MT HOLMEN, Curtis - Doe Net 3730DMMT

Curtis Holmen
Age in 1992, 38-39

Doe Network 3730DMMT

Missing since July 22, 1984 from Missoula, Montana
Classification: Missing

Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: January 21, 1953
Age at Time of Disappearance: 31 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 6'5"; 210 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Blond hair; blue eyes.

Circumstances of Disappearance
Holmen was last seen in Missoula, MT on July 22, 1984.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Missoula Police Department
406-552-6300

http://doenetwork.org/cases/3730dmmt.html

wenwe4 said:

Montana:

Curtis A. Holmen
6'5"
blonde hair (looks redish in the picture and similar to LEO's hair pic)
31 y/o
7/22/84

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3730dmmt.html

This concludes 1982 - 1993 Montana
(snipped by cb)

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I was distantly acquainted with Curtis Holmen (friend of mine was friends with his wife). He had that red-blond hair like you see on Norwegian lumberjacks* and his beard was redder than his head hair. It went quite dark when it was wet. He might have been even taller than 6'5". Big, big man. He was an outdoorsman and survivalist. Most people think he was killed by a grizzly while out in the woods. His Charley page has that story and some more information: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/holmen_curtis.html

It was probably 1982 (correction, more likely 1978) that I saw him last, and as I said only met him a couple of times, but based on what I remember, I wouldn't rule him out.

* clarification: I don't know whether he was Norwegian. That's just what it reminded me of.

Curt Holman (spelling is different on Namus ie: Holman vs. Holmen) travelled from North Dakota, Idaho, and Montana. He also worked for the forestry service and spent a year camping from Canada to the SW US. His dimensions sure could fit a 36" leg and he appears to be quite thin, in addition his age fits within our guidelines. He is also entered into Namus #23615

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/23615/0/

Dental is not available but DNA has an initial inquiry currently underway

This MP's story has some interesting features that to my mind make him a good fit for our shortlist.

Before I get into that, though, there's the curiosity about his disappearance being at roughly the same time as the murder of Father John Kerrigan not too far away. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/holmen_curtis.html Father John Kerrigan had just been spending time at that retreat in New Mexico for priest rehabilitation. In the last few years, we have come to know about that rehab center for its role in sheltering priest/pedophiles. In fact, Father John Kerrigan is on a formal list of priest/pedophiles in Montana, per http://missoulian.com/news/local/he...cle_ab7c41c2-9639-5520-aa22-d914a5c71f98.html

Specifics from that list:


We have come to know the truth about many Catholic priests some time after Holman was reported missing and disappeared into obscurity.

Mmmm....was Holman unlucky enough to be caught up in the priest/pedophilia scandal? And does that have any implications for our UID case?

Might he have been a victim of Father John Kerrigan? Might his kids if he had any? Might he have had PTSD and left for the quiet of the wilderness? Might a childhood assault by a priest have impacted his marriage? Might it have persuaded him to dedicate himself to teaching 5th and 6th graders? Might he have needed revenge? Since he had taken an extended hike all over the west including the southwest, was he involved in the New Mexico murder of another priest, two years before his disappearance http://missoulian.com/news/local/li...le_260a2a21-8c7f-5b29-ad6a-2cbc8583426d.html?

I agree with wenwe and carbuff about how well the physical description of this MP fits our case. The hair is extraordinary! It seems to be the right shade and texture, and there is a lot of it, a requirement since the detectives have a luxurious sample from the UID.

Holman/Holmen was evidently very experienced at living in the backcountry. For whatever reason, he could have just disappeared as though into thin air, and have survived nicely for years. It's interesting that LE found grizzly tracks on top of size 15 shoe prints, but that doesn't mean he was being stalked. The two may not have been contemporaneous, and bears often follow trails in preference to bushwacking.

Since most people in this country live in communities or settled locations, it's hard to wrap one's head around the notion that there's a whole 'nother set of people out there who do not live like that. There's a whole meta world out in the wilderness, some of it almost right in town. I'm referring not only to folks in homeless camps, but people who basically just live in the "woods". [There's also the meta world of "travelers"—young adults—but I'm thinking that's very unlikely to be applicable to our Sand Canyon situation.] You can meet these folks (often men) if you happen to be in a rural homeless shelter when a major winter storm is coming in (as in, 20 below). They are either taking shelter for the night or just getting re-provisioned. Sometimes they have high quality gear. If you are ever on an ultra-distance hike, you will meet people like this as well. There are even many regular adults who do this; they camp and move around in vehicles.

There are old mining camps and other places for people to set up living quarters. These are likely to be abundant in Nevada. This might explain why the UID was in IR 2.

I'm bringing this up because I don't think we should assume that our UID was someone on the grid. A person like Holman could have lasted a long time off the grid. He already had somewhat of a lifestyle like that; he could have taken it one step further and gone on for years. It gives me some pause that he left his savings of $25,000 behind, but there may have been a reason, such as leaving it for his kids or his brother.

Someone like Carl Eder could also have disappeared into the woods for years, though I'm thinking he's too much of a city slicker and needs targets to satisfy his predatory nature. But he could also have struck and melted back into the wilderness again.


The upshot is that I believe we should keep Holman/Holmen on our short list. Note, too, that his "missing" information on Charley Project has been updated twice since 2004, including physical details in 2014, so this case, unlike others, has not lapsed entirely off the radar.

As I said, I didn't really know Curt, just met him a couple of times at social events. He was a memorable man.

Yes, he had both the personality and the skills to have walked into that forest and lived there for years. When I heard he had gone missing, I thought he had probably gone into the forest to commit suicide, or to let the elements take him, but it could have something to do with the priest scandal, or about something else altogether.

Pretty sure the Holmen spelling is the one he used, but not positive after all these years.

I wonder exactly when he took that year-long trek.

carbuff said:

I wonder exactly when he took that year-long trek.

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I was wondering that too....

We seem to have an awful lot of vehicles buried in bushes in this UID/MP case....

It is curious that there are alternate spellings for Holmen's name, since he had a brother who provided details to the missing person's report.

In his year trek, Holmen could have done the CDT (Continental Divide Trail, which would have been in rudimentary form back then). New Mexico to Canada via Montana.

I have a soft spot for this MP: I bet he was interesting, as well as gentle enough to work with pre-teens.

Info on the family in case DNA is needed:
Kathren Martz (Mother's sister)

Obituary Condolences
May 2, 1938 - Sept. 29, 2004
Kathren Martz, of Vacaville, died Sept. 29, 2004. She is survived by her beloved husband and best friend, Fred Martz, to whom she was married for more than 40 happy years. She was born May 2, 1938, on a homestead near Max, N.D., to Tena Kapusta (nee Remarenko) and Philip Kapusta, immigrants from Ukraine during the Lenin famines. Kathren is survived by her brother, George Kapusta, and his wife, Karen, of Carbondale, Ill.; and nephews and nieces. Preceding her in death are one sister, Nettie Holmen of Powers Lake, N.D.; her brothers, Peter Kapusta of Arlington, Va., and Alvin Kapusta of Silver Spring, Md.; and a nephew, Curtis Holmen of Missoula, Mont. Also preceding her in death are a number of nieces and nephews, including Timothy Holmen of Dayton, Ohio; Thena Holmen of San Francisco; Dwight Holmen of Velva, N.D.; Daniel Kapusta of New Orleans; Deborah Kapusta of Carbondale, Ill.; Lynnette Wright of Tucson, Ariz.; and Brenda Cstalos of Houston, Texas; as well as several grandnieces and a grandnephew.
She, along with thousands of other women, have died both early and late deaths despite a full course of current therapy for metastatic breast cancer. Kathren suffered from advanced breast cancer with metastasis to the liver. She survived 30 months from the first date of diagnosis.
Growing up in rural North Dakota, choices for careers were limited, but Kathren made a fortunate choice to become a registered nurse, graduating from the Trinity Hospital School of Nursing in Minot, N.D., in 1954. From there, she practiced in a variety of fields, including cardiovascular nursing at the Universities of Minnesota and California, where she became nationally known for her innovative practice and teaching techniques. She continued her academic studies, obtaining a bachelor's degree from the University of San Francisco and a master's degree from the University of California, San Francisco. Kathren then shifted to nursing administration, including a lengthy, productive and happy career at Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers. She retired in 1999 to spend more time with her beloved husband, Fred, but that endeavor was cut short by her illness. During her last months, Fred tenderly cared for her and they continued to share the joy of a long married life.
All in all, a good life.
There will be no ceremony.
Arrangements were handled by the Neptune Society.
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/th...athren-martz&pid=2672432#sthash.xSQgmk0L.dpuf

BigCityAccountant said:

Info on the family in case DNA is needed:
Kathren Martz (Mother's sister)

Obituary Condolences
May 2, 1938 - Sept. 29, 2004
Kathren Martz, of Vacaville, died Sept. 29, 2004. She is survived by her beloved husband and best friend, Fred Martz, to whom she was married for more than 40 happy years. She was born May 2, 1938, on a homestead near Max, N.D., to Tena Kapusta (nee Remarenko) and Philip Kapusta, immigrants from Ukraine during the Lenin famines. Kathren is survived by her brother, George Kapusta, and his wife, Karen, of Carbondale, Ill.; and nephews and nieces. Preceding her in death are one sister, Nettie Holmen of Powers Lake, N.D.; her brothers, Peter Kapusta of Arlington, Va., and Alvin Kapusta of Silver Spring, Md.; and a nephew, Curtis Holmen of Missoula, Mont. Also preceding her in death are a number of nieces and nephews, including Timothy Holmen of Dayton, Ohio; Thena Holmen of San Francisco; Dwight Holmen of Velva, N.D.; Daniel Kapusta of New Orleans; Deborah Kapusta of Carbondale, Ill.; Lynnette Wright of Tucson, Ariz.; and Brenda Cstalos of Houston, Texas; as well as several grandnieces and a grandnephew.

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This poor family has had a lot of deaths. Even the lone named survivor on this list, George Kapusta, is dead (http://thesouthern.com/news/local/obituaries/obits/article_116cb435-33c1-5e8b-ae6c-4f33e1d196bf.html). The latter 2008 obituary suggests some of George's children may still be alive; these would be Curtis Holmen's cousins.

The obituary seems to confirm the Holmen spelling.

RickshawFan said:

This poor family has had a lot of deaths. Even the lone named survivor on this list, George Kapusta, is dead (http://thesouthern.com/news/local/obituaries/obits/article_116cb435-33c1-5e8b-ae6c-4f33e1d196bf.html). The latter 2008 obituary suggests some of George's children may still be alive; these would be Curtis Holmen's cousins.

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I noticed that too, seemed to me when I read the obit--a good share were rather young by today's standards.

BigCityAccountant said:

I noticed that too, seemed to me when I read the obit--a good share were rather young by today's standards.

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I agree. She was only in her 60's and all those family members were dead already?

Father Kerrigan's body was never recovered and the blood found on the clothing and in the car was never tested! I have searched missing persons from that time period all night. Has anyone in this case considered that the good father (given his history) was NOT murdered but a murderer???? I am deeply concerned!

It's possible I suppose, but there really isn't any evidence to indicate Holmen had any connection to him whatsoever.

We are going to solve this one, one way or another. Hit's a little too close to home for me. I was living in Missoula in 1984 when Curtis went missing. I believe I actually met him once or twice through a good friend of mine who just passed away last year. My friends older brother and two sisters are still alive though and live in the Mission Valley on the Flathead Indian Reservation, as did I at one time in the later 80's too. One got very used to walking up where I lived on the side on the Mission Mountains sans electricity, totally off the grid, with only a freshwater spring to drink and get water from and running smack dab into a Grizzly Bear or two. The key is not to panic or run! As I stated, we will solve this one. Hopefully I am back from the health emergency I hit a few years ago, hence my disappearance from WS!! Carbuff? You and I probably know several of the same people and possibly each other. I wouldn't doubt it one bit. Let's find Curtis and everyone else missing from Montana but also solving other cases everywhere!

MontanaMan said:

We are going to solve this one, one way or another. Hit's a little too close to home for me. I was living in Missoula in 1984 when Curtis went missing. I believe I actually met him once or twice through a good friend of mine who just passed away last year. My friends older brother and two sisters are still alive though and live in the Mission Valley on the Flathead Indian Reservation, as did I at one time in the later 80's too. One got very used to walking up where I lived on the side on the Mission Mountains sans electricity, totally off the grid, with only a freshwater spring to drink and get water from and running smack dab into a Grizzly Bear or two. The key is not to panic or run! As I stated, we will solve this one. Hopefully I am back from the health emergency I hit a few years ago, hence my disappearance from WS!! Carbuff? You and I probably know several of the same people and possibly each other. I wouldn't doubt it one bit. Let's find Curtis and everyone else missing from Montana but also solving other cases everywhere!

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MontanaMan! You're back! I was worried about you--afraid you had gone to new adventures. I'm glad you're here.

Yes, we might well know the same people or each other.

Do you think he might have disappeared into the wilderness and lived off the grid for several years?

Updated link: Missing Person Case

carbuff said:

Updated link: Missing Person Case

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Holmen has been ruled out as being UP6637 and UP6513 in Virginia. I presume this was part of Virginia's recent clear-the-UIDs push rather than anybody thinking it was a likely match.

Are we sure Curtis didn’t change his name to Dale Williams and then disappear again in 1999?

Curtis. Curtis Austin Holmen – The Charley Project

Dale Williams. The Mysterious Disappearance of Dale Williams - Unsolved Mysteries

Hockeyfan158 said:

Are we sure Curtis didn’t change his name to Dale Williams and then disappear again in 1999?

Curtis. Curtis Austin Holmen – The Charley Project

Dale Williams. The Mysterious Disappearance of Dale Williams - Unsolved Mysteries

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Dale Williams is 5'7" - Curtis Holmen is 6'5".

Colorado Cold Case Files - Case Detail: Dale Williams