MISTRIAL MT - Lewis & Clark Co., Human remains in bags, Oct'11 - John “Mike” Crites *arrest*

[Fuzzymuffin]

Living with the specter of a brutal unsolved murder http://helenavigilante.com/archives/10456

I doubt Mr. Mehan is an official suspect but the evidence tampering with the cameras is highly suspicious to my mind.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.kxlh.com/news/family-offers-reward-for-information-in-suspected-murder-of-crites/

The family of John Michael Crites, a Birdseye man believed to have been murdered in 2011, is offering a $10,000 reward in the case...

Authorities have been investigating the death as a homicide but have not yet charged anyone.

 

[scmom]

From an interview with Mike's sister Connie in August, 2015.

Lewis & Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton says investigators have an "index of suspicion" as to who may be responsible for the Crites homicide, but says there are a few puzzle pieces left to make this case complete, including forensic evidence.

http://www.ktvq.com/story/29812893/...emains-a-mystery-family-searching-for-answers

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Crites murder remains a mystery five years later

http://helenair.com/news/crime-and-courts/crites-murder-remains-a-mystery-five-years-later/article_abf1402b-23bb-576b-8eba-d10f6d564b8e.html

The two trash bags containing what were described as Crites' bones were only semi-buried. The area where they were found in October 2011, four months after Crites disappeared, is rocky and difficult terrain in which to dig.

When there are so many secluded areas in the roughly 25 miles between MacDonald Pass and Crites' Turk Road neighborhood northwest of Helena, why would the killer choose to take some of his remains here?

Five years later, investigators are still seeking answers to that question.

Considering the amount of time that has passed, the victim's sister Connie Crites admits sometimes conceding to feelings of despair, thinking the case will never get resolved.

"I would never have imagined that more than five years later, we'd still be fighting this," she said.

She’s an optimist -- shaken, yet still confident. That hope has waned over the years and through learning the details of her brother’s murder and dismemberment. Some specifics she doesn't know and maybe never will.

The new investigator, Andrew Blythe of the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office, has reviewed the work of the two previous detectives, who have both since retired. He also has revisited many of the pivotal locations in the case, including the area on MacDonald Pass where U.S. Forest Service management workers found Crites' bones.

Means, motive and opportunity -- those are the keys to solving a murder, Blythe said.

A year after Crites disappeared, a detective said that because of an ongoing land dispute "there are lots of people who have motive." The hatred had been brewing for years, he added.

In the past, neighbors have shot at each other amid the consternation. There's a history of criminal allegations along Turk Road, ranging from intimidation to trespassing to assault with a weapon. Some were made by Crites and others against him.

Although no arrests have been made in regard to the murder, authorities have always said they don't believe the slaying was random.

"We have people that appear they would have a motive," Dutton said. "They're still on our radar."

"Everyone is still a suspect."

"Anyone could be a suspect," he added.

 

[RockyMtnWay_406]

Strange not to see updates here on this case. Leon Ford was arrested and awaiting trial.

 

[CptCari]

And THIS is why I will always be wary of my neighbors.

www.ktvh.com/news/crime-and-courts/sister-of-mike-crites-files-wrongful-death-suit-against-alleged-killer

 

[JerseyGirl]

Jury selection begins in trial for suspect in killing of John "Mike" Crites

Testimony is set to begin this week in Helena, in the trial of a man charged with deliberate homicide in a case that dates back more than a decade.

www.ktvh.com

Testimony is set to begin this week in Helena, in the trial of a man charged with deliberate homicide in a case that dates back more than a decade.

Jury selection began Tuesday in the trial of Leon Michael Ford, the man arrested in connection with the 2011 murder of John “Mike” Crites. It was held at the Helena Civic Center because of the large pool of potential jurors. Juror interviews are set to continue on Wednesday.

Crites went missing in June 2011. In October 2011, his dismembered remains were discovered in plastic bags on the east side of MacDonald Pass. His skull was found several miles west of the pass in September 2012.

An autopsy showed Crites, who was 48 at the time of his disappearance, died from two gunshot wounds to the head.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Judge declares mistrial after jury deadlocks in Leon Ford trial

One day after closing statements, the jury in the Leon Ford murder trial says they are deadlocked. Prosecutors accused Ford of murdering and dismembering John "Mike" Crites in 2011.

www.ktvh.com