Month: May 2022

by Travis Mateer

Am I getting impatient? Fuck yeah I’m getting impatient! Below (far down) you’ll find 9 minutes and 23 seconds of that impatience, which spilled forth to a meager crowd of freedom supporters on the Missoula County Courthouse lawn yesterday, May 7th, 2022.

But before that video clip, I want you to look at the following image and ask yourself: what the hell am I looking at?

I hope this image is making some people VERY nervous right now because I don’t think its release was anticipated.

UPDATE: it’s important to note this particular sonar image was taken by a community volunteer, not Northstar Search and Rescue. The sonar image was submitted to authorities on August 10th, 2021.

You see, for this image to surface in JUST THE PAST WEEK, some interesting things had to happen, but it’s difficult to explain to those outside of what’s been transpiring since Rebekah Barsotti went missing nine months ago. There’s just so much.

Part of the problem is the general public operates on some faulty assumptions, and one of the biggest is that those in authority, in a missing person case like this, are there to HELP and to give a grieving family ALL the information they possess in order find whoever is missing.

Well, I’m going to flip that dangerous assumption on its head, because families need to understand how this image nearly got buried, along with the report providing scathing context to our HELPERS, like Lowell “Hat-Rack” Hochalter and Bill “Liquid Expert” Burt.

Here is my understanding: if Rebekah’s family hadn’t hired, at their own personal expense, additional searching services by the Minnesota-based outfit, Northstar Search and Rescue, then this FIRST report, which I’m going to be providing some key screen shots of, wouldn’t have been provided AT ALL.

That means we wouldn’t get to see Bill and Lowell’s name right at the beginning of this report:

The most concerning and absolutely HEARTBREAKING part of this report is what happened on August 20th, when the above image was taken and reported to…Bill fucking Burt. Then what happens? Do the search and rescue people leave for home without finding out if the image shown is a body or, as Bill Burt told Rebekah’s family, just a pile of rocks?

And then there’s the possibility of bloody clothes, evidence that Bill Burt apparently was eager to retrieve.

What, you didn’t know about the possibility of bloody clothes? It’s almost like there’s an ENTIRE WORLD of things happening that the media is somehow incapable of telling the public about. Weird.

Here’s a snapshot from Angela Mastrovito’s meticulous timeline:

This critical context from last August is made EVEN MORE maddening when you consider the most recent official communication to Rebekah’s family from Mineral County about her case, which I read aloud yesterday.

Here is the language of the update, written EXACTLY how it was received, typos and all:

I understand your conclusion here, However, Rebekah’s case is still open/active, it is labeled inactive as currently there are no creditable leads to investigate , if we get a new lead the case move back to active while we investigate the lead, if the lead pans out we keep following, if it doesn’t pan out then we revert the case back to inactive awaiting the next lead. Unfortunately Rebekah’s case will continue to remain “open” until we find her Alive and well or her remains are identified through DNA. This brings us right back to what we have stated before the case is still open so we cannot release any of the evidence until the case is closed.

This language is really something. Alcohol? That would be one explanation. I offer a different one in the video below, which I encourage you to listen to despite the unsteady video.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/707378761?h=d72e430a3d&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479

This glimpse I’m trying to provide of larger movements behind the scenes is really just the tip of a massive iceberg, which makes me think of a good question to ask EVERYONE living in this town:

How do you like living on the Titanic, Missoula?

I did my best yesterday to provide a warning of what’s coming and, dare I say, the screamers at the other end of the Missoula County Courthouse actually DID quiet down for a few seconds to listen to my VERY LOUD voice. But did they HEAR me?

If they did, they would have a small inkling that what’s happening here to missing bodies and trafficked bodies and black bodies–and the carefully structured network of public/private complicity that keeps the scope of this evil cancer occluded from the public–is about to break wide open, and I can only hope those I’ve tried to warn, both publicly, and in private communications, wake the fuck up before it’s too late.

If you’re reading this, YOU could be an agent of change, so please act accordingly.

And my apologies for the lateness of this post, especially to any of you EAGER readers out there wondering how yesterday’s demand for a DOJ investigation and call for national coverage was going to translate into further documentation of the serious problems that have gone unaddressed for way too long. I had some VERY important research to conduct.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned, because more interesting content is on its way!

by Travis Mateer

Tomorrow starting at 10am an event will be transpiring on the courthouse lawn. The keynote speaker will be Jennifer Carlson, the conservative candidate for House District 69. Her speech will start around 1:45pm.

My slot for the noise I plan on bringing is somewhere between 12:15-1:15pm. The broad topic I’ll be speaking about is corruption in government.

Yesterday I picked up the visual aid I’ll be using to help me ask some VERY pointed questions about just HOW corrupt some of our institutions are. I can’t wait.

It will be interesting to see what kind of local media attention this event gets. Since there could be some breaking news coming out of this thing, I hope a few reporters are present to watch.

Maybe I’ll even have a few Sheriff Deputies there, since the courthouse lawn has ZERO encampment structures to strike terror in their little hearts.

I’ve been giving some special attention recently to Missoula Sheriff Deputies because I learned they didn’t get much attention during that Department of Justice investigation into the mishandling of rape and sexual assault cases on campus.

The link is to the DOJ announcement–issued on May 1st, 2012–regarding the investigation that was being launched. Here’s an excerpt:

The department has opened a Title IX compliance review and Title IV investigation regarding the University of Montana’s response to sexual assaults and sexual harassment of students.  Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 each prohibit sex discrimination, including sexual assault and sexual harassment, in education programs.  There have been at least 11 reported sexual assaults involving university students in an 18-month period.  The department will also coordinate with the Department of Education on a related sexual harassment complaint received by that department.

The Justice Department also announced today that it has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the University of Montana’s Office of Public Safety (OPS), the Missoula Police Department (MPD) and the Missoula County Attorney’s Office.  This investigation will focus on allegations that OPS, MPD and the Missoula County Attorney’s Office are failing to adequately investigate and prosecute alleged sexual assaults against women in Missoula, due to gender discrimination in violation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and the anti-discrimination provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.  There have been at least 80 alleged rapes in Missoula in the past three years.  The investigation will look at assaults against all women in Missoula, not just university students.

Department officials met with city, police and university officials, who pledged their full cooperation with the investigations.

Do you see the Missoula County Sheriff’s Department mentioned anywhere? Why not?

Since playing games with jurisdictions is a tactic power players like to utilize when avoiding accountability and/or the pesky expectation that one does the fucking job they are being paid by the taxpayer to do, I’m interested to learn more about how and why the Sheriff’s Department evaded scrutiny during the DOJ investigation.

I hope to see you there, but if you can’t make it, I’m sure I’ll be writing something up about the day’s activities on Sunday.

Thanks for reading!

by Travis Mateer

I grabbed the image above from this KGVO article about police taking a man into custody after CFS took his kids.

Since this incident came on the heels of a certain coroner’s inquest I attended last week, I thought it might be illuminating to do a compare and contrast analysis of what Missoula POLICE did differently than Missoula SHERIFF DEPUTIES in these two scenarios.

For the full version of what the man did to get state authorities involved with his children, go to the KGVO link. Here’s the short of it: alcohol.

After alcohol turned Alen Roach into a risk serious enough to warrant state intervention, this happened (emphasis mine):

“Officers went to Roach’s residence,” Arnold said. “As they approached, they observed Roach’s front door was partially open. Officers then observed Roach in the doorway holding a semi-automatic rifle, similar in design to an AR-15. Officer quickly retreated, took cover for their safety, and requested additional units.”

According to court documents, an officer observed Roach brandishing the rifle and believed a gun fight was about to take place.

So, what do police normally do when a man with a gun is about to engage in what they think is going to be a gun fight? Here’s what happened in THIS particular case (emphasis mine):

“Officers lost sight of Roach, but Roach walked toward the area where officers were taking cover, still brandishing the rifle,” Arnold said. “Officers gave Roach commands. Roach complied, put down the weapon, and was taken into custody. After Roach was taken into custody, officers continued their investigation and learned additional details about what took place after the children left CFS, and some of Roach’s comments he had made to his children and CFS employees. This case is still under investigation with Missoula Police Department detectives.”

Yep, Alen Roach has ZERO holes in his body after being on the precipice of going Rambo on law enforcement. Cool.

In contrast, Johnny Lee Perry received at least ONE major hole in his body from a bullet fired by a Missoula County Sheriff Deputy.

Is the difference in these two scenarios the TYPE of law enforcement responding?

Maybe astute readers can help me identify any other differences between Alen Roach NOT being dead after threatening law enforcement with a long gun, and Johnny Lee Perry most definitely being dead after playing around with a machete for half an hour.

Since I like tackling these topics with different tools, here’s a guitar-accompanied version to today’s post. Stay tuned tomorrow for more info on the Face Your Freedom rally happening this Saturday

https://player.vimeo.com/video/706513604?h=c90a2cac73&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479

by Travis Mateer

…I’d crash the County’s PROCLAMATION party being thrown this Thursday, because it’s a crock of shit.

I can’t even BEGIN to describe what Rebekah’s mom, Angela Mastrovito, and her husband have experienced during these agonizing months of trying to assess how much malice is lurking behind the malfeasance.

I imagine this kind of virtue signaling about missing indigenous women doesn’t help. Kind of like dumping a salt-shaker of salt on a gaping wound.

The PROCLAMATION was quickly shared by the Poverello Center, my former employer AND the place where Sean Stevenson was supposedly attacked by Johnny Lee Perry.

They’re both dead now, and men, so Thursday will NOT be a day to signal that their deaths matter.

Here’s the PROCLAMATION:

Making PROCLAMATIONS looks like fun. Maybe I should try?

WHERAS, Missoula County joins with dark wizards to conjure false, inverted narratives to heighten cognitive dissonance like a psychopath in order to stun intended targets; and

WHERAS, there is not a comprehensive analysis of the playbook utilized in this modern era of convenient surveillance technology; and

WHERAS, data, numbers, stats...SEE we're smart! And you're NOT! and

WHERAS, all TIF funds will now be directed to transform our Mayor into an immortal cyborg! 

Seriously though, I’m sure Rebekah’s mom wishes she had the financial resources of our proud municipality, because then maybe she could afford to determine the degree of malice behind the malfeasance.

One man who WILL benefit from city money is former City Councilperson, Bryan Von Rocket Scientist. I appreciate the email that clued me into this:

Well how about that, a Clean Electricity Consultant Contract! Congratulations, BvL, I’m sure you’ll be a GREAT consultant with city tax dollars.

While this former official gets a nice paycheck, Angela Mastrovito gets more questions and heart-wrenching what-ifs that, if known by the public, might make them even MORE curious about the antics of the Missoula County Sheriff’s Department.

I’ll be talking about some of this, and more, this coming Saturday. Stay tuned for more information on that, and thanks for reading!

by Travis Mateer

What do I mean when I say the Homeless Industrial Complex in Missoula is fucking adorable? I don’t even know anymore. Maybe I’m being sarcastic, or passive aggressive, or maybe I’m trying to stave off a megaphone rant so vile I’ll trigger this whole goddamn town.

One of the things that makes the HIC so fucking adorable is the ability to seamlessly pivot from WE DO SO MANY AMAZING THINGS FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE to WE HAVE NO ABILITY TO PICK UP ANY OF THEIR TRASH!

Since I have such a fun, behind-the-scenes perspective on this difficult to understand topic, I’ll produce my favorite moments from this NBC Montana article with plenty of insightful commentary. Let us begin.

After two days of cleanup efforts and over eight tons of trash hauled away, community volunteers say there’s still much more to be cleaned under the Reserve Street bridge in Missoula. As the Clark Fork River rises over the next few weeks, there’s a chance of that trash going into the river if it’s not picked up.

Let me give some perspective on why these impressive tons of trash removed are barely moving the dial.

After the first major clean-up of this area was done by contractors, I set up ongoing, twice-a-year clean-ups with the Health Department and the Clark Fork Coalition. The first one we did, just nine months after the effort with heavy machinery, we hauled out nearly 8 tons of trash.

That’s after nine months. Now we’re talking YEARS of failure. And excuses! Lots of fun excuses, right Susan?

In an email from Susan Hay Patrick with United Way, she said, “United Way and other nonprofits (like the Poverello Center) go ‘above and beyond,’ operating at or above capacity in terms of our efforts to provide housing, services and support to our unhoused neighbors. While we work hard and effectively, with very limited resources in proportion to the problem, we simply do not have the capacity to join clean-up efforts.”

I highlighted Susan’s use of CAPACITY because within the same email this long-time ED of United Way is literally boasting of going BEYOND capacity while, gosh darn it, just not having any of that capacity left over to address an environmental disaster.

And it IS a disaster. If you don’t believe me, go out there for yourself and check it out.

Despite the dire timing of water rising and therefore trash flowing in the river–something I really thought liberal Missoula was adamant about stopping–another organization that’s HAPPY to take your money had “prior commitments”.

Jim Hicks, executive director of Hope Rescue Mission, said they’re not a part of the cleanups because they have prior commitments.

Are you starting to see why I think these people are fucking adorable?

Taking the cake in excuse-making and counter-shaming is the Poverello Center’s newish Director, Jill Bonny. Taking pictures of reality for social media must really cross a line for this organization’s leadership, otherwise it wouldn’t keep coming up.

Here’s where NBC Montana rediscovers the fallout from…pictures.

We found out the Poverello Center’s Homeless Outreach Team helped with Reserve cleanup efforts in 2021.

In an email to cleanup organizers with the Reserve Street Public Working Group in April 2021, Bonny said the HOT team agreed to be involved with the understanding there would be no media involved and no other volunteers would be recruited to help clean up through social media.

She went on to say the Homeless Outreach Team works hard to establish relationships with people living unhoused and publicly posting photos of the area on social media is not respectful.

Sorry, Jill, I’ll try and remember how disrespectful I’m being as I’m walking on hypodermic needles and rotting food left to waste by people we ARE NOT SERVING WELL by allowing them to live like this year after year.

To leave this post on a positive note, I’ve got to seriously commend the organizer of this effort, Kevin Davis, for having the tenacity and positivity to slog through more opposition than can be detailed in these brief updates on this expensive failure of the Homeless Industrial Complex.

The work continues! Thanks for reading.