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

[inmyhumbleopinion]

I just re-read the first few pages of this thread and Paul's sister is quoted as saying he has never disappeared before. I must've confused him with someone else. Apologies.

Paul had disappeared on his own accord about twenty years ago. That’s been kept fairly quiet. I had held out hope that given that he had “walked away” before that he would return or be found alive and well. The time before he was only gone for two weeks. Obviously, it’s been much longer now. I’m very discouraged, but it’s hard not to hold out hope that he’s maybe done the same again but for longer this time. It’s hard to imagine in this day and age he wouldn’t be seen and identified. Just talking out loud. I don’t know. I just know you are missed, Paul.

Paul is an old family friend. I only shared it because it’s what I’m clinging to in hopes that he is still alive and well. It’s fairly common knowledge back where he grew up. I’m especially hopeful given what @loreet shared about that region of the country being a practical place to go off grid for awhile.

I, too, remembered someone posting Paul had disappeared before, so went back and found the posts above. The poster says they are “an old family friend,” and that “Paul had disappeared on his own accord about twenty years ago.”

He is a teenager now, but like Paul, my son loves Batman (got him another Batman-themed birthday cake this year). I am heartbroken for his family and friends, who clearly miss him very much. I am so sorry.

 

[Timekeeper65]

Going off the grid. It can be done. But there needs to be one person to help. That person can hold a steady job and be willing to “foot the bills”. The person off grid can take handyman jobs for extra funds “under the table”.

I’ve never thought it was totally possible - until I met someone who is right now doing this off the grid thing. Don’t have a bank account or credit card. Don’t hold down a job where taxes are paid. No social media contact. It can be done.

 

[mickey2942]

Going off the grid. It can be done. But there needs to be one person to help. That person can hold a steady job and be willing to “foot the bills”. The person off grid can take handyman jobs for extra funds “under the table”.

I’ve never thought it was totally possible - until I met someone who is right now doing this off the grid thing. Don’t have a bank account or credit card. Don’t hold down a job where taxes are paid. No social media contact. It can be done.

I know a lot of folks who do it. It isn't as hard as it seems. They rent a room in a house, and have nothing in their name. It is easy to get jobs without ID, for cash, but not so easy in Montana, folks are too darn nosy here!

But, the fact that Paul left his car in Reed Point doesn't make sense for that scenario.

Literally, there is no way to get anywhere from Reed Point without a car. If Paul was going to go underground, leaving his car in Billings makes more sense.

Trucks don't even stop in Reed Point, there is literally nothing there. Paul would have had to have had help from another person if he was going voluntarily.

 

[Timekeeper65]

@mickey2942 do you suspect foul play? Is it possible for a stranger to dump the vehicle and not one person notice? The fact that there are no known leads makes this scenario plausible. Any thoughts?

 

[mickey2942]

@mickey2942 do you suspect foul play? Is it possible for a stranger to dump the vehicle and not one person notice? The fact that there are no known leads makes this scenario plausible. Any thoughts?

It is confusing. Because anyone who was doing something nefarious, would have left the car in Billings or Bozeman. For the same reason, wouldn't be noticed as quickly.

Was Paul a veteran? Would he have given another veteran a ride? Or someone who said he was a vet? A lot of men who work for USPS are vets.

 

[rob68]

I, too, remembered someone posting Paul had disappeared before, so went back and found the posts above. The poster says they are “an old family friend,” and that “Paul had disappeared on his own accord about twenty years ago.”

Thanks for finding that! Maybe I'm not as senile as I thought LOL. I wonder why Paul's sister said he had never disappeared before. Maybe to keep up the intensity of the search..

 

[rob68]

Was Paul a veteran? Would he have given another veteran a ride? Or someone who said he was a vet? A lot of men who work for USPS are vets.

Paul is indeed a U.S. Navy veteran.

 

[dave]

It is confusing. Because anyone who was doing something nefarious, would have left the car in Billings or Bozeman. For the same reason, wouldn't be noticed as quickly.

Unless they were staying at the RV park (and had taken a tow-along vehicle to Bozeman) or got a ride with someone from the RV park after leaving Paul's car, I don't see any way someone would easily leave a vehicle and get out of Reed Point.

 

[carbuff]

Unless they were staying at the RV park (and had taken a tow-along vehicle to Bozeman) or got a ride with someone from the RV park after leaving Paul's car, I don't see any way someone would easily leave a vehicle and get out of Reed Point.

Someone could have accompanied them to that point, and they both left in the other person's vehicle.

He could have gone back out to the highway and hitched a ride. You're not supposed to, but people do. Not sure I'd want to do that if I was dumping a car, but it would be easy enough. It's a busy route.

I suppose he might have hopped a train, too.

For that matter, Paul might have hopped a train or hitched a ride.

 

[mickey2942]

There really are not trains to hop on in that area. The ones that come by are intermittent, usually with coal, not freight.

I don't see how anyone would stop there to pickup a hitchhiker, on I-90. I have personally driven that area almost every few weeks for years, and have never seen a hitchhiker there. Trucks don't stop in Reed Point, that isn't any reason.

 

[carbuff]

There really are not trains to hop on in that area. The ones that come by are intermittent, usually with coal, not freight.

I don't see how anyone would stop there to pickup a hitchhiker, on I-90. I have personally driven that area almost every few weeks for years, and have never seen a hitchhiker there. Trucks don't stop in Reed Point, that isn't any reason.

Really? There used to be quite a few. My brother and I used to pick up the ones who looked like hippies.

Of course that was a few years ago, too...

 

[dave]

Really? There used to be quite a few. My brother and I used to pick up the ones who looked like hippies.

Of course that was a few years ago, too...

In my experience driving up and down I-90 between Billings and Bozeman/Belgrade for the last 25 years, I'd say it would be very unusual to see a hitchhiker at Reed Point.

Much more likely in Columbus, Big Timber, and the rest area west of Reed Point.

Because Reed Point is so small, has no services, and is located in an area where someone thumbing a ride would not be seen easily due to curvature of the freeway, I just don't see this as likely.

 

[carbuff]

In my experience driving up and down I-90 between Billings and Bozeman/Belgrade for the last 25 years, I'd say it would be very unusual to see a hitchhiker at Reed Point.

Much more likely in Columbus, Big Timber, and the rest area west of Reed Point.

Because Reed Point is so small, has no services, and is located in an area where someone thumbing a ride would not be seen easily due to curvature of the freeway, I just don't see this as likely.

Okay, I see what you mean--I wasn't being that precise. I was thinking of the whole stretch of road up to the rest area--which is a longer distance than I remembered. You're right, he wouldn't stand there at the exit and expect to find somebody to stop.

I walked the little Google man through the streets of Reed Point. Time has not been kind to it. Fortyish years ago it was a pretty nice and fairly prosperous farm/ranch town. But that RV park has always had its seedy element.

 

[One more thing]

I know a lot of folks who do it. It isn't as hard as it seems. They rent a room in a house, and have nothing in their name. It is easy to get jobs without ID, for cash, but not so easy in Montana, folks are too darn nosy here!

But, the fact that Paul left his car in Reed Point doesn't make sense for that scenario.

Literally, there is no way to get anywhere from Reed Point without a car. If Paul was going to go underground, leaving his car in Billings makes more sense.

Trucks don't even stop in Reed Point, there is literally nothing there. Paul would have had to have had help from another person if he was going voluntarily.

Isn't it possible to jump on the back of a train there?

 

[mickey2942]

Isn't it possible to jump on the back of a train there?

No, people would notice. Hopping trains just isn't that easy.

 

[dave]

Isn't it possible to jump on the back of a train there?

Very very unlikely. First off, the tracks are not that close to where the car was left, but also the train doesn't have a stop there, so jumping it at full speed would be quite a dangerous feat.

 

[MntnHiker]

Bumping for Paul

 

[fridaybaker]

I'd like more reliable, verified sources for the following things that have become "assumptions" throughout this thread, until then, I'd assume these to not be true:

1. Security footage exists
2. Gap in security footage
3. Keys found next to car
4. Car found in "spot" in PO parking lot

My speculation (and that's all it is) is that there is no footage, and definitely no nefarious Nixon-esque "gap" in the footage. Just looking at Street View, the only object on the gas station that looks like a camera is one pointed at the propane. Again, maybe there is a camera I don't see, maybe there are cameras on the post office, I have no information, just my own thoughts.

I doubt the car was *in* the post office lot. It's described as being "roadside" which would make me think it's in the gravel strip next to Division St, the main drag in Reed Point. Also, I haven't seen a LE reference to the keys being next to the car.

Things we do know:

1. Car found roadside
2. Travel bag inside, phone charger in car
3. Car described as "extremely clean"
4. Wallet and cell phone not in car

According to the Stillwater News on June 28, 2018, all leads have been exhausted "locally." Bozeman police say criminal activity is not suspected, though his car being found in Reed Point after he was last seen in Bozeman is "a suspicious element." No activity on bank accounts, social media, or his phone.

Just bringing this post forward. I've looked at this case off and on for a while now, and have always had it in my head that the keys were found on the ground next to the vehicle. What the heck? Was this info. only given by the 3-post poster? Nowhere else? I've tried to find it elsewhere, but have come up with nothing.

So, I think we have to scratch it off our list of case facts.

Now, though, can we add a No.5? -That his phone was "turned off" or went dead about the day before the vehicle arrived in Reed Point? (Per Charley Project).

 

[fridaybaker]

From the things we know, I think there are two possibilities: Foul play or voluntary disappearance. There are certainly other possibilities, such as he took a drive to see the area, got out of his car to have lunch, meditate, take a "walk" in the woods, etc., and met with an accident in the form of a bad fall, animal attack or what-have-you, but this seems like a pretty remote possibility.

So, what are the things that point to either of these? For voluntary disappearance, there are conflicting statements about him having done this before. Still, though, the fact that there is one statement lays this as a possibility in my mind. Other than that, what is there?

Now, foul play, I think is likely. PB seems like a fairly affable guy, and I can easily imagine him engaging in a conversation with a stranger, giving the stranger a ride, and becoming a victim. I'm not sure I'm able to describe the following well, but I'll take a stab at it. Coming from the outskirts of a Chicago or other places around big cities, especially outside "the west", I believe there's a certain feeling when one gets to places like Montana of being in an environment that is pretty safe, people-wise. There are just so few people! Things seem more "wholesome", maybe; more relaxed; people more "real". I can easily see someone such as Paul trusting a stranger more than they would in a place live Batavia. Just a thought there.

Why would a perp park the car in a place so visible? He wanted to get to the RV park. It's that simple. He's from there or staying there or making a connection there. Yes, it's visible, but no one saw who parked the car, apparently, so really not that visible. The perp needed a ride, so chatted up Paul, and somewhere around Bozeman or between it and Reed Point, pulled a gun on Paul or whatever and... did away with him. Took his wallet, destroyed his phone, parked the car and vanished into the RV park.

 

[fridaybaker]

Earlier this year I stopped in Reedpoint, MT where Paul’s car was found. From there I drove a relatively short distance, less than a mile, to the Yellowstone River. The gravel road is relatively wide and well maintained. As I recall the adjacent fields are fenced. If Paul intended to drown himself it makes no sense to park his car and walk to the
river. The ground immediately adjacent to Reedpoint is relatively flat unless he walked across 1-90 and disappeared in the hills. Very sad for everyone involved.

Jazzy, I think it might make sense if it's true that the keys were found on the ground beside his car like we've read here. (I believe this bit of info. isn't a "fact", though.) Paul was able to walk the distance you reference easily. He literally walked every day for his job. I'm thinking if he did intentionally end his life, for whatever reason, he didn't want his body to be found. Hence, the driving to a relatively obscure place to do it. (And the Yellowstone River would be a good place for a body never to be found, apparently!)

However, Paul parked the car where it would easily be found, and left the keys outside so that it could easily be driven. It was very clean. So, my conclusion, in the case of self-harm, is that he didn't want his body to be found (out of consideration for family/friends?) and that he also didn't want to cause problems in the form of his vehicle. Easily found, easy to access and drive, with the keys outside of it. On top of that, he chose the post office perhaps for a specific reason or reasons, some of which may be that he was familiar with it, so was just drawn to it, but also maybe for another reason: Maybe it was a tip-off to the family that no violent crime had occurred: They would know that only HE would choose that location to leave his car. Perhaps??