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

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loreet said:
Sort of indicates a lack of a solid plan? I might make overlapping arrangements under some uncertainty or stress and plan to call my boss from the road. It's just about a 20 hour drive straight through from Bozeman to Chicago. Driving solo, I've made that trip in about 25 hours; no motel stays, limited rest breaks, fast food drive-throughs, some speeding across the Dakotas. He'd arrive home needing a nap but many people do blitz the trip for various reasons. Depending on the time of his scheduled Monday interview, Paul could have planned to be back in Illinois sometime Tuesday.

I've been looking at some local and regional maps to see if I could figure out where Paul may have gone off to if he was taking an extended break from life and civilization. If you factor in a bit of hitch-hiking and on/off trail hiking, the possibilities are really endless. Toward the Crazy Mountains? Into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness?

The tourist season in Bozeman has started with many out-of-state visitors this week-end. Yellowstone River reports from various fishing and floating sites indicate most stretches -- including Reed Point to Columbus -- are still just a bit too high and dirty to recommend fishing or floating. Flows and river height have peaked for the year though, and are going down. I expect there will be more people on the river recreating by next week-end.

Somber Search

The main article is about the search for Brandon Fitch, but if you page down there is a recent update about Paul. Not really anything new for us, except a quote that the investigation is currently at a 'wait and see' point.

61 Days Missing.
Click to expand...
 
loreet said:
Sort of indicates a lack of a solid plan? I might make overlapping arrangements under some uncertainty or stress and plan to call my boss from the road. It's just about a 20 hour drive straight through from Bozeman to Chicago. Driving solo, I've made that trip in about 25 hours; no motel stays, limited rest breaks, fast food drive-throughs, some speeding across the Dakotas. He'd arrive home needing a nap but many people do blitz the trip for various reasons. Depending on the time of his scheduled Monday interview, Paul could have planned to be back in Illinois sometime Tuesday.

I've been looking at some local and regional maps to see if I could figure out where Paul may have gone off to if he was taking an extended break from life and civilization. If you factor in a bit of hitch-hiking and on/off trail hiking, the possibilities are really endless. Toward the Crazy Mountains? Into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness?

The tourist season in Bozeman has started with many out-of-state visitors this week-end. Yellowstone River reports from various fishing and floating sites indicate most stretches -- including Reed Point to Columbus -- are still just a bit too high and dirty to recommend fishing or floating. Flows and river height have peaked for the year though, and are going down. I expect there will be more people on the river recreating by next week-end.

Somber Search

The main article is about the search for Brandon Fitch, but if you page down there is a recent update about Paul. Not really anything new for us, except a quote that the investigation is currently at a 'wait and see' point.

61 Days Missing.
Click to expand...

Find it odd that the recent Stillwater County News article about Paul’s disappearance states his family reports he had never disappeared prior to this spring.
 
MattJ said:
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.
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O
 
Jazzy5980 said:
Find it odd that the recent Stillwater County News article about Paul’s disappearance states his family reports he had never disappeared prior to this spring.
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Well, AFAIK, there’s been no MSM or LE support for the rumor that he had previously disappeared. And the people reporting it here are not “verified insiders”. Not saying it’s not true, just that we have no confirmation that it is. And I think we need to acknowledge that if/when we discuss it, so it doesn’t become WS “fact”.
 
carbuff said:
What's the source for Paul and girlfriend breaking up? I don't recall reading that before.
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I agree. That was posted earlier in this thread by someone who says he knows Paul (MattJ?). But, has there been any MSM or LE support for the following things that were recently introduced in this thread:
  • Paul’s prior disappearance years ago?
  • Paul’s recent breakup w his gf?
  • Paul was expected back at work in IL on the same day his interview was scheduled in Bozeman?
Would love to see some confirmation, but until then these are just rumors.
 
Yeah until a verified insider or MSM states this stuff it’s unsubstantiated and we have to go by what the family is telling the media.

But in regards to be family saying he’s never disappeared before maybe they don’t count “running off” as disappeared. I wonder if they reported him missing then.
 
Tssiemer said:
Yeah until a verified insider or MSM states this stuff it’s unsubstantiated and we have to go by what the family is telling the media.

But in regards to be family saying he’s never disappeared before maybe they don’t count “running off” as disappeared. I wonder if they reported him missing then.
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My bad. I’m sorry.
 
MattJ said:
If my comments need to be deleted, I understand. I meant no harm but certainly respect the rules. Please feel free to eliminate them.
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MOO, I'm glad you're here, sharing your personal insight, helping to find your friend. Websleuths prides itself on shying away from the rumor Mill and being victim friendly. Please don't take it personally and consider becoming a verified insider, so we can utilize your information. Otherwise, we have to consider it rumor, but I appreciate reading your perspective.
JMO MOO etc
 
scaredtopost said:
MOO, I'm glad you're here, sharing your personal insight, helping to find your friend. Websleuths prides itself on shying away from the rumor Mill and being victim friendly. Please don't take it personally and consider becoming a verified insider, so we can utilize your information. Otherwise, we have to consider it rumor, but I appreciate reading your perspective.
JMO MOO etc
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Me too!

I feel like I know Paul much better after the input of his friends. I hope we can keep the comments and consider them unverified, rumor, under advisement, whatever we must. Thank you for the 'bearded picture.'

Paul is obviously much cared for and beloved by his family, friends, co-workers, people on his route -- I hope he knows and feels this, wherever he is.
 
The beard photo is very helpful. I hope today is the day he is found. Unverified or not, I think there is new hope for Paul to be found now. I hope that his family will come forward and verify more details, so this can get back out in the media out west. Once he is found, then maybe he can wrap things up in IL and start a new chapter wherever he wants.
 
There is an update on the search for Brandon:
Stillwater County Search And Rescue
Apparently the search dogs have been very helpful in detecting Brandon's location in the water. That's generally good information to know about search dogs 'detecting' from boats.

To Paul's family and friends reading here: I am keeping my eyes open as I run errands all over Bozeman and am passing on both bearded and clean-shaven pictures to a network of friends. We have some community events coming up in the next few weeks that draw people out -- the Farmer's Markets, Music on Main, etc. All eyes.
 
Does anybody from the Bozeman area know if there was anything going on in the area that Sunday night that would have made it difficult to find an available motel? On several road trips through small towns, I've run into random events like a "peach festival" that forced me to drive an extra 50 miles or more to find a room.
 
mbison said:
Does anybody from the Bozeman area know if there was anything going on in the area that Sunday night that would have made it difficult to find an available motel? On several road trips through small towns, I've run into random events like a "peach festival" that forced me to drive an extra 50 miles or more to find a room.
Click to expand...

We discussed this earlier and could not find any event(s) that would have made it difficult for Paul to locate a room in Bozeman. Belgrade and Livingston are not far from Bozeman so he could have stayed there as opposed to driving all the way to Reed Point.
 
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