Prosecutors have video evidence and a confession from Michael Paul Brown, accused of killing four people in Anaconda last summer, as indicated by newly unsealed court documents. District Court Judge Jeffrey Dahood unsealed most documents following a legal challenge by Montana media and a state Supreme Court decision.
The documents reveal that cameras captured the Aug. 1, 2025, shooting inside The Owl Bar. Footage allegedly shows Brown entering with a bucket, pizza box, and brown bag, which he used to set a fire. He then returned with a rifle, shooting and killing Nancy Kelley, David Leach, Daniel Baillie, and Tony Palm, as confirmed by a paramedic.
Police pursued Brown in a stolen Ford F-150, losing track near a vehicle access road. Forensic analysis linked a bullet from the scene to a rifle at Brown’s residence. Brown was arrested on Aug. 8, confessing to the shootings and theft of the vehicle, citing a dispute with the bar owner and a belief in “brainwashing” by the bar’s jukebox.
The documents were sealed at the prosecutor’s request to protect Brown’s right to a fair trial amid media scrutiny. Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Attorney Morgan Smith argued that public exposure could bias a potential jury. Criminal procedure expert Constance Van Kley noted that concerns over jury impartiality don’t usually warrant sealing documents, suggesting alternative measures like changing trial venues or thorough jury selection processes.
Brown, who pleaded not guilty in September 2025, appeared in court recently after a mental health evaluation. He remains under evaluation at Montana State Hospital.
Anaconda Leader editor James S. Rosien contributed reporting.
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