A Coeur d’Alene murder case involving the death of a 77-year-old woman is moving forward toward trial after a judge rejected a defense motion seeking access to grand jury voting records. Neil F. Stratton, 52, remains held on $3 million bail facing first-degree murder, burglary, and destruction of evidence charges in connection with the September attack on his mother, Susan Stratton, at their East Skyline Drive home in Coeur d’Alene. The case represents one of the more serious violent crimes prosecuted in Kootenai County in recent years.
The Attack and Investigation
Susan Stratton was attacked in her bed on September 18 at the 1100 block of East Skyline Drive in Coeur d’Alene. She sustained life-threatening injuries during what authorities described as a deliberate, isolated act. She was transported to Kootenai Health and remained in critical condition without regaining consciousness. In late September, after medical interventions proved unsuccessful, she entered hospice care. She died weeks later, with legal notices published in December 2025.
Neil Stratton emerged as a suspect early in the investigation. In October, authorities identified him as a person of interest. After the attack, he left North Idaho and planned travel from California to China. U.S. Marshals apprehended him near Los Angeles in April, and he was extradited back to Coeur d’Alene. His bail was initially set at $1 million before being increased to $3 million.
Grand Jury Indictment and Defense Motions
A Kootenai County grand jury indicted Stratton in May on the felony charges. He has pleaded not guilty. His defense attorney, Jay Logsdon, filed a motion to dismiss the indictment and sought disclosure of grand juror voting records. Logsdon argued that access to voting information was necessary to protect his client’s rights to a fair proceeding.
“There are things my client is supposed to be able to do to make sure it was a fair grand jury. Without that, we can’t protect all his rights,” Logsdon told the court, according to statements made during the motion hearing, as first reported by the Coeur d’Alene Press.
Judge Regina McCrea ruled against releasing the voting records. She determined that disclosing which jurors voted for or against the indictment could expose individual jurors to harassment and retaliation.
“From the voting record, you are able to conclude which individual specifically voted in favor of the indictment. That opens up the door for intimidation, harassment and retaliation,” Judge McCrea stated in her ruling, as first reported by the Coeur d’Alene Press.
The judge did order that grand jurors’ names be disclosed to the defense team, but only under a protective order limiting how that information could be used.
Trial Timeline and Next Steps
The trial is scheduled to begin in early November and is estimated to last approximately six weeks. The case will be closely watched in Kootenai County as it proceeds through the court system. Logsdon may pursue additional pretrial motions as the trial date approaches.
The violent attack on a Coeur d’Alene resident echoes broader public safety concerns in North Idaho, though such serious homicide cases remain relatively uncommon in the region. The outcome of Stratton’s trial will likely be significant for Kootenai County’s legal community and for families affected by violent crime in the Panhandle.
Related cases of serious violence against family members have drawn attention from law enforcement and prosecutors in recent years. The case is one of several involving accusations of harm within households that have been prosecuted in Kootenai County.