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Saturday, June 22, 2013

A Murder in Birdseye Area


If you look at my wall header and just over that first ridge is Threemile Road, with a short road offshoot, Turk Road. Since it's inception, Turk Rd. has been the center of contention by it's landowners. Road violations, trespassing, boundary disputes and people being the target of a high powered rifle were common happenings on Turk Rd. To my thinking, all residents were equally guilty of being "trigger happy hotheads."

Then the monstrous violation occurred when Mike Crites put a chain over an easement road so owners couldn't get to their property.  Lawsuits and threats became the norm as neighbors took sides.  Mike Crites, with his 4 wolf dogs, was living his Montana dream off the grid as neighbors gave mixed messages about his personal life. In June, 2011, Crites wolf dogs were discovered running loose and Crites was missing. Where would he go since his wallet and pick-up were in his yard.

Six months later, Crites dismembered body was found in plastic bags at McDonald Pass outside of Helena. From news reports, there seem to be a couple of suspects but without any evidence.  No one is talking. Perhaps the neighbors know and are honoring a code of silence as to who did this chilling murder. The crime has put a halt on all real estate sales within the Birdseye area. Who would buy a house in an area where a crazed killer resides? Some people just left their homes and "for sale" signs reign supreme. I guess I am lucky that a neighbor is buying my ranch. The deed will pass this coming Wednesday.

Most people don't dwell on the fact that a murderer is living among us. I didn't....... not until another article reminding us of the crime appeared in the newspaper.  There is very little crime in Helena, made apparent by all the unlocked houses and car doors. But when there is a crime, it's a bone-chilling whopper.


54 comments:

  1. Oh wow this is crazy! Do you think it has something to do with the easement road chain?

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    1. That chain across the road started "huge lawsuites" because of course, people couldn't get to their property. I can understand getting angry but what nut-job would kill and cut up another human? I can't even think about it.

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  2. It can happen anywhere
    At even the safest of lairs
    With nuts about
    Giving a sue and land scream and shout
    But just maybe the murderer is not around
    Since he/she/they/it was never found
    It could very well be they moved away
    But just in case, don't go pissing anyone off at your bay lol
    Bet you can't wait for wednesday
    Hope all finally is over and done with and you can roll in the hay lol

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    1. Birdseye area is doomed I fear
      Who knows if there's a killer near
      Who would one choose that you could trust
      Life would become a big time bust
      You're right it's better just to leave
      Than stay and find the need to grieve.

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  3. Definitely not a bad thing to be leaving. yee-ouch!

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    1. Rosey
      By contrast, my neighbors in town are wonderfully sweet, helpful people. The area of the murder, I hate to say, can be called the most beautiful spot in the world.

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  4. Wow, that sure IS a bone-chilling whopper. It's hard to believe some of the horrible things one human being can do to another, but I sure am glad you're out of that area now. Scary stuff.

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    1. Susan
      I thought about it in the beginning but then I put it out of my mind. Now a new article just appeared in the paper again and everyone is reminded of it all over again. New people to the area would never want to buy land there, no matter how gorgeous the views.

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  5. Leaving sounds like a very reasonable plan!!

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    1. Fishducky
      I think it was targeted by the land dispute but with someone crazy enough to dismember a body, one never knows for sure.

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  6. That's horrible. You take care and lock your doors!

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    1. Ros
      People rarely locked doors, especially out in the country like that. I am not as trusting as I used to be. Ha

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  7. I've read about stuff like that. Scary!!! However, sounds like the murderer had only one intended victim. What's your take?...

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    1. turquoisemoon
      That is what I would guess but for a person to be capable of actually cutting up a human is a real scary thought. I had noticed that people were not as friendly in that area as they were 20 plus years ago. They are prob afraid they might offend the "wrong" person. Ouch

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  8. Wow. Anyone who had a grudge (and was murderous crazy) got their Golden Opportunity when Crites put up that chain and made a whole bunch of people angry with him. That made the Suspect Pool huge. Now it could be anyone. That is an excellent reminder to just no do some Dumbass thing and piss off a ton of people when you don't need to do it. People are Nuts.

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  9. This is the worst thing that has happened since the "Unibomber, Ted Kazinski," if you remember him. He lived in that area too and it was in the early years when we were running the ranch. It makes it sound as if everyone is crazy in Montana, but it's just that it is so vastly remote that it's easy for an "already nut-job to try to hide out. This murder thing with Crites was another reason my kids didn't want me living there alone but it's not like a serial killer case. I guess you have to piss the killer off first. Ha

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    1. Ted Kazinski lived in Lincoln, not even close to Turk Rd..

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  10. What a sad story, Manzanita. I hope they find the murderer. Have a lovely weekend.

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    1. Julia
      Thanks but no one will come forward to offer any clues. It may always be that black blot that hangs over the community.

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  11. Sounds positively horrible.

    I despair of the human race at the best of times. Stay safe.

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    1. Wendy
      With all the psychotropic drugs that are so freely given, people are often driven to commit acts beyond the scope of normalcy.

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  12. Killing someone is heinous enough but the cutting the body up takes it to a whole nuther level. There is a really sick mind there running around like a normal person. Scary and I am glad you have sold your property.

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    1. Patti
      When I think about it, the whole crime is creepy and scary. I think people are just plain scared. When I tried moving back there this time, I noticed a change whereby people seemed aloof and kept more to themselves.I even commented on it several times.

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  13. Such a shame a more peaceful solution couldn't have been found. If only the land rights were sorted. Was it known who owned the easement? And why block peoples access if that was the only way to their property? It's a pity Cites didn't consider that and put himself in their boots for a moment.

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    1. River
      It was an easement on Crites land. They had gone to court, Crites lost but he still put up the chain. The law would have taken care of it, he could have been arrested but who knows, maybe that wasn't the reason he was killed. There was an easement that crossed a portion of my land too. But I didn't try to prevent people from using the road. Ha

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  14. Geez...that's crazy. A good thing you're getting out of the area.

    Helping cover up a murder that grisly isn't any better than having done the deed yourself. -If- anyone knew, that is...

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    1. Mark
      Right.... I've always thought the people in the area knew something and were keeping silent, perhaps out of fear?

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  15. Hi Manzanita .. you are lucky aren't you - what a dreadful event to have hanging over the community .. but so pleased the ranch sale goes through - here's to Wednesday .. cheers Hilary

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    1. Hilary
      The person who is buying the ranch is a neighbor whose land is next to mine. He is not threatened by the talk or the crime.

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  16. Great that you are selling without trouble. IIf the murder was the result of disputes among neighbors, you might assume those disputes would continue, perhaps scaring potential buyers away.

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    1. Inger
      Buyers are scared away from buying in the area. My real estate lady said people won't consider houses in that area so I'm lucky in that my neighbor is adding more land to his ranch.

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  17. Oh my gosh.... how scary. Bet you are happy to have sold your place.

    How have you been? I have been so busy here... I don't know which end is up.

    Love to you.....

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    1. Terry,
      The closing is this Wednesday. All the buildings are finally empty. What a job that was!!!!!
      I see you've been rather quiet, too and I thought you were busy and doing things for your in-laws.
      Much love back to you

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  18. I live in a rather idyllic rural community. We had a gruesome murder about 6 years back. On one of the back roads, someone walking had their throat cut. It was never solved and it is pretty chilling . I find it difficult even now. I will never feel as safe as I once did. Even if it was related to this one person specifically, ya gotta be pretty off to kill someone intentionally.

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    1. Zoe,
      How terrible when something like that murder disrupts your neighborhood and specifically, your home life. If the murderer isn't caught, as you said, you may never feel safe again. The other bad thing with an unsolved murder, is that news reporters periodically write articles about the murder, thus stirring it up all over again.

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  19. A serial murder-rapist lived IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD. Before he was finally caught, locked up and the key thrown away, life changed for us all, especially the children. Nobody walked to school any more. Children were driven to and from classes. There was no talking to strangers. That was about 15 years ago. Memories have dulled, dimmed and been forgotten. Life is once more peaceful and calm in our neighbourhood, but children are still driven back and forth to school. Hubby says life has always had bad people doing bad things. It is not worse now, he says, it's just we hear about it more thru media coverage. I am happy for you to be leaving a "bad neighbourhood", but the grass isn't always greener on the other side, unfortunately.

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    1. Rosemary
      Thank you for telling your story about the chilling experience of murders and the fear it did to your area. It takes a long time to put those fears aside. It's especially terrible when it takes away the freedom of the kids.
      That was not the sole reason I was selling. The ranch is in the mountains where the winters are harsh and my family didn't want me living there when I could be snowed in for much of the winter. Once I was resigned to selling, I realized that potential buyers were frightened away by that unsolved murder. A big reminder of the murder just came out again in another article in the newspaper. Then people start talking about it all over again.

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  20. Replies
    1. John
      Yes, especially after this newspaper article stirred the whole mess again.

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  21. If that deed is going to pass Wednesday, you better take some wicked strong laxatives. Or you going to get some nasty paper cuts.

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    1. Al
      Hahaha I had to stop a second and think about that one. And paper cuts were the "sun don't shine" are the worst kind.

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  22. Sounds like people are not dying to get a home on Turk Road. (OK, bad pun, sorry.)

    On Wednesday, you end your long love affair with your ranch. Actually, you end your ownership; the love affair may continue.

    Blessings and Bear hugs!
    Bears Noting
    Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

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    1. Rob
      No, it was a good pun. Made me laugh out loud. I'll miss the rock wall that my kids made and the big greenhouse but the garden soil in town is rich, black and full of earth worms. That is what I live for, anyway. The house is a dump, but who cares. hahaha

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  23. Murders and violent crimes can happen anywhere you live. We think it only happens in cities, but it doesn't. It's just that in the country it doesn't happen as often.

    Here's to a peaceful passing of the deed.

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    1. Bish
      You see a serene country setting and can't help think of it being all love and peace but you never know what bubbles beneath the surface.

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  24. Fascinating. I can't help but be intrigued by what makes people step over that boundary that will allow them to kill others over often petty things. Unfortunately that boundary is not so deep for truly crazy people.
    Glad to hear you will be safe from this garbage. Do you not live near there anymore or are you moving?

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    1. Jasmine
      I wonder if it is all the psychotropic drugs that are so freely given out by doctors. People who are half out of "it" seem to go the rest of the way on the drugs. What a neat push, huh?
      I moved into town last fall and the ranch was sold just recently. In fact, it closes tomorrow. It's the new article that last week appeared in the newspaper that has people stirred up again. That murder was not the reason I moved ( but it helped) but I realized the winters are too harsh to live up in the mountains alone. I am a survivor and could certainly do it, but why????????? I know I can if it were necessary but it's not, so I may as well enjoy the creature comforts. Here's to creature comforts. LOL

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  25. Somebody's shovel does not go all the way to the coal pile. There is more of that today than in any time in American history. Maybe, we have a societal flaw that must be mended for the future of our children and our nation.

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    1. JJ
      That coal pile is a new one to me. Hahaha As I said in Jasmines comment, I think it's the doctors pushing the psychotropic drugs on people who have mild depression. Seems to push them right over the edge. That appears to be much of our flaw.

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  26. Wouldn't the people who had lost access to their property be amongst the first suspects?

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  27. Dear Manzanita, as you say, "a bone-chilling whopper!" I'm so glad you sold when you did and that now you have the assurance that the sale will go through. Peace.

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  28. There is one thing inaccurate about this story, it was John Mehan who moved below Crites and originally tried to block the road. More than likely, it was probably Leon Ford who murdered Crites, though. There were inconsistencies in Ford's story as he met with Crites over easement disputes the day Crites went missing, and Ford's truck was later seen speeding down the road. Mehan knows about it, you can bet. Why no arrests still have been made still, I am not sure.

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    1. Thank you for saying this. You're definitely not the only person to believe that Leon Ford is the one who murdered Mike Crites - and that John Mehan knows fully well about it - but no "hard evidence" has come forward and it looks like this case will remain in the dark. Maybe one day, one of these men will get a guilty conscience - maybe on their own death bed - but it seems like a long way away. An arrest should've been made a long time ago.

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  29. Sorry to revive an old topic, but being a Helena native I think about this often. I think it was a trio of people. John Mehan was for sure involved, he knew things he shouldn't. As in the location of the body, or the fact it had been decapitated, before being told that. Not to mention the fact he told people "an army guy was coming and he would take care of crites." Leon Ford I believe is the actual puller if the trigger so to speak, he was an army guy, with no solid alibi, and witnesses that place his pickup at crites house the day of his disappearance, plus he never could keep his story straight about his reason to be there. Finally that leaves a dismembered decapitated body, now who could do that? Maybe someone who is used to dealing with the human body and isn't squeamish about blood. Like a doctor! Katy Wessel is Mehans wife, and was all to familiar with everything.

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