Missoula Crime Report: Kidnapping and Strangulations This Week

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The Missoula County Attorney’s Office filed 20 new criminal complaints this week, which is the same as last week and higher than the weekly average. According to Chief Deputy County Attorney Matt Jennings, seven of those cases were violent crimes. 

“One was an endangerment crime, which involved drinking and driving and some dangerous behavior on the roadways,” Jennings said. “We had four property crimes, five drug crimes, and then three administrative crimes, which involve things like bail jumping and failure to register as a sexual violent offender.” 

Jennings mentioned that they’re always laser-focused on violent crimes.  

“That's always our top priority,” Jennings said. “Within those seven violent crimes that were committed this week, three of them were family violence and four were non-family violence.” 

Kidnapping and Strangulations

Jennings said they also charged an individual with kidnapping this week. 

“A woman in a domestic violence situation was restrained and physically brought into a location that she did not want to be in,” Jennings said. “That is kidnapping under Montana law. That's our allegation at least.” 

There were several strangulation cases this week as well. 

“Strangulation has a huge potential for death or serious injury,” Jennings said. “We've also found that often when people end up dead in a domestic violence situation, when there's a homicide like that, there often is a history of strangulation. We know that that level of force being used in an argument between a couple or family members is a huge risk factor for further injuries or something really, really bad happening.” 

READ MORE: Woman Arrested After a Terrifying Encounter on a Missoula Street

Two Trials are Going on Right Now 

“In one of them, the jury is deliberating as we speak,” Jennings said. “So we hope to get a verdict at some point today. In the other, closing arguments were supposed to start at 9:00 AM, so those are probably going on right now.” 

In the one where the jury is deliberating, Jennings said that's an incest and sexual abuse of children case. 

“That is a big issue for our office,” Jennings said. “We are obviously trying to protect the most vulnerable in our community. The other case is a domestic violence case involving assault with a weapon and a partner family member assault.” 

The Missoula County Attorney’s Office provides a weekly crime report every Friday morning at 9:00 on Talk Back. You can listen to Jennings’ full report below: