A Lewis and Clark County District Court judge — and a separate court handling the case in Anaconda — set another status hearing for Michael Paul Brown, the man charged with killing four people at the Owl Bar in Anaconda last summer, as mental health evaluations in the case continue. Brown faces four counts of deliberate homicide in connection with the August 1, 2025 shootings.

The four victims — David Leach, 70, Daniel Baillie, 59, Tony Palm, 74, and Nancy Kelley, 64 — were shot at the Owl Bar that morning. The killings shocked the small Deer Lodge County community, and the case has moved slowly through the courts as questions about Brown's mental competency are addressed before trial proceedings can advance.

Mental health evaluations in homicide cases can extend timelines significantly, as courts must determine whether a defendant is competent to stand trial before the case can proceed to substantive hearings or a trial date. Another status hearing has been scheduled to assess where those evaluations stand.