by Travis Mateer

As we knock on the door of 2021, I’d like to get a jump on one of the changes I’m going to be implementing, and that’s writing blog posts under my real name.

William Skink will represent the more creative content you can find at places like my Substack and, hopefully, a platform like Rokfin (if they’ll have me).

I’m changing this up because one of the main reasons I had for writing under a pseudonym ended this year when I said adios to the non-profit sector where I spent the last 10 years of my life.

Now that I am no longer working directly with vulnerable populations, and transitioning to being a reluctant citizen journalist, I feel like I should be doing the latter part without the cover of a pseudonym.

One of the BIG under-reported stories I’ll be continuing to cover in 2021 is the conspicuous lack of prosecution in instances of violence resulting in death by the Missoula County Attorney’s Office.

While I’m thinking primarily of the strangulation death of Sean Stevenson as the result of an alleged altercation at the Poverello Center, and the stabbing death of Ben Mousso as the result of a knife being plunged into his body four times during a drug deal gone wrong, an RD reader sent me a link to a 2018 stabbing case involving the man currently being held for shooting Sundance Hernandez in the head earlier this month.

From the first link:

The Missoula County Attorney’s Office declined to charge a Missoula man with homicide and assault after his alleged involvement in a stabbing that happened on the night of July 9. 

Christopher Lance Newrider, a 31-year-old Missoula man, will be tried on a probation violation, but not the deliberate attempted homicide and assault with a weapon charges he was originally held on. 

…

Both suspects were at large for some time prior to their arrest, and Missoula 911 sent a text alert to some residents that evening describing Newrider as armed and dangerous.

An incident this serious, which happened on July 9th, and the County Attorney’s Office JUST TWO DAYS LATER essentially said, Nah, Newrider, you’re good. We’ll just get you on a probation violation instead.

Makes one wonder what kind of deals might be getting made in exchange for what looks like inexplicable leniency.

Another area of interest that seems to be expanding for me is where Covid emergency money is flowing. Here’s a screenshot from this piece to give you a hint of what I’m interested in:

Other areas of focus will include gentrification, the changing approach to homelessness from the Federal government, technocracy, public/private partnerships and the new liberal authoritarians who hate free speech and want everyone to join their cult of scientism…OR ELSE!

So stay tuned. 2021 is going to be one hell of a ride.