ANACONDA — ANACONDA — The week-long manhunt for Michael Paul Brown, 45, the suspect accused in the shooting deaths of four people at the Owl Bar in Anaconda last week, ended on Friday with his arrest.
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, and Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Attorney Morgan Smith conducted a news conference at 5:30 p.m.
WATCH THE NEWS CONFERENCE:
"Today I’m grateful to report that Michael Paul Brown was apprehended, arrested and is in custody," said Gianforte.
According to the Montana Department of Justice, at about 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 1, 2025, a man walked into the Owl Bar in Anaconda and began shooting, killing four people. The man, believed by law enforcement to be Brown, then fled the scene in a pickup truck to the west of town, into the surrounding mountains.
In the following days, hundreds of members of law enforcement from more than 30 local, state and federal agencies conducted a manhunt for Brown.
On Friday, August 8, Brown was taken into custody at about 2 p.m. near the Ranch Bar just south of Highway 1, west of Anaconda. He was arrested near a structure located within the search area.
"We had about 130 personnel up on that hill pushing that area. We think that was directly correlated to, to flushing him out today, getting him down into an area that we know we had searched before," explained Knudsen. "It's not some place he'd been hiding. He was flushed out. So, also, thanks to the public, we had some tips come in, verified where we were, and we were able to move really quickly and get our suspect apprehended."
Montana Division of Criminal Investigation Administrator Lee Johnson said Brown was checked out by medical staff before being transferred into law enforcement custody.
"I thought he looked surprisingly in good shape. One of the things we did immediately was get him medically cleared, get him medical attention for as long as he's been out there," noted Johnson. "The weather certainly hasn't been, you know, conducive to survivability, really, with no resources."
Knudsen noted that Brown was armed when he was taken into custody, but he declined to elaborate on how Brown was armed while the homicide investigation is still ongoing.
Brown is currently being held at the Butte-Silver Bow Detention Center.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS:
"This isn't the end. This is the beginning. I'm confident in the investigative work that has been done to this point, and I'm also incredibly confident in the folks that are going to continue to do investigative work to make sure we can prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law," said Smith. "Details related to that investigation will be withheld, and that's to ensure the fairness and the integrity of the case as it moves forward."
Gianforte, Knudsen and Smith all praised the work of the men and women who had been working on the search for Brown.
"They used every resource available to them to search for him. 'Thank you' does not cover what we owe to these brave men and women," said Gianforte.
Knudsen said, “It’s a good day. We got the man. Michael Paul Brown is in custody. I am proud of the unrelenting law enforcement effort this week - federal, state, and local agencies came together to get the job done."
"The work that our local officers, standing arm to arm with U.S. Marshals, federal agents, members of law enforcement from communities across Montana - the work you all did is incredible," noted Smith. "It's often tireless and thankless work, but I hope that all of you that worked in find Michael Paul Brown know how thankful the entire community of Anaconda is to go to sleep tonight and finally rest."
Officials also praised and thanked the community of Anaconda for their patience and help in supporting the search efforts, such as donating meals and lodging.
ANACONDA RESIDENTS REACT TO MICHAEL BROWN ARREST:
Residents MTN spoke with after the press conference say that it's a relief to know that Brown is finally in custody. While that does bring them some comfort, it doesn't change the fact that four members of their community were killed — Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64, Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59, David Allen Leach, 70, and Tony Wayne Palm, 74.
Brown's family said he was an Army veteran who suffered from significant mental health challenges, including schizophrenia and PTSD. The family told MTN they had sought help for Brown through both the Montana VA and the Montana State Hospital, but were not able to get assistance.
Now that he is in custody, Anaconda residents say they can begin to move forward from this tragedy and begin the grieving and healing process. They'll make it through, though; they always do. The town, the people and the community have always been "Anaconda Strong."
