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

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doodles1211

doodles1211

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[h=1]Illinois Man Missing In Montana[/h]
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[FONT=&quot]A 45-year-old Batavia man has been missing in Montana since Sunday, and his disappearance is considered suspicious...
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]"Mr. Batson was out in the Montana area looking for employment," Sgt. Randy Smith of the Stillwater County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"He was in Bozeman, Montana, the last time anybody had contact with him, and I believe that was through text message with a family member,” Smith said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Bozeman is 80 miles away from Stillwater County, where Paul Batson's car was found on Sunday evening.
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Sgt. Smith says foul play may have been involved.[/FONT]
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https://wbbmnews.radio.com/articles/illinois-man-missing-montana
 
Search planned in Montana for Batavia man considered missing under suspicious circumstances

Sheriff’s police in Montana plan a search Friday for a 45-year-old man from west suburban Batavia who is considered missing under suspicious circumstances after his vehicle was found the in the south-central part of the state.
c3a0e775656e123ff754a2f5adea1325.jpg

Sgt. Randy Smith of the Stillwater County sheriff’s office says a Dodge Charger belonging to Paul Batson was found Sunday evening in the town of Reedpoint, which is about 60 miles west of Billings along Interstate 90.

[...]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...ia-man-missing-in-montana-20180504-story.html
 
Illinois man still missing after dogs, boats search Reed Point area

Searchers in the Reed Point area found no leads Friday on the location of an Illinois man who was last heard from Sunday, according to the Stillwater County Sheriff's Office.

Paul P. Batson, a 45-year-old U.S. Postal Service worker from Batavia, Illinois, is missing under suspicious circumstances, according to the sheriff's office.

[...]

Batson has never disappeared before, his sister said.

"His children are desperate to find him," she said. "My parents are quite distraught."

Friday's search continued into the afternoon and included the use of a jet boat and swift water search and rescue technicians to search the Yellowstone River. Stillwater County Search and Rescue helped with the river search. An area was also searched with dogs from Absaroka Search Dogs and Western Montana Dog Search.

"This is an ongoing investigation. We are following up on leads and continue to ask the public for information," Mullkin wrote in a press release. The Bozeman Police Department is also investigating.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Batson has worked as a postal carrier since 1994, said his supervisor, Erica Friedman. She described Batson as a "funny, sarcastic guy" who has a quick wit and often smiles.

[...]

http://billingsgazette.com/news/loc...cle_7cd64faa-db4c-5654-ba70-f687afc971b6.html
 
News reports state that Paul Batson's vehicle was found on Sunday, April 29, parked across the street from a gas station in Reed Point. The Post Office in Reed Point is located directly across the street from the gas station. Paul Batson was a United States Postal Service employee looking for a transfer to Montana.
 
Paul Batson went to Montana to pursue a job opportunity. He hasn't been heard from since Sunday. Montana authorities described Batson's disappearance as suspicious but declined to explain why, citing the ongoing investigation.

Batson's gray 2016 Dodge Charger was found abandoned Sunday in Reed Point, a rural community along I-90 near the Yellowstone River and north of the Beartooth Mountains. It's about 60 miles west of Billings.

The car was parked on the side of a road across from a gas station, and a station employee called police.

Batson is a postal carrier with the St. Charles post office. He was visiting Bozeman because he was seeking a transfer to a post office there.

Last week, he was in Colorado to visit his three grown children.

Batson last sent a text to his girlfriend in Illinois on Sunday from Montana. There haven't been any texts or phone calls since.

Batson's girlfriend reported him missing after speaking with Batson's family and calling hospitals and hotels in the Bozeman area.

Batson has never disappeared before.

http://www.dailyherald.com/news/201...ing-under-suspicious-circumstances-in-montana
 
I am in this town right now. They have been up and down the river and ate currently there with boats and dogs. This man's oldest Son has been here wandering around just hoping for any information. I can honestly say I do not believe Paul Batson ever made it to Reed Point. Yes his car was abandoned here but I do not believe he was still in it at the time. The only surveillance they have is from the small gas station and the footage was terrible. Interestingly enough, you do see the car pull into the space at the post office but then the feed just stopped recording for 5 minutes and when it starts again no one is in the vehicle. No items of value were stolen from the vehicle either. His cell phone had been dead for 4 hours before the car arrived here, yet there was a working charger in the car. It's a very suspicious case and the fact that you can't take a dump here without neighbors knowing makes it even more odd because this was at 7:09 pm and no one remembers seeing anything...
 
ArcadeKris said:
I am in this town right now. They have been up and down the river and ate currently there with boats and dogs. This man's oldest Son has been here wandering around just hoping for any information. I can honestly say I do not believe Paul Batson ever made it to Reed Point. Yes his car was abandoned here but I do not believe he was still in it at the time. The only surveillance they have is from the small gas station and the footage was terrible. Interestingly enough, you do see the car pull into the space at the post office but then the feed just stopped recording for 5 minutes and when it starts again no one is in the vehicle. No items of value were stolen from the vehicle either. His cell phone had been dead for 4 hours before the car arrived here, yet there was a working charger in the car. It's a very suspicious case and the fact that you can't take a dump here without neighbors knowing makes it even more odd because this was at 7:09 pm and no one remembers seeing anything...
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Thanks for the update. Isn't it strange that his car was parked at the post office and that it was assumely closed too.
Are you saying that was his designation?
No other businesses were open besides gas station?
Why did gas station report the car to LE?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
The post office may have been his destination, he was a postal worker who had just interviewed in a nearby town as well as a few other places looking to transfer to the state.
This town is really small, the only other businesses currently running are an RV park and a bar, the gas station was actually already closed when the vehicle arrived.
The gas station owner notified police that some keys had been found on the ground outside the car the following morning before anything was opened at which time the sheriff left a note on the driver side window with a number for the owner to contact him. The gas station owner went and reviewed his footage during that time because no one recognized the car. The following day, Paul Batsons girlfriend reported him missing and that the last time they had spoke was Sunday around three p.m. in a town 70 miles from here so when an APB was put put on the car they got a bit on the plate and towed it to the local sheriff station.
 
Is there like hiking trails or a park or anything around? Maybe the interviews didn’t go well and he went somewhere to clear his head. I assume he wants to move to be near his kids. Was his gf moving with him?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
ArcadeKris said:
I am in this town right now. They have been up and down the river and ate currently there with boats and dogs. This man's oldest Son has been here wandering around just hoping for any information. I can honestly say I do not believe Paul Batson ever made it to Reed Point. Yes his car was abandoned here but I do not believe he was still in it at the time. The only surveillance they have is from the small gas station and the footage was terrible. Interestingly enough, you do see the car pull into the space at the post office but then the feed just stopped recording for 5 minutes and when it starts again no one is in the vehicle. No items of value were stolen from the vehicle either. His cell phone had been dead for 4 hours before the car arrived here, yet there was a working charger in the car.It's a very suspicious case and the fact that you can't take a dump here without neighbors knowing makes it even more odd because this was at 7:09 pm and no one remembers seeing anything...
Click to expand...

Confusing set of clues... did something bad go down in the town he was previously in, when he called his girlfriend? Wish there was some info out on how he seemed with her/what he told her his plans were... because with nothing stolen from the car, seems like the only thing that makes sense was a physical confrontation that happened in/around his car, in the other town -- then the car dumped in your town...

OR he drove there -- but why on Sunday, when post office not even open? So option #2 is it was him, but what then? Was he just checking it out? Seems less likely he was ambushed there, as nobody took his car or anything inside it. So did he then just take off? Where is there to really go? Was he despondent? Leaving his car keys behind does not bode well.

The cell battery running down could go either way with the 2 scenarios, for me... either it wasn't charged up after meeting foul play, or he purposefully didn't charge it after making his calls to girlfriend and sister (that also does not bode well).

What was his mood/state of mind in his last conversations? That would be my first question, followed by what were his plans? Was he going out, in that other town, like to a bar or something?

What he told his girlfriend and sister is so important. I take it there are no statements on that, in any of your surrounding area local media?
 
It’s so crazy that his car was parked at a usps. Other than that, it seems like something happened along the way and his car was dumped, but the likelihood of said bad guy choosing the post? My phone is constantly going dead bc i use it a lot and I’m absent minded and forget to charge it, get like 25% and then dead it is again in an hour. I wonder if he typically kept on top of that. I can’t even speak to the video interference just long enough to miss the driver. WTH, it’s like an unbelievable movie. He has such a kind face. I hope he’s okay.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
A couple things have me thinking:
If someone did purposefully put his car near the post office it would have had to be someone that knew some info about him and his intentions.
Is this town one that has basically everything on one city block (general store, bar, post office etc... with a gas station on the corner)? Because the car being placed there could have just been a convenient place to drop it off. Especially, if the town closes early.
And, doesn't the USPS have a work "transfer" policy? Most gov't and large corps have a way to apply for a transfer. Was Reed Point a place that had an opening and he went there to check it out or really apply for a job?
 
ArcadeKris said:
I am in this town right now. They have been up and down the river and ate currently there with boats and dogs. This man's oldest Son has been here wandering around just hoping for any information. I can honestly say I do not believe Paul Batson ever made it to Reed Point. Yes his car was abandoned here but I do not believe he was still in it at the time. The only surveillance they have is from the small gas station and the footage was terrible. Interestingly enough, you do see the car pull into the space at the post office but then the feed just stopped recording for 5 minutes and when it starts again no one is in the vehicle. No items of value were stolen from the vehicle either. His cell phone had been dead for 4 hours before the car arrived here, yet there was a working charger in the car. It's a very suspicious case and the fact that you can't take a dump here without neighbors knowing makes it even more odd because this was at 7:09 pm and no one remembers seeing anything...
Click to expand...

The feed just stopped recording for minutes just after the car drives in? Until after the individual driving the car had left the area? That's the strangest thing I've ever heard?
 
When was the last time anyone spoke with Paul over the phone? The last time anyone actually heard his voice?
 
doodles1211 said:
A couple things have me thinking:
If someone did purposefully put his car near the post office it would have had to be someone that knew some info about him and his intentions.Is this town one that has basically everything on one city block (general store, bar, post office etc... with a gas station on the corner)? Because the car being placed there could have just been a convenient place to drop it off. Especially, if the town closes early.
And, doesn't the USPS have a work "transfer" policy? Most gov't and large corps have a way to apply for a transfer. Was Reed Point a place that had an opening and he went there to check it out or really apply for a job?
Click to expand...

I agree...I was thinking along the lines of him being out at a bar or whatnot (in the other city/town) - gabbing with local people about why he was in the area - but then I'm wondering what on earth this crime is about? What purpose? Harming another human being doesn't always have to have a purpose, of course... but just trying to think about what makes the most sense here. :thinking:
 
https://www.stillwatercountynews.com/sarconducts500acresearch
More than 500 acres searched, still no sign of missing man

SAR had covered more than 500 acres by 4 p.m. Monday, May 7.
​

The search for an Illinois man who went missing under what police are calling suspicious circumstances resumed Monday, but failed to turn up any clues on where Paul Batson might be or what has happened to him.
Search and Rescue (SAR) crews resumed their efforts Monday morning, scouring an additional 200 to 250 acres in the Reed Point area.
[...]
Efforts to locate Batson through his cell phone have been unsuccessful, leading investigators to believe the phone is either turned off or out of battery.
[...]
Stillwater County Undersheriff Chip Kem said late Monday afternoon that SAR is arranging for additional search dogs from other jurisdictions in order to expand the search area even further. That is expected to take place later in the week or this coming weekend.
[...]
 
SeesSeas said:
https://www.stillwatercountynews.com/sarconducts500acresearch
More than 500 acres searched, still no sign of missing man

SAR had covered more than 500 acres by 4 p.m. Monday, May 7.
​

The search for an Illinois man who went missing under what police are calling suspicious circumstances resumed Monday, but failed to turn up any clues on where Paul Batson might be or what has happened to him.
Search and Rescue (SAR) crews resumed their efforts Monday morning, scouring an additional 200 to 250 acres in the Reed Point area.
[...]
Efforts to locate Batson through his cell phone have been unsuccessful, leading investigators to believe the phone is either turned off or out of battery.
[...]
Stillwater County Undersheriff Chip Kem said late Monday afternoon that SAR is arranging for additional search dogs from other jurisdictions in order to expand the search area even further. That is expected to take place later in the week or this coming weekend.
[...]
Click to expand...

Oh no...

So the cell is only item missing?
 
ThinkThinkThink said:
I agree...I was thinking along the lines of him being out at a bar or whatnot (in the other city/town) - gabbing with local people about why he was in the area - but then I'm wondering what on earth this crime is about? What purpose? Harming another human being doesn't always have to have a purpose, of course... but just trying to think about what makes the most sense here. :thinking:
Click to expand...

I typed up a lengthy post last night regarding Paul’s disappearance but then deleted it. I was concerned that I might offend any Websleuthers from the Montana area. Please know that is the last thing I want to do.

In the past eight years I frequently visited a family member who had relocated to the Montana area. The trip would generally take 4 hours and allowed me to experience the gorgeous scenery of the area. Montana is an absolutely beautiful state and 99% of the people I met there were the friendliest ever.

I won’t go into details but I did experience a couple of incidents where I knew my presence in a small, unfamiliar town was most definitely unwelcome. It was obvious I was from out of town due to my Washington state license plate.

Making the long drive there was concerning because there is usually very little traffic on the highways and cell service is spotty at best. I did a lot of praying during those trips.....if you breakdown in the middle of nowhere you basically are stuck and at the mercy of whoever might drive by. Being a Websleuths member made me realize that there is such a vast expanse of rarely travelled logging roads and so many places for a body to be hidden and never found. The desolate area reminded me so much of the disappearance of the Jamison family in Oklahoma.

I guess I am just rambling here, but I have a very foreboding feeling about Paul’s disappearance. As you stated, he could have mentioned where he was heading while ordering a sandwich or a beer at a restaurant, bar or whatever. All it would take is one unwelcoming local to overhear the conversation.....

I pray I am wrong but my gut instinct is very unsettling.
 
Blondie in Spokane said:
I typed up a lengthy post last night regarding Paul’s disappearance but then deleted it. I was concerned that I might offend any Websleuthers from the Montana area. Please know that is the last thing I want to do.

In the past eight years I frequently visited a family member who had relocated to the Montana area. The trip would generally take 4 hours and allowed me to experience the gorgeous scenery of the area. Montana is an absolutely beautiful state and 99% of the people I met there were the friendliest ever.

I won’t go into details but I did experience a couple of incidents where I knew my presence in a small, unfamiliar town was most definitely unwelcome. It was obvious I was from out of town due to my Washington state license plate.

Making the long drive there was concerning because there is usually very little traffic on the highways and cell service is spotty at best. I did a lot of praying during those trips.....if you breakdown in the middle of nowhere you basically are stuck and at the mercy of whoever might drive by. Being a Websleuths member made me realize that there is such a vast expanse of rarely travelled logging roads and so many places for a body to be hidden and never found. The desolate area reminded me so much of the disappearance of the Jamison family in Oklahoma.

I guess I am just rambling here, but I have a very foreboding feeling about Paul’s disappearance. As you stated, he could have mentioned where he was heading while ordering a sandwich or a beer at a restaurant, bar or whatever. All it would take is one unwelcoming local to overhear the conversation.....

I pray I am wrong but my gut instinct is very unsettling.
Click to expand...

I had hoped that maybe Paul was just taking a little to do whatever it is he needed to do, but I understand completely what you are saying. I've not been to this area of Montana before but I definitely have been "that kind" of a place.

And yes! The Jamisons, all we need is a poor little dog left in the car and we have a complete repeat.
 
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