Found Deceased MT - Andy Beartusk Martinez, 12, Billings, may be on the Crow Reservation, 7 Mar 2024

[GuyfromCanada]

MISSING PERSON
24-15032 3/7/2024

BPD is actively searching for Andy Paul Beartusk Martinez. Andy is a 12 year old native american male, 5'03", 82 lbs, brown hair brown eyes.

Andy may be in the Billings area, or on the Crow Reservation. Any information please contact BPD dispatch 657-8200.

Sgt Schnelbach

https://www.facebook.com/BillingsPD/posts/pfbid0U8pT2YnJX1MuwKBZhNYLhMWjVaLsTKUV2iYNKvYmRZFhgKHhi2Kh6VA8vRnb4p3Yl

Billings police seeking missing 12-year-old boy

Andy Paul Beartusk Martinez is 5 feet 3 inches, 82 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Call Billings police at 406-657-8200 with any information.

www.ktvq.com

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Hopefully he is safe with relatives? Rooting for his safe return.

 

[HmmMysterious]

5'3', but only weighing 82 pounds? I plugged that into a BMI calculator and sure enough it indicates that Andy's underweight. I hope he comes home soon.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Terrible news

Missing 12-Year-Old Boy Found Dead in Montana; 13-Year-Old Arrested, 19-Year-Old Detained as ‘Person of Interest’

Police in Montana are investigating the death of a missing 12-year-old boy found dead in an outbuilding near Central Park in Billings. Billings Police Lt. Matt Kennick said the boy’s body was recovered after investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence, KPAX reported. The boy...

www.crimeonline.com

Police in Montana are investigating the death of a missing 12-year-old boy found dead in an outbuilding near Central Park in Billings.

*****
The boy, identified by family as Andy Paul Beartusk Martinez, was reported missing on March 7 and was last seen in Central Park, a few blocks from where his body was eventually found.

*****
Lennick said that officers have detained a 19-year-old as a “person of interest” in the case and arrested a 13-year-old for tampering with evidence. The 19-year-old has not been charged, he said.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Police are investigating a boy's death in Billings

Billings police recently posted on Facebook a request to help search for 12-year-old Andy Paul Beartusk Martinez

www.krtv.com

*****
Family of Martinez say he was visiting Billings from California when he disappeared and believe he had gotten involved in gang activity. Billings police also say the group of teens the 12-year-old was known to associate with were well known to officers.

*****

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Family says they choose to remember the other side of Andy Beartusk Martinez. His cousin, Ava Rodriguez, says she’ll forever remember her cousin as a happy 12-year-old boy.

“He really had a lot of joy. He was always smiling. He kept his feelings inside mostly, but showed joy outwardly,” she said.

Update: 'Person of interest' identified in killing of missing Billings boy

Lt. Brandon Wooley told Q2 News at the scene that the incident is connected with a case of a missing 12-year-old boy, whom he did not identify.

www.ktvq.com

 

[orchidaceaes]

Update: 'Person of interest' identified in killing of missing Billings boy

Lt. Brandon Wooley told Q2 News at the scene that the incident is connected with a case of a missing 12-year-old boy, whom he did not identify.

www.ktvq.com

"Billings police said Friday officers have detained one 19-year-old "person of interest" in connection with the homicide of a missing 12-year-old boy and arrested another 13-year-old on suspicion of tampering with evidence."

Hopefully the case is resolved soon. Poor boy.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Billings Police Department (BPD) have released a statement online stating that their investigation in the 900 block of Terry Ave has given them cause to elevate the recent missing person report for a 12-year-old juvenile into a homicide investigation.

Billings Police elevates report of missing 12-year-old to homicide investigation

UPDATED @ Fri March 15 @ 3:09 PM:

www.kulr8.com

 

[Mimimom]

Police are investigating a boy's death in Billings

Billings police recently posted on Facebook a request to help search for 12-year-old Andy Paul Beartusk Martinez

www.krtv.com

*****
Family of Martinez say he was visiting Billings from California when he disappeared and believe he had gotten involved in gang activity. Billings police also say the group of teens the 12-year-old was known to associate with were well known to officers.

*****

So young to get involved with gangs, 12 is still a baby. Heartbreaking

 

[imstilla.grandma]

2 Arrested In Murder Of Missing 12-Year-Old Boy In Montana

Missing 12-Year-Old boy found murdered in Montana. Read the official police press release here.

xlcountry.com

 

[ChatteringBirds]

How devastating! Condolences to his family.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Family of murdered 12-year-old in Billings say they're frustrated by slow response

Andy Paul Beartusk Martinez, 12, was missing for weeks before his body was found in a shed at a home on the 900 block of Terry Avenue.

www.ktvq.com

BILLINGS — The family of 12-year-old boy found dead in Billings last week in a suspected homicide is searching for answers and frustrated following what they perceived was a slow law-enforcement response.

Andy Paul Beartusk Martinez was missing for weeks before his body was found in a shed Friday at a home on the 900 block of Terry Avenue. According to the Yellowstone County Coroner's Office, he was shot in the head.

*****
According to the family, his 19-year-old sister tried to report him missing multiple times. Lt. Matt Lennick with the Billings Police Department said she initially tried to report him missing on Feb. 23, but she wasn't his legal guardian and didn't know his birth date.

"Even though they (police) couldn't fill out the report, (they) followed up on the leads that she was able to provide him, where she thought he probably was," Lennick said.


*****
Lennick said detectives were urgently working on the case, because of the child's age, but the agency was working with individuals, aside from the family, who were not cooperative and they didn't have the last location Martinez was at or who he was with until later in the investigation.

*****
Long article -- more at link.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

In the KTVQ article linked in post #12, Lt. Matt Lennick of the Billings PD is quoted at saying that because of Andy's age (12 & under) he was always considered a missing person and not a runaway. In the following KULR article dated March 11, Lt. Lennick is quoted as saying that there is a missing persons bulletin because of Andy's age, but he is considered a runaway and not believed to be in "life-threatening danger."

I wish that LE agencies would stop saying that young runaways are not considered to be in danger. IMO it diminishes the seriousness of the situation in the eyes of the public.

Billings police reminding public 12-year-old Andy Paul Beartusk Martinez still missing

UPDATE: March 14 at 1:35 p.m.

www.kulr8.com

NonStop Local reached out Monday to get an update on the case, and Lieutenant Matt Lennick says Andy is not believed to be in life-threatening danger. Lennick clarified that Andy is actually considered a runaway and is actively avoiding police.   
The reason they shared a missing person's bulletin is because of his young age.

 

[nao]

Moo...I think all police departments have varying priorities. In the big cities they usually have missing persons cars that spend the nite searching for missing kids. Frequent flyers the runaways are called. They do find most of them the same nite. I don't think Billings has that kind of man power. But I agree It was very unnecessarily to say he was avoiding and he was a runaway, that was just not helpful information in any way.
I listen to police scanners all across the USA and they all have different attitudes, accents, priorities and funding.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

One juvenile charged, one arraigned, in relation to homicide investigation of 12-year-old male

UPDATED on Thurs April 4 @ 4:30 PM:

www.kulr8.com

According to Billings Police Department (BPD), on Thurs, April 4, a 15-year-old local male was charged with negligent homicide and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

This juvenile was remanded into custody at Youth Services.

Additionally, BPD says the 13-year-old local male who was arrested on Mar 15 in relation to this case was arraigned on April 4 on two counts of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and one count of obstructing a Peace Officer.

This juvenile remains in custody at Youth Services.

***
The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head. The manner of death was determined to be homicide.

The investigation remains ongoing at this time.
**

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Prosecutors: Missing 12-year-old Billings boy killed by accidental gunshot

A 12-year-old Billings boy who was reported missing died of an accidental gunshot in the bedroom of a 15-year-old friend, according to prosecutors.

www.ktvq.com

BILLINGS - A 12-year-old Billings boy who was reported missing died of an accidental gunshot in the bedroom of a 15-year-old friend, according to prosecutors.

*****
The boy was reported missing on March 7. Authorities said he died of a gunshot to the head, leading to speculation he had been intentionally killed.

But in charging documents filed Thursday and released to Q2 News on Friday, prosecutors said Martinez was inside a bedroom with three other teens when a gun being handled by a 15-year-old discharged and fatally struck Martinez.

Police announced the arrest of the 15-year-old boy on Thursday, and the court documents filed in Yellowstone County Youth Court reveal the events prosecutors said led to the death of Martinez and the effort to conceal the crime.

More at link.