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Part 2
Transcript of meeting with Mineral County Montana Board of Commissioners, November 26, 2021, with her family and concerned citizens an LE. Video, time: Video time: 45:29 – 1:03:26
Missing Rebekah Barsotti, née Rose
<recalling from part 1. An additional request refused is to the Find Me Group. The Find Me Group is a non-profit organization. It is comprised of active and retired law enforcement. They have linguistic specialists, they have drowning investigators. They are vetted and reputable. They have an established relationship with law enforcement throughout the USA and the world>
Angela <Mastrovito, AM>: They use canine and cadaver dogs trained search and rescue teams. And all of this was denied. It was denied based on the fact they also use intuits, but oddly enough Sheriff Mike Toth has recordings on the internet from his own business ‘Elite Investigations’ in Billings, Montana where he refers to the use of intuits. In 20 years ‘Find Me <Group>’ has only been refused 16 times. Five of those refusals are from the United States. In 20 years. Sheriff Toth makes the sixth refusal.
I personally have reached out to numerous water rescue groups, search and rescue, cadaver teams, scuba diving teams. They all have said; “we have to have the Sheriff’s invitation”. I personally do not feel like I have a working relationship with Sheriff Toth that would allow for that to happen. So far everything has been refused under Sheriff Toth. The only land search that we have had is under the auspices of Captain Bill Burt, with Missoula and that was a one-time event. I want to know if it’s commonplace to refuse to reach out to non-profit agencies for assistance, and if so, why? There is no charge to the community through the taxpayer money or to the county for non-profit agencies. They come in and they provide their services free of charge. I also would like to know if it’s commonplace to refuse to request assistance from DCI <Department of Criminal Investigation>, State and Federal agencies when the Sheriff is well aware and admittedly states that they have limited resources and staffing to give the case due diligence.
Published reports that were either inaccurate or notices from providers.
July 23th <2021> Sheriff Toth changed my daughter’s category into ‘recovery’. I spoke in depth with detective Travis Wafstet and Kellen Larson in Missoula and asked that it would be maintained as a ‘Missing Person’.
On September 20th <2021> I received a notice from USAA, my daughter’s renters insurance policy holder, that it had been cancelled. I had paid the month of September in full. When I called to inquire they told me that it had been reported that she was deceased. The only person that can make changes to a policy with USAA is the sponsor. The sponsor is the husband. Attorney Spencer Bradford has requested a copy of all communications from USAA.
On September 30th <2021> Sheriff Toth published that there were extensive land searches. Again, I stand behind the fact that there have not been extensive land searches. There have been riverbank searches, but in my mind a riverbank search and a land search are two different things.
And then, last but not least, on October 31st, 2021, my husband and I received an anonymous call telling us that there was a threat on our life. We thought overnight about that, about how sincere it was. If it was some wacko, somebody just from the community, just somebody taking advantage of us, but we thought it was prudent that we at least file a report. So we went to Missoula City, because we were at a Missoula City address when we received that notice. Missoula City punted it to Missoula County. On the 4th of November <2021> I reached out to <police> Sergeant Ryan Prather. That’s when I was notified that it was punted to Missoula County and at 10:36 p.m. he sent me an email with a detailed report that he had given a handoff to Ellen <Donahue, Mineral County Attorney>. On Friday <Nov. 5> I called and left a message for Ellen Donahue. I’ve never received a response. My question is….Well, actually I also followed up with Missoula FBI. I spoke with Selena DeVentier. We also submitted a report to the National Threat Operations Center in Washington D.C. and I’ve also spoken to Chief Lee Jackson at DCI. My question is: does Mineral County disregard all reports of potential threats on a person or person’s life? Is it common practice to disregard, without follow-up? My second question is; shouldn’t a threat on the safety and well-being of someone’s life be considered a criminal investigation? If Rebekah’s missing is a river accident then why is it related to her case?
The actions I’m requesting is to have this case transferred out of this county, for the Missing Person, to State or Federal agencies. I believe there is a possibility of relationships established within the department and to Rebekah’s estranged husband David Barsotti, that could compromise the investigation.
I believe that the law enforcement department has not accessed what they had the opportunity -and due diligence- to access, to include laptop information. DCI or Rocky Mountain labs may be able to access her laptop.
We are requesting that Rebekah’s case also be amended to remove as ‘river accident’. An email was sent to Sheriff Toth on November 15th <2021> requesting this. No one knows if this is a river accident, homicide or abduction. The label of ‘river accident’ has limited resources in the investigation process. And as a summery it is our perception that there has been gross negligence of due diligence by the Mineral County Sheriff’s department since the onset of this event.
At what point will the <Mineral County Sheriff’s> department decide to handle this case in a judicious manner and with integrity? If this was your loved one I believe you would be asking the same, if not similar, questions. The residents of Mineral County deserve the right to feel safe within their community. The residents of Mineral County need assurance that the Sheriff department is capable of judiciously handling a domestic violence incident as well as a missing person case with whatever it takes. And our goal is to find Rebekah, whatever it takes. We are not going anywhere. We’ll be here as long as it takes and if we do have to leave there will be people here behind us that will help us. But we are not going anywhere.
I’ve asked John Baker <JB> to speak as well, so if he would come up. He is a private investigator that we have hired. He’s with ‘East Valley Investigative Services’.
John Baker, JB: I’m John Baker. I’m a private investigator. Angela <Mastrovito> has pretty much hit everything on the head. My main thing, as a private investigator, coming up is this: I don’t have access to the case file. I don’t know what the Sheriff’s has done or how it’s progressed. I understand the limitations of the organization, with so few deputies. That’s my main concern and this is the resources available and asking for further resources outside, State level, Federal level. The initial call out on the scene; how was it determined that it was a river accident, right off the bat? In my mind you’ve got a bunch of different scenarios that could have taken place. River? Definitely an option. Truck stop abduction? You’ve got a current db <?> There is just a lot of different possibilities, so my concern is how that it initially was handled. Why wasn’t the vehicle processed? Secondly: who else was at the scene? Other trucks? <being a> truck stop, people on the beach? It’s July 20th <2021>. You know between three and five <time of day> it’s a busy time. There are a lot of people down at that beach. The cell towers is a big concern of mine. Why there wasn’t a search warrant written. I think that would have been prudent. Even if nothing comes of it, you got the information of who was in the vicinity. And I don’t think it’s an extension or over-extension of somebody’s rights. It’s a two-hour window, picking up who’s in the vicinity of that cell tower. Something I probably would have done. Another thing: the laptop. That was taken for evidence. It should have been processed. And outside of knowing the specifics of the case, I mean, this concern how this is going to develop, due to the limitations of the <Mineral Sheriff’s> department. That’s all it is, it’s the recourses. I think outside the system should be accessed in this to continue. If there’s any questions?
Male X in audience: I’m just here basically on myself and first thing is, that recently, under Montana law, you can petition. All you have to do is file a petition with the court to get the criminal justice information. So, there is a means you can order <it> from the court and get that turned over. And that was enacted and went in October 1st <2021>. Second thing is: living here as long as I have, I recognize our officers do not get the exposure to these type of cases very often. But as taxpayers, the one thing we have is DCI available to us and all that takes is a phone call. A county attorney or the Sheriff’s can simply call and say. <we need your help> This is a means. We pay for it. On it, it seems to me that that is a way here that eliminates your <to Angela, community?> concerns that there’s some type of bias, which I don’t personally know that. I wouldn’t believe that to be the case. They <DCI> also have the resources to download and to examine the evidence. I worked with those individuals quite a bit and know their capabilities of the investigation.
The reason I came here is: I do a lot of defending police officers when they’re involved in shootings. A lot of those shooting cases involve ‘suicide by cop’. The one thing in this case that has brought it to my attention and <also> being a parent, likewise. I can’t think of anything more terrifying or wanting to get it resolved. Whether she’d be dead or missing or whatever, but some type of conclusion to it.
The one thing here that I’ve never seen, and I have had a lot of these cases where it was suicide, is where the animal <dog or another pet> dies as well. Usually a person that is going to commit suicide, in my experience, is the last thing they do is they always take care of their pet. That is such an important thing to them, that I’ve seen, where they literally put the dog into an area where the bullets, when they start flying, will not hurt the pet. And so to me, one is: just were we live and the situation with the normal cases, that Mineral county has to deal with, is that this would consume the whole department for a year. You need to have the resources that DCI offers and there are no cost for the <Sheriff’s> department or the county on it. I think a way to get resolution, or getting that, is: get DCI involved. Allow them to look at it.
I didn’t hear it from the presentation, but it seems to me that her estranged husband should be wanting to know where she’s at as well. I don’t know if anybody has asked to access the property to just look and see. Have a cadaver dog go around it. I mean there’s a cloud hanging just from this <conference> room. I can tell there’s a cloud hanging around his <David Barsotti’s> head. People are thinking he may have done something, so I would think that he would want to clear his name too. If this is truly a suicide type of situation or a river accident. I’ll all be for that and so to me the easy way is the commissioners just to direct and ask the Sheriff; call DCI. Get them in and get some new fresh look of eyes on it and see what that part of it has. They have the ability to communicate, you know, FBI has all sorts of resources on it.
There is woman out there missing and we have had these in the past. The (county) communities came together <in the past> to try to locate someone that ended up being killed. Just expect us to do that part of it. I understand that the Sheriff’s office here believes they finished it out, but there is still a child missing. I think that, to me, the most important is making sure that we have done everything that we can do as a community to help find Rebekah for her mom. It’s not asking anything to have DCI come in and take it over. In fact probably a benefit to the Sheriff’s office, so that they can focus on what they normally do here. That’s exactly why DCI is here. That’s their designing <?>; come in and help a rural area.
This <Rebekah’s case> was in Missoula. They have detectives and all that resources in it and they see these type of things monthly instead of every?, probably, 10 years. Probably 10 years we have something like this again. Like I said, I feel terrible for you <Angela> and your missing daughter. I also understand the Sheriff’s situation with their resource issue and what they are able to do, but all it takes is a call to DCI. I think that we owe it to Rebekah, to see that part through. That’s my two cents and I think it helps the Sheriff’s <office> by getting that case to DCI. And it helps you <Angela> in moving forward, seeing that something is done. I know Mike <Toth> will work with DCI and assist them in any way they can. Likewise, for you it’s moving. I assume right know you’re <Angela> treading water and not moving forward or backward.
I know Ellen’s <Donahue, office> had a lot of work with DCI <?> Knows those individuals well and I know there is nothing more important in her <Ellen D> heart then dealing with a domestic partner. Assault cases she <Ellen D> takes that very seriously and I know she takes her job, so, when it comes to that, this group <Mineral/Missoula LE?> that you seeming to have issues with, it’s not that they don’t want to help you with it. It is, I my mind you <directing to Mike Toth> don’t have the ability or resources on it and still do what’s needed for the county.
AM: And I understand that and that’s why I’ve been asking, all along, to process it beyond county level.
Male X? And I…I mean, I don’t know….I mean Mike <Toth> ? Is there a problem with just turning it over to DCI in your mind? <asking Mike Toth>
Mike Toth <Mineral county Sheriff, MT>: So I want her to be done and her speaking up and then if people want to hear me talk about everything I can. To a point. You also have to understand, the one thing I say is: It’s supposedly a Missing Person’s <case> If it’s not, if it’s labeled ‘recovery’ somewhere, again let me know where. My deputy filled out the paperwork, that wherever this gets sent. If he send, fill out the wrong thing…because even Missoula Missing Persons <department> It’s a missing person’s case. That’s how we’re looking at it.
AM: right
MT: It’s a missing person’s <case> until she’s found. Whether she’s recovered in the river or recovered somewhere else or found somewhere. It’s a missing person’s case.
AM: okay
MT: So, that, if we can fix it, we’ll get it fixed.
