COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — A movie set to be released later this week focuses on the 2002 murder of a northern Idaho man and the drug smuggling rivalry that led to the crime.

Director John Stockwell told the Coeur d'Alene Press that he was fascinated by the crime story after reading about it in Rolling Stone. He took it to HBO films to be optioned, and the movie, "Kid Cannabis," will be released on April 18. The movie revisits the life of Kootenai County drug smuggler Brenden Butler and his rival, Nate Norman.

Butler hired someone to kill Norman, but instead was killed by his own hit man. Kootenai County Sheriff's Sgt. Brad Maskell took part in the investigation. Maskell says he's not surprised to see the complex case become a movie.

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