by Travis Mateer
Yesterday, while checking the Missoula County Inmate Information Portal, I noticed the man who called his DAUGHTER about Johnny Lee Perry threatening him with a machete, Jackie Maxvill, was recently arrested on serious charges, but not serious enough to keep this man in jail for longer than two weeks.
Yes, despite a bond of $75,000, Mr. Maxvill has been released to the streets where I’m sure he’ll be a model citizen who will show up to his next court date.
The arresting officer in Maxvill’s latest run-in with law enforcement is Detective Guy Baker, and I think that’s interesting.
Why do I find this interesting?
I find this interesting because Maxvill was involved in getting Johnny Lee Perry killed by the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, and Johnny Lee Perry was involved in the death of Sean Stevenson, and my investigation into how Sean came to be euthanized in St. Patrick’s hospital by the Sheriff’s Office put me in contact with a homeless man two summers ago who knew A LOT about Sean’s death, including the identity of the nurse who was allegedly fired for not pulling the plug on Sean.
I recently looked at some notes from that summer and the homeless man I spoke with told me he had a police contact. Guess who he said that contact was? That’s right, Guy Baker.
Over the summer I spoke with Detective Baker regarding a girl selling flowers on Higgins because I suspected she was being exploited in some manner, only to find out from Baker I shouldn’t worry because it was probably just a Russian thing.
Should I take Baker’s word on that? I mean, he’s working closely with the LifeGuard Group, which is connected to the Gianforte Foundation, so I’m sure his trafficking perspective is pure and not bothered at all by politics.
That’s sarcasm, by the way.
On Friday, after being excluded from an event open to the public about the crisis levy, I visited with some homeless people to gain perspective. I even drove to the Transitional Safe Outdoor Space to see if the homeless guy who knows the Detective Guy was around, but he wasn’t.
Then I tried to do the weekend thing, only to be hit on Sunday by a United Way TWOFER. Or a THREEFER, if you count Mike Nugent twice (because of his duel role on City Council AND the board president of United Way, duh).
Here is the anecdotal story used in the op-ed to desperately influence their sinking levy ship:
Our friend’s mother, a retired professor now in her mid-90s and suffering from dementia, was standing on her front porch, half clothed and yelling for help. When an alarmed neighbor called 911, the responding officer assessed the situation and quickly called for the Mobile Support Team. The MST clinicians who showed up and defused the crisis deftly, working patiently with our friend to calm and reassure her mom. The crisis was resolved, and a plan put in place for follow-up care. Our friend and her mom found relief, compassion, and a positive resolution to what could have been a much sadder story.
This episode — one of more than 225 that occur in Missoula each month — illustrates that the hospital or jail is not the best place for everyone in obvious mental distress. Had those been the only alternatives in this situation, our friend’s mom would most likely have become further agitated and likely traumatized. A great many similar situations can be resolved “in place,” diverting costly visits to the jail or emergency room. In fact, in the past year and a half, the MST has saved nearly $1 million in emergency room visits. In most cases, the MST can keep the client in place, safe and with a plan should they go into crisis again.
That’s nice. There’s an anecdotal story I’d like to share here, but now is not the time, and the story isn’t mine to tell anyway.
Back to the guy named Jack, who this post is about; I wonder where’s he’s at, maybe that spot down the Southside road where people continue to live?
Is it legal to live in the woods like that? I don’t know, ask David Burgert.
Or maybe consider that you’re asking the wrong question. Maybe the question should be this: where is the law firm willing to bring down a GENUINE Hammer of Mandamus on Missoula County’s criminal justice poseurs?
I know a few people who WON’T be supportive of that kind of legal action, and that would be the people supporting the unopposed reelection of Missoula County Attorney, Kirsten Pabst. Here’s the screenshot:
I see a lot of people listed above who probably don’t want a repeat of national scrutiny because of shameful conduct by alleged professionals across the public and private sectors.
The crisis is the cabal of influence peddlers selling you the crisis levy. Until that problem is addressed, voting yes is a vote to dump gasoline on the dumpster fire.
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Thanks for reading!
JC
Approaching three years since the attempted murder of my son Sean Stevenson and his successful euthanization, it seems only one Missoulan has the honesty, courage and decency to try to clear up all the murky details to understand who and why someone wanted Sean dead. Is there anyone else alive in Missoula who can help us get to the bottom of this murky pool and perhaps find have hope of justice in Sean’s untimely death ! Stay safe Skink and keep peeling the layers off this horrific onion.
Dr Kenneth Stevenson
Thank you Dr. Stevenson!
Dr. Stevenson, when I get my administrative knot untangled and am admitted to law practice in Montana, I’ll gladly help in a meaningful way. In the meantime, we’re indeed fortunate to have a dogged, muckraking citizen journalist — Wm Skink — relentlessly picking at this scab on our (in)justice system. You have my sincere condolences and solidarity.
It is interesting that Kirsten Pabst County Attorney of Missoula running unopposed and with a strong endorsement proclaims to be in support of promoting awareness and crimes against victims of Domestic Violence. While Missoula County had my daughter’s case, Rebekah Grace Rose Barsotti, there was a weak attempt to request a search warrant of the marital home. Apparently, a meeting was scheduled but it was interrupted by a greater need somewhere in the department. To my knowledge that meeting was never rescheduled. I would have hoped for more of an effort for the on-ground investigation and a true consideration of the history of Domestic Violence in Rebekah and David’s marriage. My daughter went missing after a 911 call for Domestic Violence, on March 9, 2021. A PFMA charge and a Standing Order of No Contact was issued against David Barsotti, now estranged husband. At the time Rebekah went missing on July 20, 2021, both Mineral County and Missoula County neglected to identify Rebekah as married and having a history of Domestic Violence in the marriage. That information was insignificant at the time she went missing but Sheriff Mike Toth proclaimed “Rebekah was married” multiple times when her body was found in May 2022. “David has his wife back”. At the time Rebekah went missing – my daughter’s event was immediately considered a “River Accident” and Deputy Ryan Funke greeted me with “There is nothing to see here”. Sheriff Mike Toth telling David “Don’t help search. How would that look if you found her? Telling the community “Don’t help search. You will potentially mess up a crime scene”. That is a contrasting statement to “River Accident” as Deputy Ryan Funke titled it and Sheriff Mike Toth agreed. “River Accident” was the motto of my daughter’s investigation despite statements under oath, calls to submit reports from various people throughout the community. Sheriff Mike Toth made the statement early on, “David was not a person of interest and never will be”. David’s laptop was never confiscated, the marital home/property never searched. Despite requesting to sequester cell tower information, (which I believe has since expired) David’s cell phone was never investigated. You see, in the state of MT it infringes on privacy rights. In any other state, I believe the spouse/partner would have been considered a person of interest. My daughter’s laptop by the way sat on a shelf in the Sheriff’s Department with no intervention for approximately 15 months. Why did Missoula bother taking it if they had no intention of accessing the data? Btw, Mineral County Attorney Office has violated a Court Order, but it would take more money to process that. A Court Order gave me, by name the right to be informed and inspect Rebekah’s items before they were returned to David Barsotti. That did not happen. That was another purposeful decision made by Mineral County and David’s Attorney. Throughout my daughter’s case there has been one obstacle after another. Oddly enough, there is an Insurance Policy on my daughter……payable only on “Accidental Death”. But, Sheriff Mike Toth has informed me that as of January 2022 no leads would be significant.
As for a Mandamus in Missoula. Let’s look at the process in Mineral County. Mineral County Attorney Office and Sheriff Department are doing an Audit on themselves. How do you think that will look? Hospitals hire private 3rd party agencies to come in and look at their patient records, quality control standards etc. JACHO and Medicare also provide audits. A 3rd party requires Accountability. If I were the citizens of Missoula County, I would include the specific request that the Attorney request a Mandamus where an outside agency specifically does the auditing. At this time there is no guarantee that Montana AG will step in and audit Mineral County. –
To Sean’s and Johnny Lee’s families, I am sorry you too have experienced the immense amount of energy that is used at the County levels to not do the right thing.
– Dr. Kenneth Stevenson we must remain vigilant as much as we are able. I believe Justice will prevail. If not on earth, God’s Justice.
– Skink, thank you for continuing to be a voice for the voiceless in Montana.
That is a very powerful and succinct summary, thank you!
Powerful stuff, Travis. It’s appalling how the suffering of marginalized people is exploited for power and profit under the guise of helping them, while omitting them from participation in the discussion.
Detective Guy Baker? He protects his snitches and gives them Get Out of Jail Free cards, in my opinion. He did that when my mom, who was afflicted with Lewy Body dementia, got swindled by a door-to-door huckster with literature about his fake veterans assistance group, who got $2500 out of her to do some house repair and winterization. He did almost nothing and was not seen again. Baker convinced Mom to sign an absolutely worthless “settlement agreement” he drew up, and she of course got burned. I made multiple attempts to reach Baker from Oregon; when I finally got him on the phone, he was surly, blamed my mother for getting swindled and said details of her statements were inconsistent. He had given Mom a story about how the felon who burned her was trying to live an honest life, and how Baker had made the crook on parole a personal project. Baker was rude to me and helped the hustler burn my Mom. Obvious to me that he was protecting a snitch who knows that as long as Baker keeps doing so, the rat won’t get sent back to prison.
It seems that David Barsotti benefits from a similar arrangement in Mineral County, doesn’t it?
Speaking of Mineral County, how the Hell is it that someone can work as a Deputy Sheriff without POST certification? WTF was Wally Congdon doing opposing the writ of mandamus? His job, sayeth the Supreme Court, is not merely to win cases, but to see that justice is done. He should have been bringing this shit to the court’s attention himself, long ago. If Jasper uncovered 125 cases of Brady violations, there are undoubtedly many more. Rebekah’s mom is right — some manner of auditing C.A. case files for Brady violations other than having Wally do it, should be done. As it stands, an unknown number of convictions will be vacated and many of them may be retried — at substantial cost.