Daniel Edwin Baillie, a 59-year-old man remembered for his kindness, was born in Wallace, Idaho, on September 15, 1965. He attended school in Mullen, Idaho, and later pursued mechanical classes in Spokane, Washington. Known as Dan to his loved ones, he is survived by his mother, Barbara, his brother, Robert, two sons, Daniel and Kelly, and his aunt, Margie. He was preceded in death by his father, Ralph Edwin Baillie.
On the morning of Friday, August 1, 2025, the community of Anaconda, Montana, was irrevocably altered by a burst of violence. At approximately 10:30 a.m., a gunman entered The Owl Bar at 819 E. 3rd St. and opened fire. Daniel Baillie was a patron at the bar, enjoying the company of a longtime friend, 74-year-old Tony Wayne Palm. Both men were killed in the attack. The shooting also claimed the lives of the bartender, 64-year-old Nancy Lauretta Kelley, and another patron, 70-year-old David Allen Leach.
All four victims were residents of Anaconda.
Court documents later revealed harrowing details from the bar's surveillance cameras. The footage allegedly showed a man, identified by police as Michael Paul Brown, entering the bar with a bucket and a pizza box. He poured a liquid into the bucket, set the pizza box on fire, and placed it on the bucket before exiting. He returned about 30 seconds later with a rifle and began shooting. A responding paramedic confirmed that all four victims died inside the bar.
The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, an Army veteran who lived next door to the bar, fled the scene, sparking a massive, week-long manhunt. The search involved more than 250 personnel from 39 county, state, and federal agencies, combing the rugged terrain of the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness. The tight-knit town of about 9,000 people was on high alert until Brown's capture. On August 8, 2025, authorities apprehended Brown near the Ranch Bar, just west of Anaconda. Attorney General Austin Knudsen confirmed Brown was "technically armed" when he was taken into custody.
Following his arrest, Michael Paul Brown was charged with four counts of deliberate homicide, as well as attempted arson, theft, and eluding a peace officer. A month after his arrest, he pleaded not guilty to all charges. The legal proceedings have since been marked by delays related to Brown's mental health. He was found unfit to stand trial and has been participating in a series of status hearings via Zoom from the Montana State Hospital. As of October 2026, the court had granted more time for an independent psychological evaluation, and the case remains in the pretrial phase, with Brown's mental health evaluation sealed from the public.
The brutal killings sent shockwaves through Anaconda. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte held a moment of silence for the victims and shared that he had spoken with each of their families to offer condolences. Friends and family of the four victims have vowed to attend every court hearing until they see justice served. The owner of The Owl Bar, David Gwerder, expressed the ongoing pain of the community as the legal process continues. In the wake of the tragedy, the families of Daniel Baillie thanked the people of Butte and Anaconda for the many kindnesses they received. Daniel was to be interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Mullen, Idaho, at a later date.
