MT MT - Paul Batson, 45, Stillwater Co, 29 Apr 2018

[Imacuriousgeorge]

Seems odd, right? I mean, I’m not sure if I think these are connected but it certainly is a strange coincidence.


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Especially if foul play is involved.

 

[Chicagogirl]

It's possible but not really sure. It just seems so far from Bozeman and I can't understand why he would go to Reed Point.

Praying for you and your family. Bless you.

 

[Avalon4ever]

Bozeman to Reedpoint is a 170 mile round trip on the interstate. I understand Paul may have wanted to explore the Bozeman area. But pray tell why travel so far east in light of the splendid scenery surrounding Bozeman and the many small and beautiful communities within a 35 mile radius??? If Paul wanted to see the Yellowstone River in all of its glory all he had to do was drive 40 miles over the hill to Livingston. I was raised in Stillwater County and frequently travel from western to eastern MT and Reed Point is the last place I’d stop unless an emergency arose. Stillwater County News is reporting that over 1,000 acres have been searched and that dogs are being used.

Prayers for Paul and his family.

Thank you for sharing. From what little I know about the area what you are saying seems absolutely true. That's making this even more unusual.

 

[Avalon4ever]

Praying for you and your family. Bless you.

Thank you

 

[Chicagogirl]

Checking in on Paul.

Very interesting about the dream & red handbag with Batman note!

Something crossed my mind--- Could he have been low on gas and had to wait until convenience/gas station was open ?

Thinking of Paul & family.

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Paul’s oldest son said on Facebook that the car was found in good condition with plenty of gas.

 

[ThinkThinkThink]

Paul’s oldest son said on Facebook that the car was found in good condition with plenty of gas.

Well, there goes one theory I had. Thank you.

 

[loreet]

Seems odd, right? I mean, I’m not sure if I think these are connected but it certainly is a strange coincidence.

MSU (Montana State University) Commencement was on May 5th. By Sunday April 29th there were out-of-state license plates all over town. Generally there are always some states other that MT represented in plates on the street, but that last week-end in April an IL plate would not have stood out in Bozeman.

I cannot see these disappearances as linked in any way, other than that the Bozeman Public Library is a really great place to spend a day. DD was transient in 2017, Paul is a visitor with a set itinerary and resources to support him. The Library has free internet, decent bathrooms, and great chairs. Nobody will bother you and I always come across people snoozing on the 2nd floor. I am not surprised both visitors would have intersected their travel paths through there, but I really do not think we can conclude DD disappeared from the BPL just because it was her was last known location. Paul on the other hand was in fact there at a specific point in time, had a missed appointment, etc.

I agree Reed Point is not a typical 'destination,' especially late in the day. It isn't really easy driving even though it is all interstate, with Bozeman Pass in-between to get up and over twice -- there and back. I don't enjoy making that drive at night.

April 29th was a pretty nice day in Bozeman though, with a high of 61 degrees/low of 39. Monday the 30th was less so -- a high of 47/low 39 and rainy. Somewhere in between a front moved through the region. Huh. I am wondering if it may have even snowed a little on the pass?

 

[ThinkThinkThink]

Okay...Paul texted GF at Bozeman Library at 4 p.m. (that seems as confirmed as we'll get/no denials of this). His travel bag was found still in his car at Reed Point. So he did *not* (sheer logic) check into a hotel/motel for the night -- on the eve before his interview. Nobody who has been on this thread -- who knows Paul -- has told us/led me to believe he's this "crazy and wild adventurer."

Was Paul hanging out at the library, waiting for check-in time to motel/hotel?

So then I think -- if so -- did something happened after library -- foul play?

DID HE MAKE IT TO EATING DINNER SOMEWHERE? This is important, IMO!

I am currently (could change any moment) thinking: 1) foul play (after library/Bozeman)... or 2) (hate to say this, but I do no favors not being honest): self-harm or staged disappearance... because I hear nothing of a major medical (physical) medical condition.

 

[meanmaryjean]

Have we heard anything at all about cell phone or banking activity?

 

[ThinkThinkThink]

Dear Websleuths Members,

WE ARE MOVING!

If you have ever used the blogs on Websleuths and you want to keep what you wrote you will need to copy your blog posts ASAP. When we move to our new software the blog posts will not transfer over. I'm very sorry but there is nothing we can do. We tried but alas, you will lose your blog posts if you do not save them before we move.

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Okay... but y'all really freaked me out with this message! Right before my next post, I might add. I thought I was in big trouble or something. :freakedout:

But thanks...good to know.eace::rocker:

 

[ThinkThinkThink]

Have we heard anything at all about cell phone or banking activity?

No, we have not. :sigh:

 

[Elainera]

What I would like to know is whether he was seen on any CCTV footage leaving the library, or afterwards driving around Bozeman, exiting Bozeman, etc. He should be right? Was he alone?

 

[loreet]

Driving time from Bozeman to Reed Point is 1 hour 20 minutes, up and over a mountainous and twisty but well-maintained pass. If I was scoping out the area around Bozeman for places to live an/or exploring, I well might have driven east on I-90. Once you get past Livingston, exits and places to turn around become further apart. Reed Point is at exit 392, 8 miles east from the previous exit. It really may never have been a planned destination.

Here's a highway map:
https://mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/docs/2016-mt-highway-map.pdf

 

[SeesSeas]

If there has been no trace of Paul since communicating with his GF on April 29, how is it known "He was last seen wearing jeans and a dark button-up shirt"?
Did he skype with GF?
Send photo of himself via phone to GF?
Witnesses at library?
Puzzle pieces aren't fitting.

https://www.stillwatercountynews.com/content/1000-acres-searchedstill-no-sign-man-missing-more-2-weeks
1,000 acres searched,still no sign of man missing for more than 2 weeks
Thursday, May 17, 2018
[...]
Batson was last heard from by his girlfriend on April 29 when he was in Bozeman checking on a possible job transfer with the United States Postal Service. There has been no trace of him since that time, . . .
[..]
. . . He was last seen wearing jeans and a dark button-up shirt.

 

[SeesSeas]

Have we heard anything at all about cell phone or banking activity?

News report last week:
https://www.stillwatercountynews.com/content/without-trace
[...]
Efforts to locate Batson through his cell phone have been unsuccessful, leading investigators to believe the phone is either turned off or out of battery. Smith said Thursday afternoon that Batson's "financials and phone records" have been gone through and yielded no clues.
[...]

 

[Chicagogirl]

I’m not sure how to *tag* someone in a comment. I want to ask Avalon if there’s any chance Paul is bi polar or anything like that?? I know my brother in law, who is BP, once had some issues with his meds that led to some delusional behavior and a disappearance. He went all the way across the country and was found safe three weeks later. Thank goodness!!!

 

[JazzTune]

It's possible but not really sure. It just seems so far from Bozeman and I can't understand why he would go to Reed Point.

Avalon4ever, my deepest sympathy for the horrible anxiety you're going through! My heart goes out to you and your family.

I keep wondering whether Paul would be the type to ever pick up a hitchhiker, or stop for a motorist whose car appeared to be broken down.

I wonder too if he may have struck up a casual conversation and ended up telling the wrong person why he was in Montana, and that he was employed by the USPS. I fear that individual could have taken his car and used that information then to throw off the investigation.

Paul seems like the salt of the earth. He sounds so warm and friendly. I'm praying his kindness did not get him into trouble.

Many heartfelt prayers for him and your family!

 

[loreet]

From the recently released search map it seems they are covering all possible scenarios -- downstream of Reed Point on/in the Yellowstone River proper and then along the river to the west and up into the hills both to the north and to the south -- pretty much anywhere Paul could have walked from his parked car.

USGS surface water monitoring data of the Yellowstone River at the Livingston and Billings monitoring sites indicate a substantial rise in height and increase in flow over the course of the day on April 29th. There isn't a gauge at Reed Point for more precise local information. I see nothing to indicate flooding, just that the river rapidly got higher and faster as the day progressed. If you go to the following website and input those sites and a range of dates, you can see what the river is/was doing.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/mt/nwis

 

[Jazzy5980]

Admittedly I’m a novice; however, several things jump out at me:
1) law enforcement has not issued any warnings in RP area re. potential danger or threat of harm;
2) no bulletins regarding Paul’s potential kidnapping and requesting the public report sightings to law enforcement;
3) limitation of search to Reed Point Area based on missing person’s information. (See article below).

All of which leads me to conclude Paul’s text to his girlfriend raised red flags and has resulted in lathe search being limited to a relatively small area.

http://www.kulr8.com/story/38166151/illinois-man-still-missing-last-seen-in-reed-point

 

[Avalon4ever]

Avalon4ever, my deepest sympathy for the horrible anxiety you're going through! My heart goes out to you and your family.

I keep wondering whether Paul would be the type to ever pick up a hitchhiker, or stop for a motorist whose car appeared to be broken down.

I wonder too if he may have struck up a casual conversation and ended up telling the wrong person why he was in Montana, and that he was employed by the USPS. I fear that individual could have taken his car and used that information then to throw off the investigation.

Paul seems like the salt of the earth. He sounds so warm and friendly. I'm praying his kindness did not get him into trouble.

Many heartfelt prayers for him and your family!

Thank you for your message and support for Paul. A hitchkicker, probably not but definitely would help someone in trouble and strike up a conversation. Salt of the earth pretty much sums up our family, so yes. It's just very troubling and I'm thinking along a similar scenario as yours. Heartbreaking no matter what and still no answers.