The week-long manhunt for Michael Brown, the Anaconda shootings suspect, came to a close Friday. Lewis & Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said that law enforcement has taken Brown into custody.
The apprehension was confirmed by the Montana Department of Justice, who said in a news release that Brown was arrested near the search area in Anaconda at about 2 p.m.
John Emeigh reports from the scene:
He is now in custody of Anaconda-Deer Lodge County authorities.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and other officials will conduct a news conference at 5:30 p.m. to provide further details.
The news conference will be live-streamed on KRTV.com and other MTN News websites.
Knudsen released the following statement: “I am proud of the unrelenting law enforcement effort this week to find and arrest Michael Paul Brown. The support we’ve seen for the community of Anaconda from across the state and the nation has also been remarkable. The families and friends of the victims remain in my prayers.”
OVERVIEW
- WHAT: A man shot a bartender and three customers; all four died
- WHERE: The Owl Bar in Anaconda
- WHEN: At about 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 1
- SUSPECT: 45-year-old Michael Brown of Anaconda
- VICTIMS: Nancy Kelley, 64; Daniel Baillie, 59; David Leach, 70; Tony Palm, 74
- MOTIVE: Unknown
- STATUS: Suspect arrested on Friday, August 8
The week-long search involved dozens of law enforcement agencies and hundreds of people, aerial resources, tracking dogs, and more.
The search encompassed a large area, and was concentrated in the mountains near Stumptown Road just west of Anaconda.
At this point, authorities do not know of any specific motive for the shootings.
Clare Boyle, the niece of Brown, said last week that she and her family are heartbroken over the situation and the four lives that were lost.
Boyle said, “My heart breaks for this town. There is no amount of apology or words that could ever describe how sorry I am and how I feel for these families, my own included.”
She said that Brown suffered from significant mental health challenges, including schizophrenia and PTSD from serving in the Army.
