Missoula Jail Staff Discovers Baggie in Woman’s Rectal Area

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On September 7, 2026, 34-year-old Cara Edwards caused a disturbance at the Holiday Inn Express in Missoula. Holiday Inn personnel called 911 and reported that Edwards threatened hotel staff and refused to leave the premises. Holiday Inn personnel provided a physical description of Edwards and advised that she was accompanied by a pit bull terrier. 

Missoula Police Department officers located Edwards at The Hilton Garden Inn on Reserve Street. Upon positively identifying Edwards, officers arrested her for an active arrest warrant. As she interacted with Edwards, an officer noticed that Edward’s hands were fidgety and she had difficulty standing still. Edwards spoke about other people controlling her thoughts and actions. At times she spoke rapidly. The officer formed the opinion that Edwards’s behavior was consistent with stimulant abuse.  

The officer allowed Edwards to have a “hit” off of her e-cigarette before taking her to jail. The officer reported that Edwards faked reaching the e-cigarette towards her mouth and instead twisted her arms up to the hood of the patrol car to grab her cell phone. Edwards grabbed her cellphone and began running towards Howard Raster Drive. Edwards managed to gain 20 feet of separation between her and the officer.  

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Attempted Escape and Initial Arrest

The officer caught up to Edwards, grabbed her by the arms, and took her into custody. Another officer conducted a search incident to arrest of Edwards’s belongings. The officer seized a glass bulbous pipe consistent with the type used to smoke methamphetamine from a sock located inside Edwards’s left flannel pocket. The officer also observed burnt residue about the pipe. The Edwards was transported to the Missoula County Detention Facility. 

While there, detention officers observed what appeared to be an internal foreign object near Edwards’s pelvic region when scanning her with “The Tek 84 Intercept” tool. The image was consistent with an August 2026 booking image where a similar object was observed inside her person. The officer observed an object inside Edwards’s rectal area where she subsequently located a plastic bag.  

The officer retrieved the bag and observed another small plastic bag inside Edwards’s rectal area. Edwards proceeded to shove the second bag further inside her rectal area and refused to retrieve it and provide it to officers.  

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Substance Identification and Judicial Actions

The officer inspected the first bag removed from Edwards’s rectum. She observed small chunks of a yellow hard substance that she was not visually familiar with. The arresting officer opined that the bag and substance were consistent with the packaging of dangerous drugs. Edwards told the officer, following a Miranda advisement, that the substance inside the baggie was “gold.” The TruNarc field scanning device returned an “inconclusive” result during Ranger’s attempt to identify the substance.  

The officer received a judicially authorized search warrant to seize suspected narcotics from Edwards’s person. While on the way to the hospital, Edwards told the officer that she was going to go psychotic and hurt the officer’s head. When officers arrived at St. Patrick’s Hospital, staff refused to seize the item from Edwards’s person due to her uncooperative nature. Edwards told officers that she slipped her handcuffs, removed the item from her rectum and swallowed it. Hospital staff agreed to X-Ray Edwards to locate the item, but they could not locate the baggie. 

Edwards is currently being charged with felony tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, attempted escape, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, and disorderly conduct. Her bond was set at $10,000. 

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.