Man dies on day he was scheduled to be sentenced for a felony sex crime

1-22-16 Montana:

A sentencing in a case involving sex abuse charges was canceled Thursday after the man's attorney confirmed he had killed himself.

Bryan Lee Hanson, 49, was set to be sentenced by Yellowstone County District Court Judge Mary Jane Knisely. Hanson's attorney Brad Arndorfer confirmed the suicide.

Yellowstone County sheriff's officers responded about 2:30 p.m. Thursday to a call about a suicide at Sportsman's Park in Laurel.

Hanson pleaded guilty in November to a felony sex charge after admitting he sexually abused a 14-year-old girl by touching her breasts under her clothing numerous times. The Yellowstone County sheriff’s office began investigating in 2014 after the victim’s mother reported the sexual abuse to Laurel police.

The Yellowstone County Attorney's office was recommending a five-year Montana Department of Corrections commitment with 15 years of probation to follow. ..Source.. by Gazette Staff

DCI: Suspect in chase shot self

12-18-2013 Montana:

The man who led officers on a half-hour chase on Interstate 15 Sunday died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the state Department of Criminal Investigations said Monday.

He was identified as Timothy Arnold Miller, 49, of the Great Falls area by Lewis and Clark County Coroner Mickey Nelson.

Nelson said Miller’s body has been sent to the state crime lab in Missoula, and the matter is still under investigation.

Authorities said Sunday that Miller fled after police and county deputies attempted to apprehend him in northwest Great Falls in connection with a rape case shortly after 2 p.m.

After a half-hour chase, the suspect’s vehicle, a Ford F-250, was disabled with spike strips and came to rest in the median just north of the Gordon exit near mile marker 297.

An initial investigation indicates the suspect shot himself shortly thereafter, authorities said.

No officers were injured in the incident.

Nelson was called in to handle coroner duties given the number of Cascade County agencies involved in the incident.

The ongoing investigation has been turned over to the state Division of Criminal Investigations, as is common practice in situations involving the death of a suspect during a pursuit by law enforcement. ..Source.. by Tribune Staff

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Montana man dead following high-speed chase

The rape suspect who died after leading law enforcement on two high-speed chases in the Great Falls area over the weekend has been identified as Timothy Arnold Miller.

Lewis & Clark County Coroner Mickey Nelson released the name Monday morning.

Miller, 49, was being investigated in connection with a rape case.

After eluding capture on Saturday during a high-speed chase, officers on Sunday located Miller outside the Heidelberg Bar on Division Road at about noon. Miller was reportedly sitting in a black pick-up truck in the parking lot.

An employee at the bar said they were informed to go into "lockdown" and not let anyone in or out as officers kept an eye on the suspect in the parking lot. The lockdown was reportedly not lifted until about 3 p.m.

Cascade County Sheriff Bob Edwards said that just after 2 p.m., officers attempted to apprehend Miller, but he drove away out of Great Falls north onto I-15.

The Montana Highway Patrol was called to assist in apprehending Miller, and about 30 minutes into the chase, Miller's vehicle went into the median and stopped near the Gordon Exit of I-15.

Edwards said that Miller died at the scene. It was unclear if Miller shot himself, or was shot by an officer.

The Montana Department of Criminal Investigation will assist with the investigation.

No law enforcement officers were hurt. ..Source.. by KTVQ.com

Convicted serial rapist dies at Montana prison

7-26-2012 Montana:

A convicted serial rapist from Wyoming who was serving a 60-year sentence for a 1994 kidnapping attempt in Bozeman has died at the Montana State Prison of an apparent suicide.

Prison officials said Dennis Leonard Hanson was found on the floor of his cell at about 2:50 a.m. Thursday after apparently hanging himself. Officers discovered Hanson during a routine institutional count. He was pronounced dead at the Deer Lodge Medical Center.

Hanson was serving a 60-year sentence for trying to kidnap a Bozeman woman at gunpoint in December 1994. After his arrest, he confessed to abducting and raping three women in Gillette, Wyo., in the early 1980s and trying to abduct three others in 1984, 1985 and 1991. He was sentenced to 25 years for the Wyoming rapes. ..Source.. by GreatFallsTribune.com

Man Found Dead After Fleeing From Local Police Identified

3-21-2012 Montana:

TEMPLE (March 24, 2012)— A man found dead after a major manhunt Friday night has been identified.

45-year-old Terry Lee Turner was found dead around 8:30 p.m. Friday evening.

Temple police were looking Friday night for a man they described as armed and extremely dangerous who fired a shot as he fled from officers near Wayne’s Kwik Stop at 23118 S.E. H.K. Dodgen Loop.

Police had been working with law enforcement authorities in Montana to locate Mr. Turner on several felony arrest warrants, and had received reports Turner was at the RV park behind the store.

Turner was wanted for two counts of failure to register as a sex offender, two counts of felony sexual assault, and bond forfeiture.

An initial investigation indicates Turners cause of death was an apparent suicide.

His body has been sent to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas for an autopsy.

A handgun recovered by his side only shows to have been fired once. ..Source.. by KWTX.com

A Colorado fugitive who killed himself identified

3-10-2012 Montana:

A Colorado fugitive who killed himself in a Ballantine motel Friday night has been identified.

Brenton David Glaser, 29, of Evans, Colo., was wanted for contempt of court out of Weld County, Colo., and is listed on the county's most-wanted list, according to the Weld County Sheriff's website. Members of the Montana Violent Offenders Task Force and Yellowstone County Sheriff's deputies were attempting to serve him with a felony warrant when he killed himself. The warrant, which does not list a bond amount, lists Glaser's original charge as sexual assault.

Officers responded to Tiger Town Convenience Store and Motel at 2253 S. 16th Road, Room 2, at about 5:30 p.m., to serve Glaser with the felony warrant.

"We received information from the Colorado Task Force on Friday about the suspect possibly being in our area," U.S. Marshal Darrell Bell said. "Once we were given that information, we confirmed his whereabouts."

Sheriff Mike Linder said officers entered Glaser's motel room, but before they could detain him, he had locked himself into the bathroom. When officials forced entry into the bathroom, they found Glaser had "cut himself in the neck causing severe damage and bleeding."

He continued to resist, Linder said, so officials used a Taser in attempt to prevent Glaser from causing injury to officers or further injury to himself.

"He was a really big man," Linder said. "There were state, local, federal and extra sheriff's deputies there. You just never know what's going to happen in these felony fugitive cases, so we took every precaution."

There were no medical or law enforcement personnel injured, and no shots were fired.

Immediately after using the Taser on Glaser, officials applied first aid and called for medical help, Linder said. The Worden ambulance and the HELP Flight helicopter responded, but the helicopter was canceled when Worden medical responders were unable to revive him.

Motel owner Carol Hayes said she checked the man into the room Wednesday. She would not reveal further details.

Linder said as far as officers know, Glaser was traveling alone. ..Source.. by CARMEN DAYE IRISH

Man Shot After Authorities Locate Him

3-9-2012 Montana:

REED POINT - A man is dead after shooting himself near Reed Point Thursday as authorities tried to pull him over on an attempt to locate.

The Bozeman Police Department says the man was wanted out of Bozeman for sexual assault with a weapon. The Montana Highway Patrol spotted the suspect's vehicle near Reed Point.

MHP and Stillwater County pulled over the vehicle driven by the suspect. Authorities say the man shot himself before officers got out of their car. The suspect's name has not been released.

Troopers then shut down the Frontage Road about five miles west of Reed Point.

"At this time, it does not appear that there was any exchange between officers," said Sgt. Jay Nelson with the Montana Highway Patrol.

"During the incident, our detectives developed information that was a very kind of volatile situation that had the potential for becoming a much worse situation," said Lieutenant Steve Crawford with the Bozeman Police Department.

The Montana department of criminal investigations is in charge of the case. The suspect was transported to Billings, but was pronounced dead. ..Source.. by Nicole Grigg

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Man kills himself during I-90 stop, possibly linked to Bozeman sexual assault

More details have been released about the events possibly leading up to a shooting along Interstate 90 on Thursday afternoon between Reed Point and Columbus.

Bozeman police began investing a report of sexual intercourse without consent involving a weapon on Thursday morning, according to Bozeman Police Lt. Steve Crawford.

The incident reportedly took place at a residence on the north side of Bozeman and involved a person who was known to the alleged victim, Crawford said.

Police identified a person of interest and vehicle to look for in the case and notified area law enforcement.

Later in the morning, police received information that the person of interest was possibly in the Billings area and Billings law enforcement was notified.

Authorities then relayed back that they had located a vehicle, a 2001 Ford Ranger with Montana plates, on Interstate 90, and Bozeman police asked them to stop the vehicle.

A Montana Highway Patrol trooper and two Stillwater County deputies spotted the suspect's vehicle around 1 p.m. on Interstate 90 about 10 miles west of Columbus.

According to Montana Highway Patrol Lt. Col. Butch Huseby, the man pulled off the interstate at exit 397 near Reed Point, and before officers could exit their vehicle it appears the man shot himself.

No shots were fired by law enforcement, Huseby said.

The identity of the person has not yet been released.

The MT Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident.

Crawford said that at this point Bozeman authorities have not confirmed that the person of interest in the report of sexual intercourse without consent incident is the same person involved in the shooting.

"We will continue to investigate our part of the incident to fully document what led up to the events that occurred in Stillwater County," Crawford said.

Crawford added that they are not looking for any other suspects in the Thursday morning incident in Bozeman. He said there was not a threat to the general public, adding that the suspect was known to the alleged victim.

We will bring you more information as this story continues to develop. ..Source.. by KRTV.com

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Sexual Assault Suspect Who Killed Himself on I-90 Identified

3-24-2012:

The Stillwater County Sheriff's Office has released the name of the man who shot himself after being pulled over by police.

County officials say 54-year-old William Carl Norman of Livingston died Thursday near Reed Point as authorities attempted to apprehend him.

Norman was wanted in connection to a sexual assault with a weapon case that had been reported in Bozeman.

Montana Highway Patrol identified his vehicle on Interstate-90 Thursday around noon.

Norman shot himself in his own vehicle before officials were able to reach him. ..Source.. by KFBB.com

Inmate at Cascade County jail found hanging in cell

5-26-2011 Montana:

Michael Kimball, an inmate at the Cascade County Detention Center, is dead after he was found hanging in his cell on Thursday.

Kimball, 39, was found at approximately 6 pm on Wednesday.

According to a press release from Commander Dan O'Fallon, Kimball had contact with Detention staff about 15 minutes before he was found hanging in his cell.

Kimball was transported to Emergency Room and was pronounced dead around 1 am on Thursday.

O'Fallon says Kimball was moved into the private cell two hours prior to the incident and was checked on six times during that period.

Lewis & Clark County Coroner Mickey Nelson is conducting the investigation into Kimball's death.

He says a sheet was used in the hanging and that a note was found in the cell.

Kimball was charged in March with two counts of incest for allegedly having sex with one of his children several times from 2007 to 2010.

O'Fallon issued the following press release on Thursday afternoon:

At approximately 6:00 pm on May 25, 2011 while passing out mail an inmate by the name of Michael Kimball was found hanging in his cell by detention staff.

Detention staff had contact with inmate Kimball just 15 minutes earlier during meal tray pick up.

Inmate Kimball was transported to the ER where he passed away at 1:00am.

"Mickey" Nelson coroner from Lewis and Clark County was contacted to investigate this death as required by statute for all deaths while in custody.

..Source.. by KRTV.com

Man charged with sexual assault of a teenager found dead in his home

7-20-2007 Montana:

The man charged Wednesday in connection with sexually assaulting a teenager about 10 years ago was found dead in his home Thursday morning, the result of an apparent suicide, authorities said.

John Michael Towey, 55, was discovered dead in his Buxton Road home, Butte-Silver Bow Justice Bob Lee confirmed Thursday. Information on how the suicide occurred was not available.

Towey faced felony charges of sexual intercourse without consent and sexual assault, according to charging documents out of Butte justice court. Towey was accused of having sexual contact on several occasions with the teenager between June 1994 and September 1996, when the alleged victim was between 14 and 16 years old.

Lee said the case will remain on file, but no further charges or legal action will be taken now that the defendant is dead.

Towey was arrested in connection with this charge on Tuesday, but was freed later that day after posting $50,000 bond.

Sheriff John Walsh said police responded to an “unattended death” on Buxton Road early Thursday. He didn’t identify the victim, adding that the case was under investigation.

The alleged victim in the sexual assault-related charges, who is now 26, contacted police in June, according to court papers. Police conducted a search at Towey’s home on Tuesday, and Towey was later arrested. ..more.. by Reporter John Grant Emeigh may be reached via e-mail at jgemeigh@yahoo.com or by telephone, 496-5511.