HELENA -Andrew Duncan is no longer considered a person of interest in the double homicide case. (New details emerge in double homicide case, more arrests made)

Sheriff Dutton released the following statement today:

The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office listed Andrew Duncan as a person of interest in regard to the recent homicide of David and Charla Taylor. With assistance from the Helena Police Department, we located and arrested Andrew Duncan on unrelated charges on March 25.

Detectives from our office have had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Duncan and no longer consider him a person of interest in the double homicide.

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Person of Interest sought following double murder arrested

PLENTYWOOD – The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a vandalism incident that happened in Plentywood early on Easter Sunday.

In a Facebook post, the Sheriff’s Office says that someone entered the Plentywood cemetery (by the airport) in a vehicle and proceeded to take a series of “joyrides” that covered most of the eastern half of the cemetery.

The Sheriff’s Office that a majority of the graves in that part of the cemetery were driven over.

Due to the cemetery being covered in a layer of snow, they do not yet known the full extent to which the graves and headstones were disturbed or damaged.

Anyone with information about the crime, or anyone with a loved one whose grave was damaged, is asked to call the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office at 406-765-1200.

GREAT FALLS – Ginny Sue Meineke is facing theft and drug charges in Great Falls after she reportedly shoplifted hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from Walmart, and using two children to assist.

Court documents state that on Saturday (March 31) at about 6:30 p.m., a police officer was called to the Walmart store on Smelter Avenue for a report of a woman – later identified as Meineke – who had been detained for shoplifting.

The store loss-prevention officer said that Meineke was seen taking swapping UPC pricing labels between expensive items and inexpensive items. She went to the self-checkout lane, and once the cart was full, she reportedly instructed a juvenile female to take the cart to their vehicle. Once a second cart had been filled, Meineke instructed a juvenile male to take the cart to their vehicle.

The court documents state the transaction labels in Meineke’s possession totaled just over $30; the actual value of the merchandise was $816.

Inside the vehicle, police found syringes, two of which contained a substance that later tested positive for meth. Court documents also note that Meineke’s speech was lethargic and her eyes had very little reaction when exposed to light.

Meineke is charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs (felony), theft (1st offense, misdemeanor), and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia (misdemeanor).

Court documents do not indicate whether the juveniles involved are Meineke’s children.

Court documents state that Meineke does not have a criminal record, but note that she has two confirmed city warrants and one Montana Highway Patrol warrant.

Prosecutors requested that bond be set at $5,000.

BILLINGS – A Montana man is accused of driving drunk in the wrong lane of Highway 312 and nearly crashing into a Montana Highway Patrol trooper head on Saturday.

Angelo Garza, 26, was charged Monday in Yellowstone County Justice Court with two counts of felony criminal endangerment and one count of driving under the influence.

The state trooper was eastbound on Highway 312 in Yellowstone County after 2 a.m. Saturday when he saw an oncoming vehicle in his lane.

The vehicle did not slow down or attempt to move into the correct lane, so the trooper swerved off the side of the road to avoid being hit head on.

The trooper turned around and pursued the driver, who eventually pulled over.

The driver, identified as Garza, appeared to the trooper as though he were about to pass out.

Garza’s eyes were bloodshot and droopy and he smelled strongly of alcohol, according to court documents.

The trooper had to assist Garza in stepping out of the vehicle and pulling his driver’s license from his wallet.

Garza was unable to stand long enough or follow directions for a field sobriety test so he was placed in the back of the trooper’s patrol car.

According to court documents, Garza refused to provide a breath sample so the trooper obtained a search warrant for a blood draw.

The results of the sample were not detailed in court documents.

Garza is being held at the Yellowstone County jail.

Reporting by Aja Goare for MTN News

GREAT FALLS – Diana McClammy of Great Falls has filed a lawsuit against the City of Great Falls, the state of Montana, and several others, claiming that she was wrongfully charged for causing the death of her partner.

Court documents state that in May 2015, McClammy called police to report that she was being physically abused by her partner at the time.

The documents say that officers Thomas Halloran and Brian Tovoson responded to the Leland Apartments.

McClammy says they were dismissive of her claims, and reported that she was intoxicated.

Court documents state the officers cleared the scene, but about an hour later they were called again, this time by the apartment manager.

Officer Tovoson arrived and McClammy told him that she had accidentally stabbed her partner.

Court documents say after the arrest, she told officers about the abuse and that the stabbing was self defense.

McClammy was charged with deliberate homicide, but the charge was dismissed in February 2017.

The lawsuit claims that the Great Falls Police Department did not investigate her claims of self defense.

There has been no response filed by the defendants as of Friday afternoon.

(MAY 26, 2015) The Great Falls woman who charged with killing her boyfriend Louis Dymon on Friday, is scheduled to make her initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon. Diana Jo McClammy, 52, is charged with deliberate homicide for the stabbing death.

Court documents state that Great Falls police officers responded to a domestic disturbance at McClammy’s residence at the Leland Apartments on 1st Avenue North at 7:32 p.m., about an hour before the stabbing was reported. McClammy told officers that Dymon, 53, had assaulted her.

McClammy appeared “very intoxicated,” and “somewhat inconsistent” in her statements, according to one of the officers. Officers found no evidence that she had been assaulted. The police report says Dymon was not intoxicated and appeared calm, and denied the accusation.

The officers wanted to advise McClammy and Dymon to separate for the night, but when an officer went to the hallway to tell McClammy, she could not be found.

Officers responded to a reported stabbing at McClammy’s apartment at 8:46 p.m.

Court documents say the apartment manager called 911 after McClammy told him she’d stabbed her boyfriend, and asked the manager to call for help. Responding officers found Dymon lying on the floor of the apartment, with McClammy standing nearby.

Court documents say McClammy told officers that she had stabbed him, but that he was faking the severity of his injury. Police said that Dymon was “unresponsive and gasping for air,” but they did not immediately see his injury.

McClammy directed the officers to pull down the collar of Dymon’s shirt; officers then found what appeared to be a stab wound on his upper-left chest.

Investigators found a bloody knife in the kitchen, along with signs of a struggle, including a broken ceramic pot, according to court reports. Dymon was taken by ambulance to Benefis hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police are continuing to investigate McClammy’s claim that she acted in self-defense. Prosecutors have requested that bond for McClammy be set at $250,000.

Previous:
Negligent homicide charge against McClammy has been dismissed
McClammy charged with negligent homicide for stabbing death of her boyfriend

BOZEMAN – Michael Scott Eaves of Big Sky, with four DUI convictions, was arrested Sunday after allegedly crashing his car into a house and attempting to leave the scene with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit.

Eaves, 26 years old, faces a felony DUI charge for 4th or subsequent offense, along with charges for possession of marijuana and driving with a revoked/suspended license.

According to court documents, a witness saw Eaves try to leave the scene after crashing his car into a house in Gallatin Gateway. The reporting officer stated that Eaves had slurry speech and smelled strongly of alcohol.

Eaves reportedly agreed to a breath test that showed his blood alcohol level to be .187, which is more than twice the legal limit for driving.

Court documents state that Eaves has two DUI convictions from 2017, one from 2015, and another from 2011. His driver’s license was revoked in November of 2017.

Eaves also allegedly had a plastic bag with 28 grams of marijuana in the center console of his vehicle.

Eaves appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court on Monday, where prosecutors recommended his bail be set at $75,000.

Judge Bryan Adams set his bail higher at $100,000, citing his previous convictions, his failure to follow court orders, and a concern for public safety. Eaves is also required to wear a GPS monitoring bracelet as a condition of his release.

His preliminary hearing is set for April 27.

BILLINGS – In the first week in April 1996, Montana leapt to the national spotlight when federal investigators announced that the Treasure State was home to the prime suspect in the Unabomber case, a 17-year series of deadly mail bombings by a terrorist bent on pursuing an anti-technology ideology.

The national media was already in the state covering the 81-day Freemen standoff, where federal agents had an anti-government group holed up on a ranch near Jordan.

As soon as the news broke about the Unabomber arrest, a press detachment broke for Lincoln, and then Helena, where suspect Ted Kaczynski made his first court appearances.

Kaczynski pleaded guilty to his crimes in Sacramento, Calif., nearly two years later, and he’s currently spending the rest of his life behind bars.

The tiny cabin where he lived while carrying out the plot was loaded up and shipped there to serve as evidence during the trial.

The whole cabin has been preserved and is now on display at the Newseum, the museum dedicated to the news, in Washington, D.C.

Watch the video above to see and hear some of the press coverage from those first days

GREAT FALLS – Joseph Eugene Garcia is facing several felonies including two counts of sexual abuse of children.

According to court documents, a Great Falls Police detective interviewed a victim who said Garcia first raped him when he was nine-years-old.

The victim told the detective that the abuse happened more than once and physically hurt him.

The documents state that the victim said Garcia would force him to touch him with his hands and mouth.

Garcia also allegedly took sexual pictures and videos.

The victim stated he also watched pornography on Garcia’s laptop.

According to the documents, the incidents occurred in several locations in Montana, and in different hotels and houses.

The victim told the detective the abuse stopped when he was 14-years-old.

The State has moved that the following charges be filed against Garcia: two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of sexual abuse of children.

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks is asking for help identifying the person or people responsible for shooting an antelope doe.

The antelope was shot late on March 28 on Vinyard Road, about three miles north of Great Falls.

In related news, FWP is investigating after nine white-tailed deer were found dead over a period of ten days in the Waterloo area (south of Whitehall). All were shot from the road at night.

FWP is asking anyone with information about these or any other poaching incidents to call 1-800-TIPMONT.

Callers to the TIP-MONT line can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000 for providing information that leads to a conviction.

On its website, FWP provides the following information about poaching:

Poaching is the illegal killing of fish or wildlife. It can include illegal killing of fish or wildlife:

• for commercial trade
• for ego gratification
• in closed areas, during closed times, or taking more than the law allows

Poachers:

• reduce recreational opportunities for law abiding anglers, hunters, wildlife watchers, and other outdoor enthusiasts
• kill and waste Montana game animals, threatened and endangered species, and even non-game animals
• target Montana’s fish and wildlife resource for personal profit
• Poaching robs law abiding hunters of game and fish, businesses and taxpayers of revenues generated by hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing recreation, and it denies many other Montanans the ability to enjoy seeing healthy, mature fish and wildlife populations.

MISSOULA – A Big Sky High School student involved in a chase with a Missoula school resource officer who shot at his car in March is now being charged as an adult.

Missoula Deputy County Attorney Jennifer Clark said the charge, felony drug possession, must be filed as an adult charge during a Tuesday morning court hearing.

The 17-year-old student was initially charged as a juvenile. But, a future court hearing will determine if the student’s case will be sent back to Youth Court, or if the teen will be charged as an adult.

In court documents, a juvenile probation officer and the Big Sky High School resource officer were conducting a probation search on March 16 after a picture showed the 17-year-old holding a large sum of cash and a gun. Officers suspected the student was involved in dealing drugs.

The student ran out of the school, got into his car, almost striking the SRO before driving away on South Avenue. The officer fired his weapon at the vehicle, blowing out the back window of the car.

While driving on South Avenue, the teen drove up on the lawn near Old Fort Road almost striking a pedestrian before crashing his vehicle a short time later at the Honda dealership on South Reserve Street.

A black 9mm handgun was recovered near Old Fort Road and South Avenue that is said to belong to the teen. Officers also found 2.1 grams of cocaine and over $1,000 in cash. The student admitted he threw the gun out of his car.

The teen has not entered pleas to the two felony counts of criminal endangerment, felony evidence tampering and a misdemeanor for obstructing charges. He’s He’s being held on a petition to revoke probation from prior misdemeanor convictions.

The SRO is currently on paid administrative leave per department policy pending the completion of DCI’s investigation.

Reporting by Melissa Rafferty for MTN News

MISSOULA – Two people from Billings were arrested after a high-speed pursuit Monday in Missoula.

Missoula Police arrested Joseph Waters, 39, and Casey Zucconi, 35, in a Monday night incident that began when Missoula city police were investigating drug activity on Missoula’s north side.

According to officials, a high-speed chase ensued down Russell Avenue towards Brooks Street when the white GMC Denali that Waters and Zucconi were fleeing in turned into the parking lot of Tremper’s Shopping Center.

A foot chase followed after the two bailed out of the white GMC Denali. There are no reports of any injuries at this time. The incident was the second police pursuit in Missoula in the past week.

Waters and Zucconi are expected to make their initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in Missoula Justice court. They are both in custody at the Missoula County Detention Facility.

BILLINGS – A federal judge has ruled against a former Columbus police officer, who filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the department and city after he was fired in 2015 for allegedly sexually harassing a female dispatcher.

The ruling was made Friday in U.S. District Court in Billings by U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan, who found that the former Columbus police chief and the mayor acted appropriately when they fired former Sgt. Paul Caraway.

Caraway was first placed on paid administrative leave amid an investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed a dispatcher and other women.

Caraway allegedly made comments about the dispatcher’s butt, including “asking her for sex, asking to see her breasts and genital area, etc.,” according to a letter written by the former police chief to the Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council. “This eventually escalated into him forcing her to touch his penis. All these incidents occurred while Caraway was on duty in uniform. Several incidents occurred in the dispatch area while the dispatcher was on duty also.”

Questioned about the allegations, Caraway denied he ever violated department policy and characterized his interactions with the women as “joking around.”

After his firing, Caraway claimed he was not provided with a post-termination hearing that he is entitled to the by U.S. Constitution, according to court his complaint.

But the attorney representing the police department and city argued that Caraway was provided with notice and an opportunity to contest his termination before he was terminated but he chose not to.

The judge agreed, finding that the city did comply with the requirement of due process.

“To the extent Caraway maintains that his failure to avail himself of his post-termination remedies is excused by his alleged ignorance of the process, he is mistaken,” said the judge in his ruling.

Caraway also claimed that he was never given an opportunity to contest stigmatizing information that was placed in his personnel file and made public.

The judge, though, ruled that a discharged employee is not entitled to a separate name-clearing hearing.

“Caraway had the full opportunity to appeal his case to the Columbus Police Commission,” said the judge in his ruling. “Had he done so, he would have had the right to a full evidentiary hearing, and the additional right to appeal any commission decision to state district court.”

Caraway had also claimed that the former chief of police violated personnel policy by failing to involve the mayor in Caraway’s post-suspension interview and failing to properly investigate a 2009 sexual harassment complaint against Caraway.

The judge found Caraway’s claims do not correctly describe the personnel policy of the department.

Caraway recently sought to add another claim to his complaint, but the judge found that Caraway did not file that request until after the deadline.

A settlement conference in August of 2017 ended without an agreement because the city and police department were not willing to pay Caraway’s demands.

Now the case is effectively closed in the favor of the city and the department.

It’s unclear if Caraway will appeal the judge’s ruling.

Reporting by Aja Goare for MTN News

GREAT FALLS – Neo Arez Michell, 18 years old, has been charged in Great Falls with sexually assaulting a child dozens of times.

The mother of the child told police that she had seen Michell rubbing his penis on the girl.

She said that she had been told that a similar incident had happened a month earlier, but said that she was unsure that she could believe the allegation, according to court documents.

The victim reportedly told police that Michell had performed sexual acts on her approximately 100 times.

When questioned by police, Michell reportedly made statements during the interview such as “it was my fault” and “it was not what she wanted,” and “I asked her if she wanted me to stop, she yes, and I didn’t stop,” according to the charging documents.

Court documents note that Michell does not have any felony convictions, but has been cited for several traffic offenses, including an injury crash.

Prosecutors requested that bond for Michell be set at $50,000.

HELENA – A Jefferson City suspect wanted on charges from December was arrested late last week.

Jeremiah Wayne McNees was arrested last Thursday after giving law officers a false ID during a traffic stop.

McNees is accused of entering a Helena home last December and getting into an argument with a female victim when he accused her of cheating on him.

McNees allegedly put the victim in a headlock and struck her in the back of the head multiple times.

The 36-year old McNees is accused of leaving the area and eluding police officers.

McNees has prior convictions for assault with a weapon and criminal endangerment.

His bond has been set at $10,000.00. He’ll be arraigned in district court later this month on a felony Aggravated Burglary charge, and an alternative charge of felony Partner or Family Member Assault.

MISSOULA – A Missoula man has been charged with rape after being accused of sexually assaulting his roommate.

Anthony Rex Hoskinson, 41, is charged with one felony count of sexual intercourse without consent.

Court documents state that Missoula Police responded to a report of a sexual assault on Dec. 31, 2017, on the 1500 block of North Russell Street. When police arrived, the woman reported to police her roommate, Hoskinson, raped her the night prior.

The woman — referred to as Jane Doe in court papers — reported she was not in a romantic relationship with the defendant and sometimes slept in the bed in Hoskinson’s room as “that was the only mattress in the apartment.”

Doe indicated to police her and Hoskinson had been drinking on the night of Dec. 30 and reported she woke up to find the defendant on top of her sexually assaulting her.

Doe told police she never consented to such an act through words or conduct, claiming she said “no” and attempted to push the defendant off of her. Doe said Hoskinson did not comply initially but said she was eventually able to push him off of her.

Hoskinson admitted to police that Doe had told him that she was not interested in a romantic relationship with him when she moved into the apartment. The defendant also admitted that it was clear to him that Doe did not want to have sex with him prior to going to bed on Dec. 30.

Hoskinson told police he did not recall having sex with Doe on that night but said, “if I did it would be wrong.”

Hoskinson is expected to make his first court appearance on the felony rape charge Wednesday afternoon in Missoula Justice Court.

Reporting by Melissa Rafferty for MTN News

MISSOULA – Chase Munson, one of the two suspects who were involved in a shooting at a Missoula gas station last month, says he’s not guilty.

Munson, 18 years old, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of attempted deliberate homicide in Missoula District Court.

Court documents state that Munson is the perpetrator in the shootings that took place at the South Avenue Market on South Higgins Avenue.

Munson shot two people at the store and then planned on running away to Mexico after learning that he was wanted by police, according to court documents.

Prosecutors requested Munson’s bail to be held at $1 million, citing the nature of his offenses and the likelihood of Munson being a flight risk..

Judge Karen Townsend agreed to the prosecutor’s request.

Ivory Brien, 19, was also charged with two counts of accountability to attempted deliberate homicide in connection with the shooting.

An omnibus hearing in the case is scheduled for May 15.

Reporting by Connor McCauley for MTN News

(MARCH 9, 2018) Chase James Munson and Ivory Brien, who were arrested earlier this week in connection with the shooting of two people at a Missoula convenience store, appeared in Missoula County Justice Court Friday.

Munson, 18 years old, was charged with two counts of attempted deliberate homicide; prosecutors say he used a .22 revolver to shoot two people at the South Avenue Market on Tuesday. His bail was set at $1 million.

Brien, 19, was charged with two counts of accountability to attempted deliberate homicide. His bail was also set at $1 million.

According to court documents, the pair was out “car-hopping” on March 6 before heading to South Avenue Market. Munson was armed with the revolver and Brien was carrying pepper spray.

There were two people in the convenience store when the suspects walked in. Prosecutors say that Munson shot the first victim in the back, and then stood over the person once they were on the ground and shot the person in the head.

The second victim was a store clerk, and he attempted to hide behind the counter. Munson went behind the counter and stood over the clerk before shooting him in the shoulder, prosecutors say.

They added that Brien was spraying both victims with pepper spray during the incident.

The store employee was treated and released from a Missoula hospital. The other victim remains hospitalized; there is no word on the person’s current condition.

Both suspects left the scene without taking anything from the store, and returned to a dormitory at the University of Montana.

Munson packed a bag and checked into a hotel room where he was later arrested. Prosecutors say he told others that he was planning to leave the country for Mexico.

Public defenders say Munson has no criminal history, was enrolled as a student at UM and has family in Missoula. Brien is from Arlee originally and has no criminal history.

Neither of the victims were armed, prosecutors say.

Both men are suspected to have been using Xanax at the time of the shooting.

HELENA – Gov. Steve Bullock said Wednesday his administration rejected an offer this week from CoreCivic to extend its contract to manage Montana’s only private prison, because the company asked for what he considers a 15 percent increase in payments.

“The idea that we’re cutting rates for human services (across the state), and then to end up increasing by about 15 percent the rate that this private prison makes?” he told MTN News in an interview. “It doesn’t make sense for Montanans.”

CoreCivic’s contract to manage the 700-bed Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby expires next year.

Late last year, Republicans lawmakers who support the private prison attempted to force the Bullock administration to renegotiate the contract, by creating a budget incentive.

They passed a state law that says if the contract is extended, the Bullock administration could access to up to $30 million to offset state budget cuts – money that would be released by CoreCivic, under a new contract.

Bullock, however, said Wednesday that the price asked by CoreCivic is too steep, that, in reality, only $15 million of the money would help offset budget cuts elsewhere in human services, and that widespread budget cuts would occur this year anyways.

“Where it leaves us is, we sure as hell shouldn’t be entering into a contract that increases 15 percent for the private-prison providers at the same time that we’re cutting services all across the state,” he said.

While Bullock said CoreCivic asked for “essentially” a 15 percent increase, the amount over what it’s being paid now would appear to increase only about 4 percent next year.

The state currently pays CoreCivic about $72 per prisoner, per day, to run the prison. That includes a $9.14 per prisoner “use fee” that goes into an account that the state can use next year if it chooses to buy the prison from CoreCivic.

The account has reached more than $30 million – and is the money that CoreCivic has said it would give back to the state now if it agrees to a new contract.

CoreCivic’s offer, as described by Bullock, would increase the per-prisoner payment to $75.48 next year – but the amount no longer would include the use fee, which would be canceled.

Bullock said CoreCivic is asking to increase the daily prisoner fee from about $63 to the $75.48 amount next year – but, the state would no longer be paying the $9 use fee.

The net increase of state payments to CoreCivic would increase from about $72 per prisoner to $75.48, through 2021.

Bullock said he sees the deal as CoreCivic asking for a 15 percent increase to “free up the money that Montanans actually already own.”

Bullock said his budget director, Dan Villa, and state corrections director, Reg Michael, traveled to CoreCivic headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier this week and negotiated for two days before leaving without an agreement.

“We’ll have to see,” he said, when asked when talks might resume. “We worked hard and moved a lot, from our perspective.”

MTN News received a statement from CoreCivic, stating:
CoreCivic is committed to assisting the State during its budget difficulties. As a result, CoreCivic representatives did meet with Montana officials earlier this week. Discussions focused on CoreCivic making a one-time payment to the State of Montana, increasing staff wages and enhancing existing inmate programming to further help offenders successfully re-enter society. CoreCivic fully supports each of these three critical objectives.

To that end, our most recent offer during negotiations was to provide a $35.7 million one-time payment, increase officer wages by 11.5%, expand sex offender and vocational education programs while only increasing the per diem rate by 4.2%. The Montana officials rejected CoreCivics offer and ended negotiations.

We at CoreCivic always believe there is a way to find common ground and after negotiations ended we expressed our continued commitment to work with Montana policy makers to find a path forward.

MISSOULA – Some families in the Missoula area woke up Monday to find plastic Easter eggs that were filled with neo-Nazi propaganda instead of candy.

Reports of these eggs are centered in the area of central Missoula along Kent Street West. Businesses and homes have received these flyers.

Also included in the eggs were a plastic gold coin and toy Easter bunnies.

The material included a flyer promoting a group with Neo-Nazi ties called Atomwaffen Division.

The group has been linked to at least five murders in the US since 2017.

The Missoula Police Department is reviewing reports but is not commenting any further on the incidents.

A Missoula resident who found multiple eggs in their yard told MTN News that they are disturbed by the timing of the distribution of the eggs and also how they are targeted at children.

The FBI has said they have also been made aware of the situation:

“The FBI investigates activity which may constitute a federal crime or pose a threat to national security. Our focus is not on membership in particular groups but on criminal activity. The FBI cannot initiate an investigation based solely on an individual’s race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or the exercise of First Amendment rights, and we remain committed to protecting those rights for all Americans.”

Reporting by Conner McCauley for MTN News

BOZEMAN – Law enforcement is reporting that police discovered and removed an active meth lab in a Bozeman area hotel on Wednesday.

According to a media release, Belgrade and Bozeman police received information about the lab around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Bozeman Police responded and discovered an active clandestine meth lab. Members from the Missouri River Drug Task Force and Bozeman Fire Department safely removed the clandestine lab for disposal.

The media release states that “the expertise and team work of all departments and hotel personnel prevented any injury to guests or employees. The investigation is ongoing.”

Police have not released the name of the hotel. This is a developing story and we will update with new information as available.

Photos courtesy Missouri River Drug Task Force

BIG TIMBER – Authorities in Sweet Grass County are still searching for a man who fled during an attempted traffic stop.

The Sheriff’s Office identified the man in a press release as Bryce Arneson, 28, of the Bozeman/Ennis area.

Dispatch received a report around 10:30 p.m. Friday of an erratic driver near Greycliff.

When a deputy attempted to make contact with the driver, the vehicle took off and drove through private property and fences to elude the deputy.

The deputy backed off and set up a perimeter while requesting backup, according to a press release.

Five officers from various law enforcement agencies began searching for Arneson around 11:20 p.m. Friday but had to discontinue to the search because of severe weather.

The team, along with a K9 unit, set out again around 7:20 a.m. Saturday to search for Arneson.

At some point, the sheriff’s office received a report that Arneson was seen in Billings but that witness later rescinded their statement.

Authorities began searching in the area where Arneson’s vehicle was found Tuesday but have not located him.

The search is ongoing.

Reporting by Aja Goare for MTN News