Huntington Man Accused in 2025 Durkee Robbery May Be Unfit for Trial

Justin Dean Bridwell, 37, of Huntington, faces a court fight over whether he is capable of participating in his own defense in a case tied to an alleged Feb. 23, 2025 robbery near Durkee. The lawyer representing Justin Dean Bridwell said Bridwell is "not able to aid in his defense due to mental health issues," and Judge Matt Shirtcliff set a hearing for Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. to determine fitness to proceed.

Bridwell was indicted by a grand jury in late February 2025 on four felony counts and one misdemeanor count: first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, coercion, unauthorized use of a vehicle and third-degree theft. Bridwell pleaded not guilty and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, six months if convicted on the lead count of first-degree robbery. Prosecutor Michael Spaulding said on Sept. 17, 2025, that "there wasn’t enough corroboration at this point to arrest the man suspected to be Bridwell’s accomplice."

According to charging documents, the arrest followed an 8:20 a.m. 911 call on Feb. 23, 2025 from Bryan Boswell, a resident of Express Road in Durkee, who reported being robbed at gunpoint. Authorities allege Bridwell and another man took two vehicles from the property and that the accomplice brandished a firearm and threatened to kill the resident. Sgt. Craig Rilee of the Baker County Sheriff’s Office arrested Bridwell near Baker City the same afternoon.

Court filings and docket activity have tracked a bumpy procedural path since the arrest. Bridwell was released from Baker County Jail on April 23, 2025, later failed to appear for a June 4, 2025 hearing prompting Judge Shirtcliff to sign a bench warrant, and waived his right to a speedy trial on July 23, 2025. A status check is set for March 2, 2026. The prosecution’s statement in September 2025 indicated investigators had a suspect for the alleged accomplice but lacked corroborating evidence to make an arrest at that time.

For Baker County residents, the competency claim changes the calendar and the contours of a high-stakes local case. A finding that Bridwell is unfit to proceed would pause criminal trial scheduling and could require court-ordered mental health evaluation or treatment before charges advance. For the alleged victim, Bryan Boswell, and neighbors in Durkee and Huntington, the hearing is a step toward resolution and may determine whether the community will see a prompt trial or a prolonged evaluation process.

The county’s courthouse will provide the next official updates after the Feb. 9 hearing and the March 2 status check. Until then, the case remains in procedural limbo, with serious felonies unresolved and community questions about safety, evidence and timing still outstanding.