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3 Montana National Guardsmen charged in elk antler trespassing case via helicopter
Photo by: Kelsey Boggs/MTN News
File photo of Black Hawk helicopter, December 2023.
By: Dan Astin/ Big Timber Pioneer
Posted 8:47 PM, May 14, 2025
and last updated 11:15 PM, May 14, 2025
Three Montana Army National Guard members face criminal trespassing charges from the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks after a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that they were flying in allegedly landed on private property in the Crazy Mountain foothills of Sweet Grass County, reports the Big Timber Pioneer.
While on the ground, the helicopter crew allegedly took elk antlers from the private ranch land, according to witnesses and officials.
Charges of "Criminal Trespass To Property" were filed against the three defendants in Sweet Grass County Justice Court on Tuesday.
The three guardsmen and defendants are Michael Vincent Bray, 30, from Helena, Perry Wray Woodland, 30, from Great Falls, and Deni Lynn Draper, 36, from Clancy. The men are accused of "entering posted private property for the purpose of elk antler retrieval," reads the citations.
Bray's citation also reads: "landed [a] military helicopter on private property."
Criminal trespassing is defined as entering or remaining unlawfully, according to Montana state statute. The legislation specifies a person convicted of criminal trespassing could be fined $500 or less, and/or be imprisoned in county jail for les than six months.
The incident, which was first reported in the Big Timber Pioneer on Tuesday, raises questions about military accountability and private property rights. The defendants are ordered to appear in court on May 28 in Big Timber.
"It is not the usual trespass call. I've never seen anything like it before," said Sweet Grass County Sheriff Alan Ronneberg, who confirmed his office received the initial complaint.
Neighboring ranchers David and Sandy Holman noticed a conspicuous grey-black Blackhawk helicopter of the Montana Army National Guard landing in their vicinity near Billy Creek, west of Melville, on the afternoon of May 4.
"They called me pretty alarmed," said rancher Linda McMullen, 71, referencing the incident in question on her land during a phone interview.
"Do you know there is an Army helicopter on your land picking up elk antlers?'" she was asked.
"It is tough enough to pull a profit," said McMullen, who estimated desirable early brown elk antler sheds can be worth thousands of dollars. "I started making calls. I called the game warden to hold these people accountable for what they've done."
Sweet Grass County Game Warden Austin Kassner referred questions to his senior officer. "I have been directed to have you contact my captain, Randy Hutzenbiler," he said.
"FWP has no comment as it is an active investigation," said Hutzenbiler. "We will share information as it becomes public to protect the sanctity of the investigation. We are working with evidence and have not consulted the county attorney's office."
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the National Guard acknowledged the incident took place and that they are investigating.
"The aircrew allegedly landed on private property and collected antlers," said Major Ryan Finnegan, state public affairs officer with the Montana National Guard. "The Montana National Guard is investigating the incident, which was witnessed by a local landowner and reported to a Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks game warden. MTNG Leadership takes this matter seriously and is working to complete a thorough and rigorous review of the incident with FWP's law enforcement division."
"I had a chance to talk to our senior pilot who was in contact with the landowner," Finnegan said. "Sounds like they have spoken twice. He reached out to ask to be able to give an in-person apology and to coordinate returning the items."
McMullen, the landowner, confirmed a conversation with a high-level National Guard official had taken place.
"A lieutenant colonel said (they'd) meet in person and bring back the antlers," said McMullen, citing calls from National Guard leadership and a former local law enforcement official, requesting she not press charges on the helicopter servicemen.
"They used the excuse these are good guys, that I don't want to ruin their careers," she said. "They should have thought about that before doing this. I think people need to know this is happening."
Finnegan did not expound on whether the senior pilot and the "colonel" that McMullen mentioned are associated or the same individual, and did not identify the senior pilot.
"Nothing further," he commented, when questioned whether it was known if a Colonel with the branch contacted McMullen to dissuade her from pressing charges.
"We are conducting interviews with crew on what they were trying to do, what their mission was out there," said Finnegan.
He explained he did not know if the Federal Aviation Administration was involved in investigating a potentially unauthorized non-emergency landing. "We knew it was a big deal."
COMMENTS FROM MAJOR GENERAL
An official statement from Major General J. Peter Hronek, adjutant general of the Montana National Guard, was released Wednesday.
"I am aware of an alleged incident involving a Montana Army National Guard helicopter landing on private property without authorization," reads the statement from Hronek, regarding unauthorized military aircraft use on Wednesday, May 4. "An internal investigation is underway, and appropriate adverse and/or administrative action will take place if the allegations are determined to be true. if true, this behavior does not align with the values of the Montana National Guard. Misuse of military equipment erodes the trust we strive to uphold with the people of Montana. Every member of the Montana National Guard is expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, responsibility, and respect for the law.”
Big Timber Pioneer editor's note: This is a developing story. Comments were requested from the Holmans and the office of Christy Clark, FWP director, but replies were not received in time for production deadline.
https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-n...in-elk-antler-trespassing-case-via-helicopter
Mexican beauty influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream
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Ottilie Mitchell
BBC News
Valeria Marquez had a total of 200,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram
A 23-year-old Mexican social media influencer has been shot dead while live streaming on TikTok, the state prosecutor's office said.
Valeria Marquez was killed when a man entered her beauty salon in the city of Guadalajara "and apparently fired a gun at her", according to the Jalisco state prosecutor's office.
The motive for the fatal attack has not been identified but the case is being investigated as a femicide - when women and girls are killed because of their gender, the state prosecutor said.
Gender-based violence is highly common in Mexico where the UN reports 10 women or girls are murdered every day by partners or family members.
Moments before her death, Ms Marquez was sitting at a table holding a stuffed animal at her beauty salon in the suburb of Zapopan doing a livestream.
Seconds later, she is shot dead, with the footage only ending when another person picks up her phone to stop the recording.
Local media reports say she was killed by a man pretending to bring her a gift.
Police arrived at the scene around 18:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and confirmed Ms Marquez's death, according to the state prosecutor.
The prosecutor's office did not name a suspect.
Fans of Ms Marquez, whose social media following totalled nearly 200,000 across TikTok and Instagram, have reacted with horror to her death.
Mayor of Zapopan Juan José Frangie said his office had no record of Ms Marquez requesting help from the authorities due to threats against her, adding "a femicide is the worst thing", according to news agency AFP.
The state prosecutor says forensic experts are investigating the shooting.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg4rn0z1r6o
Sounds somewhat harmless , until you think about it. Then it pissed me off , these NG boys used a $6,000,000 helo to steal property from a 71 year old rancher. Typical arrogant government attitude , and this is small potato's compared to what senators and congressfolks have done and they aren't being held accountable.
Yep the more you think about it the worse it gets. Landing somewhere they shouldn't have without an emergency. Theft of someone else's stuff.
A lieutenant colonel who doesn't want this to "ruin their careers"
Sounds like the Lt. colonel doesn't want this on his record , when he runs for congress .
Sounds like the Lt. colonel doesn't want this on his record , when he runs for congress .
Good point
https://news.yahoo.com/news/flight-carrying-200-passengers-flew-174320412.html
A Flight Carrying 200 Passengers Flew From Germany to Spain Without a Pilot
Sat, May 17, 2025, 12:43 PM CDT·2 min read
"As Business Insider reports, a Lufthansa flight traveling from Frankfurt, Germany to Seville, Spain was left pilot-less for approximately 10 minutes due to unsettling circumstances.
As the flight prepared to cross the border into Spain, with about 30 minutes of travel time left, the captain used the opportunity to take a quick bathroom break
.When he attempted to re-enter the cockpit eight minutes later, he was unable to do so despite attempting to input the door’s security code five separate times. A flight attendant attempted to assist by using the intercom to contact the first officer, but with no response.
While nothing had seemed amiss with the captain’s 38-year-old co-pilot, he reportedly lost consciousness at some point during his superior’s trip to the john.
Eventually, the first officer regained consciousness and was able to open the door for the captain—leaving the flight unmanned for an estimated 10 minutes.
"The first officer was described as being “pale, sweating, and moving strangely,” so was quickly attended to by the flight crew and a doctor who was onboard.
Meanwhile, the captain diverted the flight to Madrid, which was the closest airport, so that the pilot could seek immediate medical attention.
According to the investigators’ report, his “sudden and severe incapacitation” was due to a neurological disorder that was known to bring on seizures
A Flight Carrying 200 Passengers Flew From Germany to Spain Without a Pilot
Sat, May 17, 2025, 12:43 PM CDT·2 min read
"As Business Insider reports, a Lufthansa flight traveling from Frankfurt, Germany to Seville, Spain was left pilot-less for approximately 10 minutes due to unsettling circumstances.
As the flight prepared to cross the border into Spain, with about 30 minutes of travel time left, the captain used the opportunity to take a quick bathroom break
.When he attempted to re-enter the cockpit eight minutes later, he was unable to do so despite attempting to input the door’s security code five separate times. A flight attendant attempted to assist by using the intercom to contact the first officer, but with no response.
While nothing had seemed amiss with the captain’s 38-year-old co-pilot, he reportedly lost consciousness at some point during his superior’s trip to the john.
Eventually, the first officer regained consciousness and was able to open the door for the captain—leaving the flight unmanned for an estimated 10 minutes.
"The first officer was described as being “pale, sweating, and moving strangely,” so was quickly attended to by the flight crew and a doctor who was onboard.
Meanwhile, the captain diverted the flight to Madrid, which was the closest airport, so that the pilot could seek immediate medical attention.
According to the investigators’ report, his “sudden and severe incapacitation” was due to a neurological disorder that was known to bring on seizures
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson says there are indications that the ten inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail "received assistance in their escape from individuals inside of our department."
https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-inmates-escape-0f96f173a3ded57b4b23f9a07b6cffac
Reward increases to $12K as search for escaped New Orleans inmates intensifies
Officials are urging the public to be vigilant and offering $12,000 for information leading to an arrest after 10 inmates escaped a New Orleans jail. Three have been recaptured so far.
A massive manhunt entered a third day in Louisiana on May 18 for seven of the 10 inmates who broke out of a New Orleans jail, potentially with the help of jail employees.
The inmates, some of whom are facing murder charges, escaped from Orleans Parish Prison around 1 a.m. on May 16. The men pulled a "defective" cell door off its tracks and escaped through a hole in the wall behind a toilet and sink unit, according to Susan Hutson, sheriff of Orleans Parish.
By the evening of May 17, Kendell Myles, Robert Moody and Dkenan Dennis had been taken back into custody, according to Gov. Jeff Landry. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are still working to find Corey Boyd, Leo Tate, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Lenton Vanburen, Antoine T. Massey and Gary C. Price.
At least one of the inmates was found due to a tip from the public, the FBI in New Orleans said on social media. Louisiana State Police previously said one recovered escapee was found hiding under a car in a hotel garage in New Orleans' famed French Quarter.
The inmate was arrested after a brief chase.
"The job is NOT finished!" Landry said in a social media post.
The city of New Orleans and its police department urged residents and visitors to stay vigilant during the manhunt and report any suspicious activity, WDSU reported. The reward for information leading to an arrest has increased to $12,000, according to the Louisiana State Police.
Did the inmates have help?
Orleans Parish Chief of Corrections Jeworski Mallett said the inmates couldn't have breached the wall near the toilets without outside assistance.
“It was more than just a breach of security, it was some type of help,” Mallett said.
Security footage captured the men tampering with a cell door, fleeing via a loading dock, and running across a highway. Hutson said a jail employee saw the men escaping through surveillance and failed to report it. "We have indication that these detainees received assistance in their escape from individuals inside of our department," Hutson said.
What were the inmates initially in jail for?
The jail housed 1,400 inmates, including several "high security" prisoners convicted of violent crimes who required a “restrictive housing environment that did not exist,” Mallett told PBS.
At least three of the escaped inmates are charged with murder or attempted murder, according to parish records.
Myles, Moody, and Dennis ‒ the three recaptured inmates ‒ were awaiting trial on various felony charges, including attempted murder, armed robberies, aggravated assault, battery, extortion, illegally carrying weapons and illegal drug possession offenses, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office inmate records.
Price, 21, is charged with attempted first-degree murder. Donald, 42, is charged with second-degree murder. Massey, 32, is charged with domestic abuse involving strangulation, according to Parish records.
It is unclear what additional charges the inmates might face following their escape.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...at-large-new-orleans-jail-escape/83709119007/
New Orleans jail employee arrested, accused of helping mass escape of inmates
A maintenance worker at a New Orleans jail where 10 inmates escaped has been arrested and accused of helping facilitate the breakout, officials said Tuesday.
Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Justice Center, was arrested and booked into jail Tuesday morning, sources familiar with the arrest told ABC News.
Williams allegedly shut off the water to a toilet to aid in the escape in an apparent attempt to help clear a way for the inmates to escape, sources said.
Williams is facing 10 counts of principle to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office.
Three other jail employees have been suspended in this investigation.
A maintenance worker at a New Orleans jail where 10 inmates escaped has been arrested and accused of helping facilitate the breakout, officials said Tuesday.
Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Justice Center, was arrested and booked into jail Tuesday morning, sources familiar with the arrest told ABC News.
Williams allegedly shut off the water to a toilet to aid in the escape in an apparent attempt to help clear a way for the inmates to escape, sources said.
Williams is facing 10 counts of principle to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office.
Three other jail employees have been suspended in this investigation.
George Wendt, famous for his starring role in the long-running NBC sitcom "Cheers," is dead.
Family sources tell TMZ ... he died early Tuesday morning, passing peacefully in his sleep at his home.
The official cause of death is unclear.
https://www.tmz.com/2025/05/20/cheers-george-wendt-dead/
Family sources tell TMZ ... he died early Tuesday morning, passing peacefully in his sleep at his home.
The official cause of death is unclear.
https://www.tmz.com/2025/05/20/cheers-george-wendt-dead/
The high end Chess world is very strange - and very interesting. If I had known this was going on, I would have logged in.
This is what the mean when they say “Globalize the intifada”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/two-isra...led-event-capital-jewish-museum-washington-dc
https://www.foxnews.com/us/two-isra...led-event-capital-jewish-museum-washington-dc
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