Anaconda, Mont. — A U.S. Army veteran accused of gunning down four people inside a local tavern earlier this month has been formally charged with four counts of murder, authorities confirmed Friday.
The suspect, 45-year-old Michael P. Brown, was taken into custody after an eight-day manhunt that gripped the small community of Anaconda and drew assistance from federal, state, and local law enforcement.
According to court filings, Brown is accused of opening fire on Aug. 1 inside the Owl Bar, a neighborhood tavern just blocks from his home. The shooting claimed the lives of bartender Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64; Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; David Allen Leach, 70; and Tony Wayne Palm, 74.
Authorities said the attack marked the deadliest mass shooting in Montana since 2015.
A Manhunt That Shook the Community
After the shooting, Brown fled into the rugged wilderness surrounding Anaconda, a tight-knit town of roughly 10,000 residents in Deer Lodge County. For more than a week, hundreds of officers scoured the mountainous terrain, using helicopters, drones, and K-9 units in search of the suspect.
The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and Montana Highway Patrol all joined the hunt. Residents, meanwhile, were urged to remain vigilant as law enforcement warned that Brown was considered armed and dangerous.
The pursuit came to an end when officers flushed the suspect from a hilly area near a highway west of town. Authorities said Brown was still armed at the time of his capture but was taken into custody without further bloodshed.
Facing the Courts
In Montana, murder — classified legally as deliberate homicide — can carry the death penalty or life without parole. It remains unclear whether prosecutors will seek capital punishment in this case.
Morgan Smith, the Deer Lodge County attorney, has not publicly commented on how the state intends to proceed. Brown’s attorney, Walter Hennessy, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Court records show Brown is currently being held at the Anaconda Deer Lodge County Jail and is scheduled to appear before a judge on Sept. 3.
A Town in Mourning
The murders and the manhunt left residents of Anaconda rattled, with many expressing both grief and unease. Vigils have been held in memory of the victims, all of whom were well known in the community.
“This is something our town will never forget,” one resident said outside the courthouse Friday. “We lost good people that night.”
Family members of the victims have asked for privacy as they grieve, while others have urged justice for their loved ones.
Questions About Mental Health
Relatives of Brown have told investigators that he struggled with mental illness following his military service. Brown was an Army armor crewman, and family members said his behavior had become increasingly erratic in the years after his discharge.
Authorities have not released a motive for the attack, and charging documents providing further details were not yet available as of Saturday.
For now, the town of Anaconda continues to mourn four lives lost, while awaiting answers in a case that has shaken the entire state.