Additional Coverage:
- Montana manhunt expands for ex-soldier suspect seen with stolen survival gear after bar massacre (foxnews.com)
Anaconda, Montana Manhunt Expands for Former Soldier Accused of Quadruple Homicide
The search for Michael Paul Brown, 45, intensified over the weekend as authorities expanded their manhunt across the rugged terrain surrounding Anaconda, Montana. Brown is accused of fatally shooting four people at the Owl Bar on Friday night.
The Montana Department of Justice revealed that Brown fled the scene shirtless and barefoot but is believed to have since acquired clothing, food, and camping gear from a stolen white Ford F-150. Attorney General Austin Knudsen stated, “We have very good reason to believe that he is clothed now and possibly carrying camping gear. He is probably able to get around undetected.”
Hundreds of local, state, and federal officers, including the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, ATF, FBI, and U.S. Marshals, are involved in the search.
The challenging terrain, described as steep, remote, and heavily wooded, is complicating the manhunt. “They’re dealing with extremely rugged terrain,” Knudsen said.
“Local law enforcement is stretched thin right now.”
The victims have been identified as 64-year-old Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 59-year-old Daniel Edwin Baillie, 70-year-old David Allen Leach, and 74-year-old Tony Wayne Palm. Kelley was a bartender at the Owl Bar, and the other three victims were patrons.
Brown reportedly lived next door to the bar. In a town of approximately 9,000 residents, the impact of the tragedy is deeply felt.
“Everybody knows everybody in a town like this,” one resident commented.
Brown’s niece, Clare Boyle, shared that her uncle has a history of mental illness and that family members had sought help for him. “This isn’t just a drunk/high man going wild,” she stated. “It’s a sick man who doesn’t know who he is sometimes and frequently doesn’t know where or when he is either.”
The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $7,500 reward for information leading to Brown’s arrest.
Residents are urged to contact authorities with any tips and to remain vigilant. Brown is described as 5-foot, 10-inches tall, weighing approximately 170 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair.
Attorney General Knudsen warned residents not to approach Brown, calling him “an unstable individual who walked in and murdered four people in cold blood for no reason whatsoever.”
Military records confirm Brown served as an armor crewman in the Army from 2001 to 2005, including a deployment to Iraq. He also served in the National Guard from 2006 to 2008, reaching the rank of sergeant.