Michael Paul Brown, 45, has been formally charged with four counts of murder in connection with the August 1 shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana.
The charges were posted on a court website Saturday after being previously sealed by a state judge.
Who Is Michael Paul Brown?
According to a U.S. Marshal notice issued earlier this month, Brown is a veteran of the U.S. Army who was deployed to Iraq in 2004 and 2005. Upon leaving the Army, he joined the Montana National Guard, where he remained from 2006 to 2009.
Authorities reported that he had been seen heading west into Stump Town and disappeared into a wooded area, where law enforcement conducted its search.
Brown’s niece Clare Boyle told the Associated Press that Brown had struggled with mental illness for years.
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County police named him as the suspect in the shooting around 2 p.m. on the day of the murders.
What To Know
Brown, described as a former soldier, allegedly opened fire at The Owl Bar on August 1, killing four people in what authorities have characterized as an unprovoked attack.
The victims were identified as Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64; Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; David Allen Leach, 70; and Tony Wayne Palm, 74.
After the shooting, he reportedly stole a truck and abandoned it several miles outside Anaconda before disappearing into the heavily forested terrain.
The manhunt involved extensive coordination between local, state, and federal agencies. Officers used helicopters and drones for aerial surveillance while ground teams with tracking dogs combed through dense forest areas. The search operation created a security perimeter that affected local communities and outdoor activities in the region.
Brown was eventually apprehended after being “flushed into a sparsely populated area near a state highway by the pressure of so many officers searching for him,” according to officials. The strategic pressure from multiple search teams effectively limited his movement options until capture became inevitable.
Authorities have not disclosed a potential motive for the shooting, and charging documents remain unavailable to the public.
What Happens Next?
Brown is scheduled to make an initial district court appearance on September 3. He is being held on $2 million bail and represented by attorney Walter Hennessey.
Investigators continue examining whether Brown had contact with individuals or property owners who might have assisted him during his week-long evasion.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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