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2mo ago

Ex-Soldier Captured in Montana Bar Massacre After Weeklong Manhunt

The arrest closes a weeklong wilderness search, spotlighting shortfalls in veteran mental health support.

Montana Division of Criminal Investigation tells CNN the suspect authorities are searching for in connection with a deadly shooting in Anaconda is Michael Paul Brown.
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The owners of Carmel's Bar & Grill in Anaconda have decided to keep doors locked around the clock while a killer is on the loose. Customers must call or knock on the door to be screened before entering.
A view of the town of Anaconda, Montana in 2019. The Anaconda Smelter, which was in operation for 97 years before closing in 1980 looms in the background. A golf course has been built on top of the black slag piles in the foreground, which contain toxic metals such as arsenic and lead. Residents of the neighboring town of Opportunity, which sits directly downwind from the smelter operation, are plaintiffs in a lawsuit against giant ARCO for insifficient clean up of toxic materials on their properties.

Overview

  • Michael Paul Brown was taken into custody by Anaconda-Deer Lodge County authorities around 2 p.m. on August 8 after a multiagency search across rugged terrain.
  • He faces four counts of homicide for the August 1 shooting at The Owl Bar that killed bartender Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64, and patrons Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; David Allen Leach, 70; and Tony Wayne Palm, 74.
  • Investigators are examining Brown’s motive and reviewing years of welfare-check requests from family members concerned about his PTSD and schizophrenia.
  • The case has reignited debate over Montana’s 2025 ban on local red flag laws and the state’s broader approach to rural firearm oversight.
  • Community members express relief as prosecutors prepare formal charges and Anaconda begins the healing process.