(STARTING AT 30:09)

CHAIRMAN ROMAN ZYLAWI: On the agenda we’ve got, um, Angela, do you say it, “Mastrovito”?

ANGELA MASTROVITO: Yes.

ZYLAWI: Okay. Discussion of your missing daughter Rebekah. Okay. Alright, Merriam, let’s start the meeting. We have Ellen here on –I guess, did you want to start off with, or do you want to start off? I guess you called the meeting.

ANGELA: Um, I requested the meeting. I’m not familiar with the policies of procedures so whatever you typically do I’m fine with that. I can either speak first or somebody from the department can speak first. Whatever you prefer.

ZYLAWI: Yeah, well I’ve got your thing that you’re requesting the meeting to talk about so I guess we’ll let you start. Because–

HUNTER’S ORANGE: Well I think what she’s trying to understand is, maybe if we could understand where it is in the process with the law enforcement, that part. I think, that would help for everybody having an idea of a summery of where we’re at. That part. And so maybe you could, Mike, tell us what that is, the status, or what has been done?

SHERIFF MIKE TOTH: Well, I don’t want to encroach on her time. If she’s here to talk to them about what she believes hasn’t been done or been done, then I think she needs to voice that first and then I can get up and– She and her husband are well aware, from Missoula and us, of what’s been done and they’ve been briefed multiple time. So, it, it is curious to me. Anyways.

ANGELA: Well I go forward. Do you want me to sit up here?

ZYLAWI: You can sit wherever you’d like.

ANGELA: All right. Uh, I want to thank you very much for the opportunity to be here. As you can see on the agenda request, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss how Rebekah Barsotti’s case is being handled by the Mineral County Sheriff’s Department. It is my hope that after this we will be able to move forward and move this case out of this county into state or federal jurisdiction. And I will explain my reasons why as we go through.

First and foremost, the main reason is that, um, on the admission of sheriff Toth, there is a lack of resources in the county due to the number of deputies which I understand on September twenty-ninth was six deputies. There are no investigators and there are no detectives in Mineral County, so the only way to access those is to request them from outside sources. Um, I believe that that hinders the progress in my daughter’s case.

And Rebekah is actually part of three cases here in the county. I don’t know if you are aware of that. There was a 911 call on March ninth for domestic abuse which was followed by a PFMA charge against her estranged husband, David Barsotti, and a standing Order of No Contact. That case number is TK59520210000-237, and that’s from March tenth of 2021. And then Rebekah went missing on July twentieth, and that case number is 2021-12676. And then the most recent case brought to your county is a threat on my husband’s and myself life, which was reported in Missoula City and got punted to Missoula County and then punted here. And the reason that it got punted, as far as I was informed, is that it is directly tied to Rebekah’s missing person case. Mm-kay. So I wanted to discuss that as well.

As far as the lack of staffing and resources that is published on Sheriff Toth’s Mineral County Sheriff Office facebook post, it specifically says that they have limited resources. At the joint Sheriff’s meeting on September twenty-ninth 2021 with Missoula and Mineral County, Sheriff Toth stated, “We have 6 deputies.”

We believe that from the onset of Rebekah’s missing there has been a lack of due diligence. The area was not thoroughly assessed at mile marker 72. When we asked if anybody knew the number of trucks or the number of vehicles at mile marker 72, they did not. When we asked if they knew the number of vehicles at St. John’s access site, they did not have that recorded. And St. John’s access has multiple overgrown bushes. If you’ve been down there during the summer, many of the vehicles you cannot see until you’re on top of them because the bushes are so overgrown.

Sheriff Toth informed the family that all items at the scene were compromised. With the exception of Rebekah’s phone, nothing has been submitted for forensics. The Mineral County Sheriff’s Office is now in possession of Rebekah’s laptop. This has never been accessed. There was an incomplete search of Rebekah’s vehicle. Met at the time of discovery at mile marker 72, the Mineral County deputies did not find a gun in the car. And when I asked Missoula about her gun on July twenty-third they said that it had not been reported. I said, “Then you have another problem on your hands.” So when they went to go get Rebekah’s car, they found the gun in the pocket of the driver’s door. So that would lead me to believe there was not a thorough investigation of the vehicle.

The vehicle itself has never had forensics performed on it. And when Rebekah’s statement was released, or when the statement was released about Rebekah missing, there was no context about her being married or being in a domestic abuse situation. That was completely left out of anything that was released to the media or the public. The charges were not acknowledged by law enforcement, but those charges were filed here, in Mineral County. And there is an attachment from The Missoulian that you can look at later on your time.

On seven-twenty-five, Sergeant Funke informed myself and my sister Laura Williams that there were no tracking dogs or land or surrounding areas. The only dogs used were for the water and the river bank, but they failed to look on land.

On nine-twenty-nine in the joint meeting Sheriff Toth said, “We didn’t know what we had.” So if you don’t know what you have, it would seem to me that you should attempt to rule out foul play, instead of just assuming a river accident.

Mile marker 72 is a truck stop. It is well attended. It is a recreation area and a fish access area.

Interstate 90 is known for an increase in human and drug trafficking. Things to consider why there were no tracking or scent dogs used at the scene within 72 hours of the event on land. Why have there been no attempts to open and access Rebekah’s laptop, and if there’s no need for it then why was it even taken from her trailer in Missoula? Why has law enforcement had Rebekah’s car for four months and not processed it for forensics?

By labeling Rebekah as a “river accident” it has obstructed available resources from being accessed. With cadaver dogs being limited to the water in the riverbanks, land was never searched. Cadaver dogs are available from non-profit groups but they have to be invited by the Sheriff. I cannot personally afford to pay for a team of cadaver dogs to come in and search the area.

Sheriff Toth’s lack of cooperation to work with search teams results in an obstruction to investigative procedures. If Mineral County does not have the resources to properly and thoroughly investigate, they should reach out to state and/or federal agencies. It’s also my understanding that St. John’s Fishing Access appears to be owned by Montana Fish, Game and Wildlife. Why was the state not invited?

There also seems to be a lack of tact and professionalism within the department. On August fourth Angela and Gerry Mastrovito met with Sheriff Toth, Undersheriff Cashman and Sergeant Ryan Funke. Sheriff Toth informed us, “I was not even going to look for your daughter.” Exhibiting at the very least, lack of tact and professionalism. Rebekah was a victim of domestic violence and with an active PFMA charge against her estranged husband. This alone should have initiated due diligence in regards to investigating this event beyond the river.

For examples of conflict of interest within the department, on July twenty-sixth, in a phone conversation with Sheriff Toth, he informed me that Cerberus was in poor health and that he trusted the person who informed him of this. The only other person who would know this is David Barsotti, Rebekah’s estranged husband. Trusting an individual would lead one to believe the relationship is stronger than an acquaintance. Trust is a quality that you earn. It is not typically freely given.

On August fourth at a meeting with Sheriff Toth and Undersheriff Cashman and Sergeant Ryan Funke, Sheriff Toth informed us that David did not have a lot of money. An acquaintance is not typically aware of a person’s financial situation. Sergeant Ryan Funke admitted to being friends with David and having knowledge of David’s background. David reports being an ex-marine, special OPS and other contracted positions.

On October fifth Angela and Gerry Mastrovito attended a meeting with Sheriff TJ McDermott and Sergeant Ryan Prather in Missoula. During the meeting, Sheriff Toth Emailed me at 11:13, stating he needed to talk to me. David had called requesting Rebekah’s guns from the department. During this meeting at Missoula, which we were in from 11:00 to 12:30, we were informed that Rebekah’s personal belongings had been transferred back to Mineral County as of that morning. This creates additional doubts to consider a conflict of interest.

How did David know Rebekah’s personal items were back in possession of Mineral County? Sheriff Toth had said he hoped that it was a coincidence, during a phone conversation.

Reports not available and/or unwillingness to release information. There was a misfiling of the affidavit of probable cause from Rebekah’s domestic call on March ninth. This was discovered on September twenty-second and released to the media. This was misfiled for 6 months. On August sixteenth, myself and my husband requested copies of all public documents and were informed there were none available. On September twenty-second an investigative journalist called to inquire about the affidavit of probable cause and it was found and released.

On November sixteenth, 2021, my sister, Laura Williams, submitted a FOIA request for 911 calls placed on July twentieth. This request is pending and the reason given was – the information returned to her was – for criminal investigation, pending criminal investigation or closed criminal investigation. And she was informed to submit an additional form, the application of Criminal Justice Information. She had mailed this off and to date there has been no response.

911 calls are public information according to Montana law. To our knowledge Rebekah’s case has never been treated as a criminal investigation. Sheriff Toth continues to label this case as a “river accident.”

The question to consider here: Is Rebekah’s case a “river accident,” or is it a criminal investigation? Because the answer determines how the case proceeds.

Attorney Spencer Bradford has requested a copy of the hard drive for Rebekah’s laptop. This does not compromise the chain of command or the integrity. That request was submitted on October twenty-eighth. There has been no response. My question is, is it common practice to use the veil of criminal investigation or pending criminal investigation to avoid accountability and/or action?

There seems to be an unwillingness to accept assistance from vetted and reputable non-profit organizations, state and federal agencies. On seven-twenty-six Angela and Gerry Mastrovito verbally requested state and/or federal assistance. Request was refused by Sheriff Toth. On eight-four meeting with Sheriff Toth, Angela and Gerry Mastrovito asked why certain agencies were not accessed, such as Civil Air Patrol and Montana Search and Rescue. Sheriff Toth’s answer was, “No.” There was no reason provided for this decision.

Rebekah’s case was transferred to Missoula county on July twenty-ninth. Multiple requests for additional resources were met with a “No.” Requests for land searches were denied multiple times. On October thirtieth I had reached out to have Crime Stoppers participate. Sheriff Toth’s request to me was, “If we need it then we will reach out.” No further action on this part. Crime Stoppers does not charge for the service provided. As Rebekah’s mother I thought it was imperative because there could be leads out there that no one is coming forward because of fear. And so it would not, in any way, jeopardize the investigation to have anonymous tips provided.

I feel that by not acting on my request, Sheriff Toth was, in essence, refusing to assist, therefore obstructing access to an additional resource. Brian Frost, missing person specialist from DOJ was instrumental in assisting me with this request, and Crime Stoppers accepted Rebekah’s case on November eighth. An additional request refused is to the FindMe Group. The FindMe Group is a non-profit organization. It is comprised of active and retired law enforcement. They have linguistic specialists. They have drowning investigators. They are vetted and reputable. They have an established relationship with law enforcement throughout the USA and the world.

They use canine and cadaver dogs, trained search and rescue teams. And all of this was denied. It was denied based on the fact they also use intuits, but oddly enough, Sheriff Mike Toth has recordings on the internet from his own business, Elite Investigations in Billings, Montana where he refers to the use of intuits. In 20 years, FindMe has only been refused 16 times. Five of those refusals are from the United States in 20 years. Sheriff Toth makes the sixth refusal.

I personally have reached out to numerous water rescue groups, search and rescue, cadaver teams, scuba diving teams – they all have said, “We have to have the Sheriff’s invitation.” I personally do not feel like I have a working relationship with Sheriff Toth that would allow for that to happen. So far everything has been refused under Sheriff Toth. The only land search that we have had is under the auspices of Captain Bill Burt with Missoula, and that was a one-time event.

I want to know if it’s commonplace to refuse and reach out to non-profit agencies for assistance, and if so, why? There is no charge to the community through the taxpayer money or to the county for non-profit agencies. They come in and they provide their services free of charge. I also would like to know if it’s commonplace to refuse and to request assistance from DCI and state and federal agencies when the Sheriff is well aware and admittedly states that they have limited resources and staffing to give the case due diligence.

Published reports that were either inaccurate or notices from providers. July twenty-third, Sheriff Toth changed my daughter’s category to “recovery.” I spoke at depth with detectives Travis Wafstet and [Kellen] Larson in Missoula and asked that it would be maintained as a Missing Person.

On September twentieth, I received a notice from USAA, my daughter’s renters insurance policy holder, that it had been canceled. I had paid the month of September in full. And when I called to inquire they told me that it had been reported to them that she was deceased. The only person that can make changes to a policy with USAA are the sponsor. The sponsor is the husband. Attorney Spencer Bradford has requested a copy of all communications from USAA.

On September thirtieth, Sheriff Toth published that there were extensive land searches. Again, I stand behind the fact that there have not been extensive land searches. There have been riverbank searches, but in my mind a riverbank search and a land search are two different things.

And then, last but not least, on October thirty-first, 2021, my husband and I received an anonymous call telling us that there was a threat on our life. We thought overnight about that, about how sincere it was. If it was some wacko, somebody just from the community, just somebody taking advantage of us. But we thought it was prudent that we at least file a report. So we went to Missoula City, because we were at a Missoula City address when we received that notice. Missoula City punted it to Missoula County. And on the fourth of November, I reached out to Sergeant Ryan Prather –that’s when I was notified that it was punted to Missoula County – and at 10:36 PM he sent me an Email with a detailed report that he had given a hand-off to Ellen [Donohue, Mineral County Attorney]. On Friday I called and left a message for Ellen Donohue. I’ve never received a response.

My question is – well, actually, I also followed up with Missoula FBI. I spoke with Selena DeVentier. We also submitted a report to the National Threat Operations Center in Washington DC, and I’ve also spoken to Chief Lee Jackson at DCI. My question is, does Mineral County disregard all reports of potential threats on a person or person’s life? Is it common practice to disregard without follow-up? My second question is, shouldn’t a threat on the safety and well-being of someone’s life be considered a criminal investigation? If Rebekah’s missing is a “river accident,” then why is it related to her case?

The actions I’m requesting is to have this case transferred out of this county, for the Missing Person, to state or federal agencies. I believe there is a possibility of relationships established within the department, to Rebekah’s estranged husband David Barsotti, that could compromise the investigation.

I believe that the law enforcement department has not accessed what they had the opportunity and due diligence to access, to include laptop information. DCI or Rocky Mountain Labs may be able to access her laptop.

We are requesting that Rebekah’s case also be amended to remove “at river accident.” An email was sent to Sheriff Toth on November fifteenth requesting this. No one knows if this is a river accident, homicide or abduction. The label of “river accident” has limited resources and the investigation process. And as a summery it is our perception that there has been gross negligence of due diligence by the Mineral County Sheriff Department since the onset of this event.

At what point will the department decide to handle this case in a judicious manner and with integrity? If this was your loved one I believe you would be asking the same, if not similar questions. The residents of Mineral County deserve the right to feel safe within their community. The residents of Mineral County need assurance that the Sheriff Department is capable of judiciously handling a domestic violence incident as well as a missing person case with whatever it takes. And our goal is to find Rebekah. Whatever it takes. We’re not going anywhere. We’ll be here as long as it takes and if we do have to leave, there will be people here behind us that will help us. But we are not going anywhere.

And I’ve asked John Baker to speak as well. So if he would come up. He is a private investigator that we have hired. He’s with East Valley Investigative Services.

JOHN BAKER:I’m John Baker. I’m a private investigator. Angela has pretty much hit everything on the head. My main thing, as a private investigator, coming up is this: I don’t have access to the case file. I don’t know what the Sheriff’s done or how it’s progressed. I understand the limitations of the organization, with so few deputies. And that’s my main concern in this is the resources available and asking for further resources outside. State level. Federal level.

The initial call out on the scene – how was it determined that it was a river accident right off the bat? In my mind you’ve got a bunch of different scenarios that could have taken place. River? Definitely an option. Truck stop abduction? You’ve got a current DV. There is just a lot of different possibilities, so my concern is how that it initially was handled. Why wasn’t the vehicle processed?

Secondly, who else was at the scene? Other trucks? Truck stop. People on the beach? It was July twentieth. You know between three and five. It’s a busy time. There are a lot of people down at that beach. The cell towers is a big concern of mine. Why there wasn’t a search warrant written. I think that would have been prudent. Even if nothing comes of it, you got the information of who was in the vicinity. And I don’t think it’s an extension or over-extension of somebody’s rights. It’s a two-hour window, picking up who’s in the vicinity of that cell tower. Something I probably would have done.

Another thing – the laptop that was taken for evidence. It should have been processed. And outside of knowing the specifics of the case, I mean, this concern to how this is going to develop, due to the limitations of the department. And that’s all it is, is the resources. I think that outside assistance should be accessed in this to continue. Is there any questions?

HUNTERS ORANGE: I’m just here basically on myself and first thing is, is recently, under Montana law, you can petition. All you have to do is file a petition with the court to get the criminal justice information. So, there is a means you can order from the court and get that turned over. And that was enacted and went in October first. Second thing is, living here as long as I have, I recognize our officers do not get the exposure to these type of cases very often. But as taxpayers, the one thing we have is DCI available to us. And all that takes is a phone call. County Attorney or the Sheriff’s can simply call and say this is – I mean, we pay for it. On it, it seems to me that that is a way here that one, eliminates your concerns that there’s some type of bias, which I don’t personally know that, I wouldn’t believe that to be the case. But they also have the resources to download and to examine the evidence. I worked with those individuals quite a bit and know their capabilities of the investigation.

You know, the reason I came here is I do a lot of defending police officers when they’re involved in shootings. A lot of those shooting cases involve “suicide by cop.” And the one thing in this case that has brought it to my attention and, being a parent, likewise, I can’t think of anything more terrifying or wanting to get resolved, whether she’d be dead or missing or whatever, but some type of conclusion to it. But the one thing here that I’ve never seen, and I’ve had a lot of these cases where it was suicide, is where the animal dies as well. Usually a person that is going to commit suicide, in my experience, is the last thing they do is they always take care of their pet. That is such an important thing to them, that I’ve seen it where they literally put the dog into an area where the bullets, when they start flying, will not hurt the pet.

And so to me, is, one is, just were we live and the situation with the normal cases, that Mineral County has to deal with, is that this would consume the whole department for a year. You need to have the resources that DCI offers. And it’s at no cost of the department or the county on it. And so, I think a way to get resolution, or getting that, is to get DCI involved. Allow them to look at it.

I didn’t hear it from the presentation, but it seems to me that, you know, her estranged husband should be wanting to know where she’s at as well. And, y’know, I don’t know if anybody’s asked to access the property to just look and see and have a cadaver dog go around it. Likewise, I mean, there’s a cloud hanging over us in this room. I can tell there’s a cloud hanging around his head, that people are thinking he may have done something. So I would think that he would want to clear his name up too. If this is truly a suicide type of situation or a “river accident,” I’ll be for that. So to me the easy way is the commissioners just to direct and ask that the Sheriff call DCI, get ‘em in and get some new fresh look of eyes on it. See what that part of it has. And they have the ability to communicate, you know, FBI has all sorts of resources on it.

But, you know, there is woman out there missing. And we have had these in the past, where The communities came together to try to locate someone that ended up being killed. Just expect us to do that part of it. I understand that the Sheriff’s office here believes they finished it out, but there is still a child missing. And I think that, to me, is the most important is making sure that we’ve done everything that we can do as a community to help find Rebekah for her mom. And it’s not asking anything to have DCI come in and take it over. In fact, probably a benefit to the Sheriff’s office so that they can focus on what they normally do here. That’s exactly why DCI is here. They’re designed to come in and help a rural area.

If this was in Missoula, they have detectives and all that resources in it. and they see these type of things monthly instead of every – you know this is, I think back to the last, yeah, 10, probably 10 years that we’ve had something like this again. Like I said, I feel terrible for you and your missing daughter. And I also understand the Sheriff’s situation with their resource issue and what they are able to do. But all it, all it takes is a call to DCI and I think that we owe it to Rebekah, to, to see that part through.

So that’s my two cents and I think it helps the Sheriff’s by getting that case to DCI. And it helps you in moving forward and seeing that something is done. And I know Mike will work with DCI and assist them in any way they can. And likewise, for you it’s moving. And I assume right now you feel like you’re treading water and not moving forward or backward. But I know Ellen’s had a lot of work with DCI and knows those individuals well. And I know there is nothing more important in her heart then dealing with a domestic partner assault cases. She takes that very seriously and I know she takes her job. So when it comes to that, this group that you seem to be having issues with, it’s not that they don’t want to help you with it. It is, I my mind, you just don’t have the ability or resources on it, and still do what’s needed for the county.

ANGELA: And I understand that and that’s why I’ve been asking all along, to process it beyond county levels.

HUNTERS ORANGE:Yeah. And I, I mean, I don’t know. I mean Mike – what is the – is there a problem with just turning it over to DCI in your mind?

SHERIFF MIKE TOTH: So, I wanted to be done, and her to speak, and that. And then if people want to hear me talk about everything, I can, to a point. You also have to understand, the one thing I’ll say is, it’s supposed to be a Missing Persons. If it’s not – if it’s labeled ‘recovery’ somewhere – again let me know where. My deputy filled out the paperwork, that wherever this gets sent, if he sent–filled out the wrong thing – because even Missoula, Missing Persons, it’s a missing persons case. That’s how we’re looking at it.

ANGELA: Right.

TOTH: It’s a missing persons until she’s found, whether she’s recovered in the river, or recovered somewhere else or found somewhere. It’s a missing persons case.

ANGELA: Okay.

TOTH: So, that, if we can fix it, we’ll get it fixed.

ANGELA: Okay

TOTH: Because it should be a missing persons. We said that. You were in the meeting Missoula hammered out.

ANGELA: Right. Right.

TOTH: So DCI originally – this all happens in the middle – this all happens in the middle – this happens at like around five at night. Okay, it’s getting dark. Deputies go out there with the Highway Patrol. They search the banks. They don’t see anything. They then, they see the stuff that they get called about. There’s some things I can’t talk about, but there’s, they’re well aware of it. They’ve been briefed on it. We briefed the family on everything. There’s items that lead us to believe that she went into the water. There was no suicide whatsoever at this, so I don’t know where that came – but there’s no suicide whatsoever.

The reason the dog is, that is the dog was playing in the water. We have evidence to show the dog at one point was in the water playing with a stick. So that’s where everything’s pointing to the river. Because we’ve got items that are neatly set, that would say somebody’s sitting there enjoying themselves on a hot day with their dog. Which is what she does and liked to do. So everything matched everything perfectly.

ANGELA: Can I interject for a for a minute?

TOTH: Well, let me finish.

ANGELA: Alright.

TOTH: You did all the time and I didn’t interrupt you.

ANGELA: Alright. I’ll let you finish.

TOTH: She did that all the time. She did that a lot.

(WOMAN IN AUDIENCE): She’s missing her kid!

(ANOTHER WOMAN): Yeah. No kidding! I’m just trying to say that’s why she’s upset.

TOTH: Okay. Go ahead

ANGELA: The driver’s license and the credit card were perfectly laid out. You couldn’t have laid them out better with a ruler. Okay? And the whole thing is that this scenario is: “girl rescues dog”. You are not going to take the time to take your driver’s license and your credit card out of your pocket. You’re not going to take the time – she wore sunglasses all day long, because of a nevus on the cornea of her eye. So she wore sunglasses all day long. So law enforcement looks at the sunglasses and the hat discarded, as: “She threw them off”.

TOTH: Now can I interrupt you? The witness that found it says they picked up the driver’s license.

(WOMAN IN AUDIENCE): What witness?

TOTH: We’re not going to tell you.

(WOMAN IN AUDIENCE): Exactly

TOTH: It’s because – you can’t – if you reach out to him, now you’re harassing a witness. We know who he is. We know who the family is. We’re in contact.

(WOMAN IN AUDIENCE): And the 911 call – it was an Oregon family?

TOTH: He was from somewhere.

ZYLAWI: So sheriff, maybe, maybe rather you–

TOTH: What I’m saying is, a witness called 911. They admit picking up items and look, because they’re like “What is this?” They pick it up. Then they go, “Uh-oh, we better set this down.” They’re the ones that stacked that nice. We’re not saying Rebekah stacked that nice. Now there is, like, the hat and the leash.

ANGELA: Right.

TOTH: And that there. But, yeah. She probably was enjoying herself. You saw what you saw on the one video.

ANGELA: On the one video. I didn’t see – we didn’t see the dog in the water with a stick. He was on the river–

HUNTER’S ORANGE: The facts here, and the thing is, and it’s a simple thing is, why, why not just get DCI invited and involved?

TOTH: So, I’m getting to that. So when we think she is in the water, when we finally think we might have somebody in the water, that’s what, uh, we think we have got. And I call Missoula because they got their search and rescue and they got divers. So they come out. I call Two Bear Air to search the air, right away. I call Flathead County. They’ve got, they’ve got expert river rescue divers. They start heading down. Kootenai County eventually comes down later on and she contacts the place out of Minnesota, and Missoula invites them over. So we don’t need no more divers. There’s been enough divers in the water. You know. We are risking people’s life now at this point. So, so when Missoula shows up, their detectives come out. TJ [McDermott] asked me “What do you need?” and I go, “Well, your ‘Search and Rescue’s got the water. I need somebody, because I ain’t got the manpower, to, let’s say, she’s not in the water – I need you to investigate that.” And that’s what they did. Missoula took it. Missoula took that investigation over from us at that point.

BLONDIE: Can I ask a question?

HUNTER’S ORANGE: Just let him finish, please.

TOTH: So we handed that part outside of the river. If she’s not in the river, handle this. and so then he put two detectives and Sergeant Prather, and then I can’t think of the other two detectives names.

ANGELA: Travis Wafstet and Kellen Larson

TOTH: Yeah, and the commander, whatever.

ANGELA: Um, Dave, I don’t remember his last name. Dave.

TOTH: Right. So they take over. What happens if she is not in the river? Start searching. Now they do bring – because when I was there, there were cadaver dogs there and they did search that immediate area, up in those bushes and all that. That one guy in Alberton has like, he trains them and they brought his dogs in and then Missoula County brought their dog in. And I think maybe the City brought a dog. But the County for sure. And I know that this guy in Alberton brought three dogs in. And one at the time they went through and, um, when I was there, they all ended up going and then they went right to the river, where her stuff was at and started barking into the river. And so then, okay. But Missoula takes the outside stuff which then leads to the trailer, and all that. Why that was all taken? You were with them. Agree.

ANGELA: I was outside with the mediator.

TOTH: We’re out of there at that point. We’re out at that point. That’s their investigation. They grab all that stuff for their investigation thinking, well maybe it’s better to have it than not to have it. So they grab it. They don’t think there’s a need to search it right now because, again, we have a missing person’s. Um, so they don’t think they need to search it. I know some people are leaning that she was murdered by, maybe, a family member or not. And so I don’t know what the laptop would show with that. The phone didn’t show anything. Didn’t lead us anywhere. And the phone would be more–

HUNTER’S ORANGE: But that’s, but Mike–

TOTH: So we called DCI. They only got one detective that would come help us. Missoula’s got it. Now, if you want me to have DCI come in and review everything we’ve done? I’ve got not problem with that. I call and ask ‘em. And talk about Fish and Game? I called them the day it happened, said, “This is yours”. They’re all, “We don’t want no part of that. Have –enjoy.” They were all in training. They wouldn’t come. The only thing they would do is they’d string yellow tape up on top of that one path.

ANGELA: I saw that and I didn’t understand that at all.

TOTH: That’s the only thing they said they would do.

ANGELA: I didn’t. I mean, she wasn’t even there, at that spot. That wasn’t where they found her things.

TOTH: Well, because the Search And Rescue was down there. They didn’t want people coming down there while they were searching. They want people back and away. But they said that’s the only thing they would do for us.

HUNTER’S ORANGE: I do, I think that there’s things that –

TOTH: I have no problem, if you want them to come over and look over and make sure we did but, there’s a whole bunch that we’ve done that you guys don’t know about.

HUNTER’S ORANGE: Well I agree, but the one thing is we don’t have a body, right? And I know in these investigations there can be things that develop into it after time goes by.

TOTH: Okay but what, as we’ve said, what evidence – there’s been no evidence come forward whatsoever–

HUNTER’S ORANGE: but you have evidence of–

TOTH: No we don’t.

[ROOM GASPS]

HUNTER’S ORANGE: Just a second. You have an abuse situation that was out there on it. And time has went by. And if someone is trying to request and collect a firearm, why is that? And then, has his property, did you ask to go and search his property?

TOTH: So the gun in the car, the reason it wasn’t found by my deputies is because they didn’t have a search warrant, and they didn’t want to get beat up by a defense attorney. But I said, “Hey, we’ve got an active missing. Pop open her car and see what you can see.” He popped the trunk and he confirmed that what was in the trunk, which was the plastic tote, which was what she met to pick up. So we confirmed that story that night. We’re like, “Yup. Here’s the plastic tote that David said she came in to pick up. Yup. There it is.” And then he gets in front. I don’t know what Ryan looked at inside the car. I don’t think he looked very much because he knew we were gonna tow it, and bring it, and if we need to get a warrant, we would. So he closes it up. Sends it to tow lot. Then we call Missoula. Missoula says, “We take the car.” We’re taking the outside, we want the car. They take the car and moved it to their secure lot out of the impound lot – out of the tow lot. They take it there and they either got a warrant or somehow they got into the car and they finally got in because they do a thorough search of the car at that point. That’s how they finally got it. We don’t.”

HUNTER’S ORANGE: Man. But what I’m, and I get that part, but then, like you know, I don’t know. I’m noticing–

TOTH: We have no evidence to lead us out to Dave. Just because he was charged with a crime six months before that or so?

HUNTER’S ORANGE: And he’d filed for divorce.

TOTH: That doesn’t give us – they’re not going through a divorce. They’re not going through a divorce.

HUNTER’S ORANGE: Mike, you know as well as I – and I don’t – I’m not criticizing it –

(UNKNOWN WOMAN): Just let him ask the question, it’s actually very important.

HUNTER’S ORANGE: I’m just saying is, did anybody ask him? I mean, he’s the husband at the time, and he’s proba–I would hope that he’s concerned about –

TOTH: He was. He talked to us.

HUNTER’S ORANGE: Then so like asking, is there any problem with–

TOTH: And then what I said to them, “Be careful what you’re saying on facebook.” And what did he do? Soon as I saw him getting labeled as a killer, he lawyered up. And then we’ve stopped.

GERRY MASTROVITO: He was lawyered up before that.

TOTH: No he wasn’t.

GERRY: Yes he was.

TOTH: No he wasn’t!

GERRY: Yes he was.

TOTH: You can say what you want, because we were on the phone with him daily. And he was calling us and he was cooperative. And we were gonna get to him. But then he said, “Look what they’re posting on facebook about me!” I said, “I can’t control that, David.”

ANGELA: We didn’t post it. Your community posted it. Your community –

TOTH: You’re, no. And your family members and everybody else whose keep labeling him –

ANGELA: We didn’t post it.

HUNTER’S ORANGE: Listen. This is just the perfect reason why you get DCI involved, because the passions on both sides. And they have a calming interest applying to this woman. And just, you know what, turn over to DCI.

TOTH: But I want to list the things that she says we didn’t do, that we did do. Because people need to know–

[AUDIENCE EXCLAMATION]

TOTH: My citizens need to know –

[WOMAN IN AUDIENCE]: How do we find her? I don’t care what your citizens need to know.

TOTH: Because then you’re going to go off her saying I didn’t do all this stuff that she just listed, saying we didn’t do anything with that. Missoula did call the FBI.

BLONDIE: How come we can’t go ping that day and find out who was there? Because then we’re going to know if the husband was there or not?

TOTH: Do you know how many people drive by? Which they were speak–

BLONDIE: I go there almost daily.

TOTH: Right.

BLONDIE: I know exactly where this is.

TOTH: I understand.

BLONDIE: I live very close to it.

TOTH: Listen. There’s thousands of people on the interstate that drives by –

BLONDIE: Right! So somebody could have picked her up!

TOTH: There’s not that – we don’t have the resources. And Missoula doesn’t have the resources.

BLONDIE: You don’t think they’re trafficking on 90? They are! I have been run off the road twice by people on that road.

TOTH: If you pull the ping then there’s no way we have – and we already had an attorney speak of this – that they’ll be able to get a warrant for those people. There’s no way we can list to get a warrant to get their information.

BLONDIE: No. But you could ping it, and see if her estranged husband was there, and then you’ll know

TOTH: We know that, for a fact that her estranged husband was not there.

WHITE JACKET: Can I say something.

TOTH: We are 100% positive the husband was not there.

WHITE JACKET: Okay but can I say my thing

TOTH: And like I tell you, we have evidence to believe that.

GERRY: What kind of evidence?

TOTH: You know that! We told you!

WHITE JACKET: But where we’re at right now, and we’re no closer than where we were when we started. So I think we need to just leave the past behind and go forward and find Rebekah. That’s the whole goal.

BLONDIE: I think outside would be best because both sides clearly are emotional.

GERRY: What day did you call DCI?

TOTH: What?

GERRY: What day did you call DCI?

TOTH: We’ve talked to DCI the day I called Missoula, and I said I’m waiting to see if Missoula’s going to take this–

GERRY: Because we don’t have any record of DCI talking to you.

TOTH: Well.

BLONDIE: There’s clearly a lot of emotion. I think an impartial person needs to be –

TOTH: What I’m saying there is evidence that David never left his house.

BLONDIE: Okay, then an impartial person would find that information out. Somebody who actually wants to find out the truth and get justice will look at all the information without any emotion, and find the truth–

TOTH: We have been!

BLONDIE: But see that’s not, that’s – you are proving right now you have an emotion about this!

TOTH: Well you’re yelling at me right now.

UNDERSHERIFF WAYNE CASHMAN: Stop.

ZYLAWI: Okay. Alright! Okay! That’s – that’s see. Now, let’s give that up on a break. And we will get to a point where we can move forward. But I wanted to let Ellen have a chance to speak, and then we’ll try to see what the options are. Can you request DCI and are they willing? Or are they unwilling?

MINERAL COUNTY ATTORNEY ELLEN DONOHUE: yeah. Um, I know Lance said usually the county attorney or the sheriff’s office. I’ve usually seen it the sheriff’s office. I assume you know, that maybe we would do as well, we would invite them in. Federally it’s different. If we had some kind of indication that maybe she has been trafficked to another state, I know that there was a lot of comparisons with the Gabby case, where people were saying, well wait a minute. Why, that was on Federal property. That was a Federal National Park, and also involved potentially, in another state –

BLACK VEST: This was I-90 for God’s sake!

DONOHUE: Yeah, but we don’t have any, we don’t have any evidence that it involves more than one state. So federally, I mean we could reach out to them, but they’re not going to come and take over the case unless we have something, you know, if we had somebody that said, “Oh yeah, oh my God! I think I saw a pedestrian and –

TOTH: Missoula they reached out. Missoula I thought he’d told you he did.

ANGELA: No I asked, and I called.

TOTH: Right, but –

ANGELA: And they immediately called Detective Larson and said, Angela Mastrovito asked us to participate. And we were informed, at that same day, that they would be asked if they were needed. They weren’t They did not reach out to them

TOTH: By Missoula.

ANGELA: I reached out

TOTH: Right

ANGELA: And then they contacted Missoula and let them know that I personally called.

TOTH: Right.

WHITE JACKET: When Kelly went missing in ‘10, Kelly [Mercile] in this county, they brought in some people from Kalispell. And they were amazing. Amazing.

TOTH: Right. And that’s why we brought Flathead County in, and then we brought the helicopter in, and then we brought Kootenai County.

WHITE JACKET: And we need help to find her.

ANGELA: And I appreciate all of the water search efforts.

TOTH: And then – and then – well the helicopter search is onto and at the water. But then Missoula had the land-based stuff, until they gave it back to us. And at that point, their expertise, and Missoula deals a lot of cases, said there’s no indication or no evidence whatsoever to lead us to believe she’s not in the water.

MAROON HOODIE: Well have they processed the evidence I turned in? Was it ever even turned in properly?

TOTH: I don’t even know what you turned in.

MAROON HOODIE: Um, the husband or boyfriend, whatever, if he’s here in town. What I would like to know – somebody was following me around. I am hanging up Rebekah poster, after poster after poster. And they’re splitting ‘em as soon as I get ‘em up. Day after day after day. Don’t tell me there’s not a man or somebody out here. Why are they doing this?

TOTH: I don’t know.

MAROON HOODIE: Well. Okay. So there was a guy out here last week flippin’ us off because we were talking –

TOTH: Take a picture of ‘em.

MAROON HOODIE: I got it.

TOTH: Well show it to me. I’ll let you know who it is.

MAROON HOODIE: And he’s flipping us off and running across the street and yelling at the mother. So we came in and made a report. What was done? Nothing! Nothing. Her vigil. Her vigil.

TOTH: Was that David?

ANGELA: That was the day that –

TOTH: Was that David?

ANGELA: No.

TOTH: Do you know who that was?

ANGELA: I don’t.

TOTH: So that wasn’t David.

BLONDIE: I don’t know who it was.

TOTH: Well she just said it wasn’t David.

BLONDIE: It does make make him look guilty a little bit. I mean, it does look that way.

MAROON HOODIE: – to put ‘em all up, though. So somebody’s got something to hide.

ANGELA: Sheriff Toth? I’m not here to, to lynch David specifically.

ROOM: No. No!

ANGELA: But my concern is that this was limited to a “river accident” with no other considerations.

TOTH: So what did Missoula do that they explained to ya everything they did to rule David out? And all that stuff, Missoula did. They took that part, they, they were in charge, just like DCI would have been, to do the outside of the river. That’s what I asked, because we don’t have the manpower to do it.

ANGELA: Right I understand that.

TOTH: So I reached out to the biggest agency that’s closest to us and TJ said “yes” and assigned two detectives, spelled out the hours they put in and all the time that they did.

ANGELA: I understand.

TOTH: So that’s what I’m saying. So, now–

ANGELA: I would like DCI brought in.

TOTH: Well –

ANGELA: I feel that there were leads that – there were definitely four leads that called and left messages at Missoula that they never returned calls. I know that because I have to go back and babysit and contact these people. Did you get to talk to so and so? No, they never returned my call. So I’m having to do the follow-up to determine, did you get to tell your story. What we were informed is that somebody asked David what he did that day, and he said he was with friends. End of discussion. So, but what I’m saying is that there were other things that could have been looked at and weren’t. And that is my frustration. And God help the people in this community for the next missing person who happens to be walking along the river and it’s decided that they are a drowning and there is no other consideration. God help them.

PERSON IN AUDIENCE: Do you have kids, Mike?

GERRY: Let me ask a question. When a person goes missing and you get a phone call saying, “I’ve got a missing person,” how long do you act? 24 hours? 48 hours?

TOTH: We would send deputies out just like we did here.

GERRY: Huh?

TOTH: We sent the evidence out.

ELLEN: At the time we didn’t know it was a – it didn’t come in with evidence.

GERRY: You didn’t know what you had.

TOTH: Right, but we sent– and then–

GERRY: Well you claimed it to be a missing person *snap, right off the get go. And how do you know she was a missing person, and how did you know she went into the river.

TOTH: We didn’t.

GERRY: So how can you call it a missing person?

TOTH: So, the deputy – the deputy called me and said–

GERRY: And where were you? On vacation?

TOTH: No. I was –

CASHMAN: He was in his office.

BLONDIE: You don’t know where you were?

TOTH: I don’t know wherever I am every day. You know. Anyways. So I was in my office. Deputy calls, this is what we have. Okay. Go with it. Let’s see what we have. You need to search. Get a hold of her spouse, which was David. It’s the only number we had.

ANGELA: Right.

TOTH: We didn’t know who you people were.

ANGELA: Right. I understand that.

TOTH: So we reached out to David. He reaches out to David. David says, “No, she’s supposed to be living in Missoula” Da-da. David says, “What should I do?” He says, “You need to call her family.”

ANGELA: And he did.

TOTH: Calling her family and tip them off that something’s going on, something’s with Rebekah because we’ve got these items and we’ve got her car. Of course, now we’re thinking it’s a missing persons, which could be abduction, could be whatever. But when the deputy looked in it, there’s no sign of a struggle there. He sees the phone. He hears what the one witness tells him about what the witness saw, and he says, “Well it sounds like she’s probably in the water.”

ANGELA: Was there a witness there when the deputy arrived?

TOTH: He had le– they had left.

ANGELA: They had left.

AUDIENCE: Uh-huh.

ANGELA: Okay.

GERRY: How convenient.

BLONDIE: That place is always busy. I’m always there.

ANGELA: I’m, I guess, you know my questions just continue to mount, though. Because David did contact me at 8:09. That would be um, Eastern Standard–or Montana Time.

TOTH: Right.

ANGELA: Okay? So it was after ten when I got it. I woke up the next morning and got it. But you know, the thing of it is, is that, it was not just, “Hey, I need to let you know.” he was aggravated. I have it in a text message. He was aggravated that somebody would even bother to knock on his door and question him.

TOTH: Well, David’s, as you know, has–

ANGELA: Yes.

TOTH: –got his quirks.

ANGELA: Yes.

GERRY: Well he has lot’s of ‘em.

ANGELA: But I’m just saying, you know, I mean if it –and everybody’s saying, oh they weren’t – they were getting back together, and they were doing this, and they were doing that.

TOTH: I don’t know about that. I just know that–

ANGELA: They weren’t getting back together.

TOTH: I just know they haven’t filed in court for divorce.

ANGELA: And yeah. Well, you know, well I mean, it costs money to file for divorce

TOTH: Well, and I understand. So she maybe have get– she maybe have gettin’ it, but, she may in her mind told you that. We don’t have no evidence of that, other than there’s no paperwork filed in the court saying she was filing for divorce.

ANGELA: Right. I understand that. But the thing of it is, is that, to me the bottom line is that there was a lack of due diligence. Instead of ruling out, there was an assumption the whole way through.

TOTH: So if we would have done that, then you’d have said, “Why didn’t you rule out the river?”

ANGELA: No! I mean, you rule out everything. And so why not, why just take–

TOTH: And we, and we did that when –I just told you. We had guys in the river and we turned over the outside search to Missoula.

ANGELA: Mm-hmm

ZYLAWI: So is that, do you have some concerns about–

TOTH: I mean I don’t understand–

ZYLAWI: –you do–

TOTH: –why misunderstand–

ZYLAWI: Mike!

TOTH: and I’m not being s– and I’m not being –I really want to understand this. And maybe I’m not clicking with me right. But we did want to rule everything out. And that’s why I turned the land-based case to Missoula, because they have the deputies and the detectives to do it. And the County kept the water case too, but, because they had a bigger search and rescue. But our search and rescue was there. And we were there and then–

ANGELA: Right. There were several water search and rescue teams.

TOTH: So, so my understanding is, we were – I was trying to cover all bases, by having Missoula take over the – now, if you’re saying you don’t like what they did with the land-based search. Or their land-based investigation, then I’ll call DCI. I’ve got no problem.

ANGELA: I would, I would appreciate if DCI were called.

TOTH: But I trust Missoula’s expertise on this. But–

ANGELA: I mean, the land-based search didn’t include any, it was phone work, uh, computer work, and–

TOTH: Right. Because we have no evidence of anything else right now.

CASHMAN: They exhausted all leads we had, they had. all leads.

BLACK VEST: But they didn’t find her in the water. With all these resources. They didn’t find her.

TOTH: Right. I understand that. There could be several reasons why.

CASHMAN: They don’t always come up. There’s there’s–

WHITE HOODIE: So do we only look by the river, or do we go elsewhere?

CASHMAN: We have to have evidence to go elsewhere, or we would just be searching–

GERRY: We didn’t need to have evidence to go on the river?

TOTH: Yeah we did! What we saw there led us to believe–

GERRY: Hold on. Two weeks after that, we had a search go up there. They found clothes on the river.

TOTH: And they weren’t hers.

GERRY: Huh?

TOTH: They weren’t hers.

GERRY: Why didn’t you treat those clothes as a person that went into the river?

TOTH: Because they probably got lost from a boat or something that tipped over or something.

AUDIENCE: Oh my God!

GERRY: So you treat cases as you see fit.

TOTH: Sure if you want to say that. As our expertise leads us to believe.

ZYLAWI: So! So you can – so we’ll just – so you had, you’ve had concerns. You’ve said Missoula County has received leads, and they have called them back, and you’ve had to follow up for them.

ANGELA: I had to follow up. Mm-hmm. And so then they’ve been referred to my PI or to here.

ZYLAWI: So if you have a little bit of lack of confidence in both departments, and Sheriff Toth said he would – you would call in DCI then, Mike?

TOTH: Yeah. Like I said.

ANGELA: Thank you.

ZYLAWI: And uh –

TOTH: And just on a side note, my personal website you want to talk about? That’s what I warned you guys about psychics. That was my client paying for all of that, and got them nothing. But it made the news so I put it on my website that this was done. And I warned you guys, psychics, especially now that you’ve got the reward, I think if you’re gonna work with psychics, I hope you’re not paying them. If they’re working for free. But if they say they have found her or they think they know where she is, say, “Well, there’s a reward. You go find her and then call law enforcement, and then you’ll get whatever the award is.”

ANGELA: So that’s –

TOTH: Because they’ll stop calling you when they realize they’re not going to get any money from you.

ANGELA: Well I’m –

TOTH: Except the one company that you’re talking about.

ANGELA: FindMe Group.

TOTH: But as soon as they sent this psychic to me, I said well what are – and then he says, “Well psychics believe she’s in the water.”

AUDIENCE: She’s not in the water.

ZYLAWI: So we’ll end on the note that you’ll try to have DCI–

TOTH: I’ll call DCI tonight.

ZYLAWI: –check into – I mean, this is still an open case.

TOTH: I’ll send, I’ll send a detective over.

ZYLAWI: It’s a missing person case. That doesn’t mean that you’re concluding anything. It’s a missing person–

TOTH: I’ll meet with – I’ll have a DCI detective

ZYLAWI: – and then, uh–

TOTH: I’ll meet. I’ll ask you and your husband only to come in

ANGELA: Okay.

TOTH: Or your attorney too. Whatever.

ANGELA: Okay

TOTH: – to meet – only an attorney though –

ANGELA: Okay.

TOTH: to meet with them. And then we can do whatever.

ANGELA: Thank you.

TOTH: So long as Ellen doesn’t have a problem with that. I don’t think she’ll care.

DONOHUE : No. No. I’m fine with that.

GERRY: Seeing how this is still a missing case, can we get a copy of the hard drive through our attorney?

TOTH: But, so, well, we’re going to talk to DCI now.

ANGELA: He’s requested it.

TOTH: I understand.

GERRY: He’s requested it a while ago.

TOTH: I know. I know he – I know he did when we were there.

DONOHUE: Yeah. He mentioned that and he’d said he didn’t have to access it, because I didn’t understand that.

TOTH: And again, because, yeah, we thought, because, it’s still an open case. I think they’re going to say no. But we’ll ask them.

GERRY: Why.

TOTH: Because it’s an open case.

WHITE HOODIE: But they’re the parents.

TOTH: I know but it’s an open case. And now it’s–

ZYLAWI: Yeah, and it’s not just the Sheriff. There’s legal – I mean the County Attorney is also advising the Sheriff what to let go and what not to. It’s not just one person deciding unilaterally. It’s a team here, and a team has to maintain things are saved, if DCI does come in, nothing’s been tainted or let out–

[PEOPLE TALKING OVER EACH OTHER]

ZYLAWI: So, we have, we have a, we have a lady with her hand up. One question and then we’ll let Ellen close the meeting, and we’ll end on that happy note. But go ahead ma’am. You’ve had your hand up.

BLACK VEST: Not so much a question. But within this community, um, I hear a lot of people from where I volunteer. And within this community people are very nervous and very afraid that there could be a trafficker or a murderer, or et cetera. In this county, people are scared. They don’t feel like law enforcement is doing their job because people have called, nothing gets done, blah blah blah. Now I don’t know this. I have no idea into that–

TOTH: Called on this case or on another? Called on this case or on other cases?

BLACK VEST: This and other–

CASHMAN: That is so open ended that, that, that it’s actually insulting. Mm-kay?

BLACK VEST: Well I, I have– I like my law enforcement in general.

CASHMAN: And we can’t control what people do, But I can tell you this.

BLACK VEST: Mm-kay.

CASHMAN: When the phone rings, we go.

BLACK VEST: Mm-kay?

CASHMAN: We’ve made great strides since we’ve been here–

BLACK VEST: I’ve had my hand up for a long time.

CASHMAN: –to ensure that it’s happened

BLACK VEST: All I’m saying is that it has spread throughout the community where there’s a sense of, uh, uneasiness–

TOTH: Because people that don’t understand about the case and what we can release, are on facebook every other day spreading about stuff that they don’t know what they’re talking about that is upsetting the family, is upsetting the family in that. Right. And you showed her the picture, and it wasn’t David. And you talked to a deputy? You reported it?

MAROON HOODIE: Yep, um, my friend that was with me did, yes.

TOTH: Kay.

MAROON HOODIE: And nothing was done. Nada. it. Nothing.

TOTH: Well, how do you know yet? We just got it. You guys were just here Wednesday.

MAROON HOODIE: You don’t even know my name. You don’t even know who I am.

TOTH: Well I’m only – I know every case that comes in.

MAROON HOODIE: Okay, so. that’s my point.

GREY/GREEN SWEATER: I don’t care who these guys are. Let’s just focus on what is next for Rebekah. Please!

ZYLAWI: The next thing, and, and the County Attorney and the Sheriff are going to call DCI which has an out of state resource, and hopefully will pick up what has been learned so far and follow through. But, I mean, Mineral County has always been a small county with limited resources. I mean, we had a train spill in ‘96 where all this chlorine went everywhere, and our little department couldn’t handle the evacuation. What we did, we relied on Missoula County to come. We had a hostage situation in a bar in Alberton and we didn’t have a SWAT team. And Missoula County came in and helped us handle it. So it’s, it’s not unusual that we have something major that we do have to tap into other people’s resources, with their detectives and their investigators and their dogs and – so, I’m glad that Missoula County was involved. And some of these, some of these questions I’m just learning about today too. But they are – there are procedures and steps that the County Attorney knows. You have to maintain evidence and, and, and, you have, you know, the laptop thing I’m not sure about. But if you guys get together with DCI and he says, “That’s fine.” But if, if, if the Sheriff goes and just gives it to people without – and then later it can or cannot be used. I mean there’s a jep- things get jeopardized if you don’t go through the steps. But also I am very sorry for you because–

ANGELA: Thank you.

ZYLAWI: –I mean the closure or the lack of closure must be unbearable. I’m sorry.

ANGELA: Thank you.

TOTH: And we have called DCI before. We don’t – we’re not scared to call DCI. They worked a homicide for us here, last–

CASHMAN: This year.

TOTH: This year for us. In St. Regis–

CASHMAN: They’ve gone and recovered bones for missing persons in a case six years ago above the rest area.

TOTH: And so, I mean, it’s not that I didn’t, it’s that Missoula was handling it. So there’s no reason now to bring a third party in. Now I’ll bring them in to say, “The family wants you to review everything we’ve. Because everything’s been done. Does anything more need to be done that you see?” And they can visit with you. And hopefully they can do – if they see fit, they’ll look at what the case file is. They’ll talk to her, and her husband, and the private investigator, and probably visit with me and Ellen, and then they’ll determine what they can do or can’t do.

ZYLAWI: Anything you wanted to say, Ellen, before we adjourn?

DONOHUE: Uh, no. Not really. Other than, uh, you know, if something does come, if we get some information, we will look into it. I did, um, I did put a hold, or continue the preservation that I told you’d I do, that’s all preserved.

ANGELA: Thank you.

DONOHUE: What we’re hoping is I was in touch with, I think it was actually Prather that I talked, no I think it might have been deputy, eh, detective Larson. We’re hoping, uh, technically, our understanding is you can only get two, 90-day holds–

ANGELA: Okay.

DONOHUE: –On the information. We’re thinking now that, since we’ve taken over, they’ll only count this as my first.

ANGELA: Okay.

DONOHUE: So I have it calendared, probably a week or two before the 90 days are up, to put in another request.

ANGELA: Okay.

DONOHUE: But, I’ve gotten that all –I not only faxed it, I Emailed ‘em–

ANGELA: Okay.

DONOHUE: –to make sure that we’ve got that preserved.

ANGELA: Okay. Thank you.

ZYLAWI: Alright. Well, thank you everybody for keeping this hopefully in order and in civil discourse and respect. And we all hope that we can find a conclusion, and hopefully a happier one. Alright. Thank you everyone.