Found Deceased MT - Rebekah Barsotti 33, & dog (fnd deceased), Town Pump, Superior, Mineral Co, 20 Jul 2021 *Reward

[?!?]

I have learned that deputies also serve as the coroners in Mineral County, and that deputies can train on the job without attending police college first. This is astounding to me.

Looks to me like State Attorney General/State Police need to review the whole situation; after watching the video, it seems there is a severe lack of personnel/training/procedures.

 

[?!?]

Video demonstrates that incident was 'processed' by a DEPUTY - since the office has NO detectives or investigators! Sheriff was in the office giving orders over the phone - not at the scene.

 

[Gina20]

Looks to me like State Attorney General/State Police need to review the whole situation; after watching the video, it seems there is a severe lack of personnel/training/procedures.

No kidding! Someone can potentially sign on as a deputy and become become a coroner processing crime scenes with next to no training. Mineral County had been churning through sheriffs and deputies. How do they have time to perform all these duties, and what is the training involved in becoming a coroner?

However, in this case it was a deputy who advised the sheriff that a search was in order. Perhaps a deputy's coroner duties made him aware of necessary procedures.

I read that some of the police in Mineral County had been working remotely at various times due to Covid isolation protocols.

Mineral County Sheriff's Office employees quarantined due to COVID-19

Another thing came to mind. Did Rebekah's estranged husband know where she lived? Police officers can look up addresses from the motor vehicle registry on the police information system. So even if nobody put a tracker on Rebekah's phone or computer, even if she had the location setting turned off, it would be possible to get this info if one was friends with a rule-bending cop. (In today's news, a rule-bending cop did just that and got himself slapped with a fine. Note to women leaving an abusive relationship: please, please, get a post office box for this purpose). Or of course, one could hire a PI agency to follow her.

The scenario presented to us implies that her husband did not know where she lived, and she wanted to meet on neutral ground. Why not meet in a more populous place like a busy fast food joint in Missoula? This is another reason why I reject the scenario. It is possible Rebekah was missing before she went "missing" on a different day at a different time, from a different place.

 

[Gina20]

I thought the outdated police dispatch in Mineral County had already been updated last year, but maybe not. This article from 2021 says it will be remodelled.

Mineral Co. gets new patrol cars for first time in 20 years

Also, there must be some awareness that police in Mineral County spend their time on human trafficking and drug smuggling on the I-90, because the federal government has given them a new police car in recognition of this work.

How, then, can human trafficking and drug smuggling not be taken into consideration when someone goes missing along this corridor, known in the state and by the feds for exactly that?

ETA: Also, which company has the contract to update security at the police station?

Deficiencies at the Mineral County Sheriff's Department outlined here:

Mineral County Sheriff Toth juggles management of the office

 

[laurawlms]

Agree with you about the heavy population on the river. I'm having a little more difficulty with the staging of her personal items. That seems pretty sophisticated. Would the perpetrator be smart enough to think of this? To me it suggests there was premeditation, but how could they be sure she would be at the Alberton Rocks beach that afternoon.

Supposedly Rebekah told the care taker she was going to Alberton Rock climbing area.

 

[Gina20]

Just thinking out loud. There must have been rescue situations on the Clark Fork River in the past. There are a lot of recreational activities on that stretch of river in Mineral County in the summer months, both professionally-guided and independent.

I think it would it help to know if any rescues occurred previously in the same location where Rebekah is said to have gone missing, or downstream. How about known snag locations from previous rescues? I think it would be useful to pinpoint known snags and re-search those known knowns.

 

[laurawlms]

I reached out to the montanafoia.org attorney regarding my options after my 911 foia request had been denied. Here is what he said:

"Hey Laura: I agree with you that a 911 call is an initial offense report which is “public criminal justice information.” The remedy, of course, is to file suit to obtain a copy. I can help you do that, but not on the FOI Hotline’s dime. My fees in connection with such case would not be insignificant. The statute permits recovery of attorney fees, but they are not often awarded. I would estimate the costs of brining suit would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10k. Let me know if you want to proceed with suit. "

It seems borderline criminal that the family of a missing person has to pay 8-10K in order to hear a 911 call pertaining to their missing loved one.

 

[Steve McQueen]

I reached out to the montanafoia.org attorney regarding my options after my 911 foia request had been denied. Here is what he said:

"Hey Laura: I agree with you that a 911 call is an initial offense report which is “public criminal justice information.” The remedy, of course, is to file suit to obtain a copy. I can help you do that, but not on the FOI Hotline’s dime. My fees in connection with such case would not be insignificant. The statute permits recovery of attorney fees, but they are not often awarded. I would estimate the costs of brining suit would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10k. Let me know if you want to proceed with suit. "

It seems borderline criminal that the family of a missing person has to pay 8-10K in order to hear a 911 call pertaining to their missing loved one.

That's outrageous! We need to find another way. Can't you file an appeal?

 

[Gina20]

I have been thinking about what could help at this point. Somewhere I read that flyers have been handed out to hunters. Great idea, because they know how to track.

Then I read a series in the local media called "Mineral County Sheriff's Office Profile". Many of the LE officers in these profiles hunt, fish and spend time outdoors in other pursuits. I hope they will keep their eyes open when they are engaging in these activities, too. The more eyes and ears, the better!

Another thought, it would be good to watch the skies for scavenger birds like ravens, magpies and so on. These birds are known to flock at sites where a predator animal like a bear, wolf or coyote has made a kill. Wolves and coyotes travel in packs and cover a lot of ground every day, but the birds know where they are. Coyotes in particular are known to lure domesticated dogs away from safety by playing games.

FWIW.

 

[laurawlms]

That's outrageous! We need to find another way. Can't you file an appeal?

I have to file an appeal in Court. Since the attorney charges that much, it implies to me it is not an easy process.

 

[Bit of hope]

I reached out to the montanafoia.org attorney regarding my options after my 911 foia request had been denied. Here is what he said:

"Hey Laura: I agree with you that a 911 call is an initial offense report which is “public criminal justice information.” The remedy, of course, is to file suit to obtain a copy. I can help you do that, but not on the FOI Hotline’s dime. My fees in connection with such case would not be insignificant. The statute permits recovery of attorney fees, but they are not often awarded. I would estimate the costs of brining suit would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10k. Let me know if you want to proceed with suit. "

It seems borderline criminal that the family of a missing person has to pay 8-10K in order to hear a 911 call pertaining to their missing loved one.

Say what!!! Yes I agree with all of you....a scandalous situation and amount of money. What has reporting finding stuff on a beach initially has to do with criminal justice information. If this was the case, why did they allow the witness leaving the scene and called it a river accident from the get go? I'm so sorry you all have to go through this kind of BS.

I also wonder why this family/witness (if they even exist) don't contact Rebekah's family on their own behalf. That wouldn't be a criminal act, or is it? They must been following the case. Some how I have the feeling they are scared off.

 

[KBlackRabbit]

1. I find it difficult to believe that a dog like Cerebus would be unable to swim to shore even if caught in a swiftly flowing river. I know my 13 pound Bichon would have no problem staying afloat and making it to safety under those circumstances.

Dogs have fallen into swimming pools and drowned or needed someone to pull them out because they couldn’t find the stairs. If a dog can struggle to get out of a quiet backyard pool, it can certainly drown in a moving river, especially if it’s panicked. My dog can swim but if she fell in even a moderately swift river I’d be terrified she’d get pulled under, trapped against a piling, get tangled in a snag, exhaust herself trying to clamor up a steep bank or from trying to keep afloat in rough water. I can believe this dog could have drowned and been swept downstream a fair distance.

 

[Bit of hope]

Was she at Alberton that day, or is all this part of the scenario we have been led to believe?

We have:

1. An alibi provided by the employee of Rebekah's estranged spouse.

2. No search warrant executed on the estranged husband's home, phone or computers, to our knowledge.

3. No questioning of the estranged husband beyond him providing an alibi, to our knowledge.

4. A video from security camera footage of her vehicle at a gas station in Superior, Montana on the day purported to be the one when she met with the employee to pick up her belongings left behind at the marital home.

5. We do not know if either Rebekah and/or Cerberus were seen on that footage. We don't know if the footage was from high-quality digital equipment or outdated grainy video. If the quality was poor, it might reveal at best a woman bearing a resemblance to Rebekah. What about her dog?

6. We do not know if the date and time stamp from that security footage was verified. I recall a case where this was not done, and the time was off.

7. Rebekah's belongings after six years of marriage fit in a plastic bag, which was found in the trunk of her vehicle.

8. Her vehicle was found at the Alberton rest stop.

9. No eyewitnesses can verify that they saw her and/or her dog at the rest stop on the date and time that fits the scenario as explained to us.

10. Her belongings were placed beside the water, either neatly folded or in disarray...reports vary. She took off her glasses, for some strange reason.

11. An Oregon family that doesn't seem to exist phoned police to report her belongings on the riverbank.

12. Rebekah's phone had a video of her throwing sticks for Cerberus at the river.

13. Rebekah's phone did not undergo forensic examination?

14. Rebekah's phone pinged, but phones ping even when their owners are not with them.

Please add on or correct this list as you wish.

I think that Rebekah was missing before July 20, because no eyewitnesses saw her. Where is the receipt for fuel or purchases from the Town Pump? When did she last use her bank and credit cards? When did she last text or call someone?

When did she last go to work or visit one of her friends?

All very good points. By all the info left out it's impossible to establish a timeline what went on before the so called encounter at the town pump......CCTV footage not published....What was the last moment she was seen or heard of by people who know and love her or by neighbors of her new living place? Digital contact moments, traces (phone, internet, bank transactions)?

 

[?!?]

I have to file an appeal in Court. Since the attorney charges that much, it implies to me it is not an easy process.

That fee (in my non-expert opinion) is LUDICROUS! That is most likely the 'I really don't want to be bothered' fee. The courts are supposed to be 'open' to all, not just the wealthy. I realize that idea is pie-in-the sky idealism, but you might try this (looks to me from the video that mom is fully capable): try the Public Defenders office (if there is one) or Clerk of the Court and ask for the form name and numbers, and number of copies of each, needed to file an appeal. Also ask what fees (checks made out to whom) are required. Ask if they can send you the forms or where you can pick them up.

After looking over the forms and in light of the fees, decide if you want to file it on your own. Just keep asking what you need to do next,
as/if necessary, understanding there are NO guarantees!

I AM NOT A LAWYER and this is in no way intended as legal advice !!

 

[Steve McQueen]

I have to file an appeal in Court. Since the attorney charges that much, it implies to me it is not an easy process.

Are you sure? I found this at FOIA.gov

FOIA.gov - Freedom of Information Act: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

You may file an administrative appeal if you are not satisfied with an agency’s initial response to your request. Before doing so, however, you may wish to contact the FOIA professional handling the request or the agency’s FOIA Public Liaison.The FOIA Public Liaison is there to explain the process to you, assist in reducing any delays, and help resolve any disputes. Often, a simple discussion between you and the agency will resolve any issues that may arise.

If necessary, filing an appeal is very simple. Typically, all you need to do is send a letter or e-mail to the designated appeal authority of the agency stating that you are appealing the initial decision made on your request. There is no fee or cost involved. After an independent review, the appellate authority will send you a response advising you of its decision. Once the administrative appeal process is complete, you also have the option to seek mediation services from the Office of Government Information Services at the National Archives and Records Administration.

 

[Steve McQueen]

Dogs have fallen into swimming pools and drowned or needed someone to pull them out because they couldn’t find the stairs. If a dog can struggle to get out of a quiet backyard pool, it can certainly drown in a moving river, especially if it’s panicked. My dog can swim but if she fell in even a moderately swift river I’d be terrified she’d get pulled under, trapped against a piling, get tangled in a snag, exhaust herself trying to clamor up a steep bank or from trying to keep afloat in rough water. I can believe this dog could have drowned and been swept downstream a fair distance.

All good points, however on Google maps it looks like there are two beach areas directly downstream of the Aberton Rocks beach which would have provided Cerebus an easy exit from the river.

 

[Gina20]

All very good points. By all the info left out it's impossible to establish a timeline what went on before the so called encounter at the town pump......CCTV footage not published....What was the last moment she was seen or heard of by people who know and love her or by neighbors of her new living place? Digital contact moments, traces (phone, internet, bank transactions)?

Maybe this is the way to go. Detectives rely on digital footprints to trace the last movements of people in suspicious disappearances.

Since every bit of equipment at the Mineral County Sheriff's office appears to be broken, on its last legs or decades out of date, is it possible for Rebekah's family to obtain her digital footprints from the bank, credit card company and cellphone service provider? Mineral County does not have detectives, and it looks like no one there is going to do it.

Maybe a door-to-door campaign of her neighborhood in Missoula is also in order, because Mineral County does not have detectives. Deputies are stretched to the limit by all their extra assignments and on-the-job training. Did Missoula LE do this when they were involved? I hope the flyers have the updated reward amount and the Crimestoppers phone number.

 

[Gina20]

Another thing: were any animal footprints found at the water's edge? Surely Cerberus would have left footprints, but it sounds like the scene was not contained properly. It's a real shame the deputies don't all have police college training in order to know how to do this.

 

[laurawlms]

Are you sure? I found this at FOIA.gov

FOIA.gov - Freedom of Information Act: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

You may file an administrative appeal if you are not satisfied with an agency’s initial response to your request. Before doing so, however, you may wish to contact the FOIA professional handling the request or the agency’s FOIA Public Liaison.The FOIA Public Liaison is there to explain the process to you, assist in reducing any delays, and help resolve any disputes. Often, a simple discussion between you and the agency will resolve any issues that may arise.

If necessary, filing an appeal is very simple. Typically, all you need to do is send a letter or e-mail to the designated appeal authority of the agency stating that you are appealing the initial decision made on your request. There is no fee or cost involved. After an independent review, the appellate authority will send you a response advising you of its decision. Once the administrative appeal process is complete, you also have the option to seek mediation services from the Office of Government Information Services at the National Archives and Records Administration.

I am following the process outlined on montanafoia.org. The only option provided to me was to appeal to court.

 

[laurawlms]

All good points, however on Google maps it looks like there are two beach areas directly downstream of the Aberton Rocks beach which would have provided Cerebus an easy exit from the river.

Not to mention there have been two tests performed of the river current that show the current would have pushed the dog and/or Rebekah back towards the river bank. I don't have access to these tests to share here but I know they have been done.