sliter served in the

from 1994 until his death in 2001. A Republican, he also served as House majority leader.

Death

On August 15, 2001 Silter was involved in a car accident with Shane Hedges when the latter lost control of his vehicle on a dirt road outside of

Helena, Montana Helena (; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat, seat of Lewis and Clark County, Montana, Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold ...

. Silter died on the scene, whereas Hedges only suffered minor injuries and was released from hospital shortly afterwards. Hedges later pleaded guilty to the

negligent homicide Negligent homicide is a criminal charge brought against a person who, through criminal negligence, allows another person to die. Other times, an intentional killing may be negotiated down to this lesser charge as a compromised resolution of a mur ...

of Silter.

Personal life

Sliter lived with his wife and family in

Somers, Montana Somers is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,049 at the 2020 census, nearly double from 556 in the 2000 census. History Great Northern Railway magn ...

References

1969 births 2001 deaths Politicians from Kalispell, Montana University of Montana alumni Businesspeople from Montana Republican Party members of the Montana House of Representatives Road incident deaths in Montana 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century members of the Montana Legislature {{Montana-politician-stub