Crime and Courts

TV channel reacts to Whitefish murder of TV host

Posted: Mar 11, 2013 8:36 AM by Dax VanFossen - MTN News

WHITEFISH - A well-known Sportsman Channel TV host was murdered in Whitefish on Thursday, and many friends and co-workers of the Texas man talked about the death over the weekend.

The Sportsman's Channel issued a statement, saying that it is deeply saddened by the shooting death in northwestern Montana of Gregory Rodriguez, who traveled the world in search of big game and shared his adventures on his "A Rifleman's Journal" program.

An outpouring on social media has followed the death of Rodriguez, who combined his comfort in front of the camera and travels to exotic locations with his hunting and shooting expertise into a popular program.

The statement went on to say, "We are all in a state of shock right now, Greg was a wonderful husband, father, son, brother and friend. We love him and will miss him dearly. Please respect the family in their time of mourning and allow them to grieve in peace."

Police say that Rodriguez was fatally shot four times by Wayne Bengtson, who also pistol-whipped his own wife at the scene. Bengston later killed himself in his West Glacier home.