by Travis Mateer

Once upon a time I liked helping out law enforcement. I didn’t bake them cookies or anything, but I did help provide timely information to ALMOST catch a killer in Missoula. You know, helpful stuff like that.

Being back in Missoula right now is fucking awful for me, but I’m trying to get a semblance of normalcy by seeing the above headline and taking a bike ride to an area I’m quite familiar with. Did I identify the two alleged perpetrators? No, but I listened to some other shit that sounds all too familiar.

I was graciously invited into a camp near the bridge where Clay Salcido was beaten to death, only to hear a woman tell me about her friend in Kalispell who met a very similar end in June.

The man hanging with her was a Native guy from Ronan, and knew many of the names I knew from my time working at the shelter. I was especially interested to find out he knew the family of Jermain Charlo, so I told him my theory about how Detective Guy Baker may have slow-walked the use of FBI dogs (instead of Missoula County canine resources, which he had access to) so, when bloody clothes were found on the ex’s property, the 4 month time period that had elapsed ensured the sample was indeterminate. Isn’t that convenient?

I’ve also seen Detective Baker’s work up close by watching, in person, the Lee Nelson murder trial, and then there was that flower girl incident last summer.

What I’m trying to say is I’m familiar with how it appears HELP is definitely needed by local law enforcement, which brings me back to why I took a bike ride over the California Street bridge in the first place. From the link (emphasis mine):

The Missoula Police Department’s Detective Division is asking for the public’s help to identify two men that attacked and beat up two individuals Saturday night on the north end of the California Street Footbridge.

The following was sent out by the Missoula Police Department:

Our detective division is requesting the public’s help in identifying two males who attacked and beat up two individuals in two separate incidents Saturday night, Sept. 2nd, at 11:25 and 11:35 PM on the north end of the California Street Footbridge. Video footage before, during and after the incidents shows multiple bicyclists and pedestrians walking by the two individuals, and it appears that their first victim might have known them before he was beat up.

The video footage of the assaults is too grainy to determine anything other than it appears to be two male suspects.

While I was out in the area I spoke to one more person who is worried about her son because he hasn’t messaged her in awhile after going to Spokane. I took his name down, since I may be back in that area for my birthday. Then I took a picture of some local graffiti.

Did I mention the woman worried about her son ALSO mentioned seeing a guy with demonic looking eyes? I’m sure it’s just the drugs and nothing to worry about. Carry on, Missoula!

I ran into lots of people during my first weekday back, biking around, and usually that makes me happy, but not anymore. I do get some mild pleasure from seeing a judge I trust on the street and telling him LOTS about the Sheriff’s Office, but I doubt anything will ever come from it because the corruption goes to the top of the state, and that’s not good for someone like me.

While I continue to figure out what the hell I’m going to do, you can ease the monetary part of my worries by supporting Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF), or making a donation at my about page.

Thanks for reading!