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COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) Bail has been set at $2 million for a 48-year-old man charged with fatally shooting his neighbor in Molt.

Jeffrey Lynn Hardman of Molt made his initial appearance Monday in Stillwater County Justice Court, where he was charged with deliberate homicide for the Oct. 15 death of 33-year-old Michael Blattie. Hardman is scheduled for a Nov. 16 arraignment in District Court.

Stillwater County Attorney John Petak requested the high bail amount, saying the charge is the most serious that can be filed.

The attorney also noted Hardman's criminal history, which includes several firearms offenses, a drug offense and a domestic violence offense in West Virginia.

Hardman was arrested Friday and remains in custody.

Authorities have declined to release the circumstances of the death, saying only that a firearm was involved.

Information from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-02-09 2230CST | save this article / add to your favorites list