UPDATE: 12-16-2025, 5 p.m. — Michael Paul Brown, the Anaconda man accused of killing four people in a bar shooting before leading authorities on a week-long manhunt in August, has been found unfit to proceed to trial.
According to a joint motion filed by the state and defense, along with a report from a psychologist, the court determined that Brown "lacks fitness to proceed." His January trial date has been suspended while he undergoes further mental health evaluations.
The new court documents indicate Brown will be placed in a mental health facility and committed to the custody of the director of the Montana Department of Health and Human Services.
WATCH: January trial suspended as accused killer undergoes 90-day mental health evaluation
In September, Brown was charged with four counts of deliberate homicide and felony attempted arson. He also faces felony charges for theft of a pickup truck used to flee the scene and a misdemeanor for eluding a peace officer.
David Gwerder, owner of the Owl Bar where the shooting occurred, shared his thoughts on the case development.
"My outcome I wanted to see a long time ago," Gwerder said.
When asked what he meant, Gwerder expressed his frustration with how the arrest was handled.
"That means I wanted 'em to carry him out, not walk him out when they found him. I told the feds that. I told the state crime scene guys that, and I told the local guys that because I knew where this was going to be headed and it's headed the direction, I knew it was gonna go," Gwerder said.
While Gwerder expected mental health issues would impact the court proceedings, he doesn't believe the incident was spontaneous.
"That's the only defense he's got. He's got no other defense cause everything's on camera down here," Gwerder said.
The court order states that Brown will be examined by a qualified psychiatrist or licensed clinical psychologist for 90 days. A status hearing is scheduled for March.
Gwerder plans to attend the upcoming hearing.
"I'll be up there in March at 10 o'clock, if they don't change it," Gwerder said
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ANACONDA — The man accused of shooting up an Anaconda bar and killing four people will be placed in the custody of the Department of Public Health and Human Services, and judicial proceedings are suspended after he was found to lack mental "fitness to proceed" Tuesday morning.
Michael Brown, an Army veteran from the Smelter City, was ordered to be placed in an appropriate mental health facility "for as long as the unfitness endures." District Court Judge Jeffrey Dahood also ordered that Brown must undergo a mental health examination with a written report of the examination within 90 days.
According to court documents, the evaluator's report must include a description of the examination, a diagnosis of Brown's mental condition, including an option as to whether Brown suffers from a mental disorder and may require commitment or is seriously developmentally disabled.
Evaluators will weigh in if Brown suffers from a mental disease or disorder and has the capacity to understand the proceedings against him.
Brown's next court appearance is set for March 18, 2026.
Brown has been charged with four counts of deliberate homicide in the shooting deaths of David Leach, 70, Daniel Baillie, 59, Tony Palm, 74, and Nancy Kelley, 64, on the morning of August 1, 2025, at the Owl Bar in Anaconda.
According to charging documents, he then fled the scene in a stolen pickup truck, leading law enforcement on a week-long manhunt in the mountainous, wooded area west of town. Brown was arrested on Friday, Aug. 8, just west of Anaconda.
Shortly after his arrest, Clare Boyle, the niece of Brown, said that she and her family were 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.
