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Owl Bar Aftermath–Clare Boyle Statement–Ethos, Pathos, Logos

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 Use Ethos, Pathos and logos to determine reliable narrator in following passage: 

Clare Boyle the niece of the alleged mass shooter Michael Brown of Anaconda Montana has released the following statement on behalf of their family. The Boyle’s written statement can be read in full below.

“We don’t know much right now unfortunately apart from what the police know.. My uncle is a very mentally ill veteran. He served in the army and was sent home a sergeant. He had developed schizophrenia during his time in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Then he joined the National Guard where he was not allowed to be deployed again due to his mental illness.. Mikee hasn’t been the same since he came back.. It’s been progressively worse with the passing of both parents and exceedingly worse since the trauma of my grandmas passing (his mother)… The VA turned us away stating that they weren’t able to help. The Montana state Hospital turned us away because they only accept patients who are court ordered which could not happen unless “He becomes a harm to self or others”.

The system failed.. We as people failed.. Failed to report suspicious behavior because “that’s just Mikee” patrons of the bar urinating on his porch and mocking his delusions to get a rise out of him because they know it will… You deal with that long enough… With a mental illness? Horrible things are going to happen. We begged people to listen and open their eyes.. 99% of the time Mikee is harmless. You can ask almost anyone in town. If you’re not mocking his delusions or being awful towards him he is one of the best people… I don’t know what happened Thursday night to provoke this and I don’t know what happened Friday morning to push this… what I do know is no amount of words or apologies will ever be enough to express the remorse and heartbreak I personally feel for these families effected. 5 families were destroyed on Friday morning.

To determine whether the narrator (Clare Boyle, via her written statement) is reliable, we can assess her use of **ethos** (credibility), **pathos** (emotional appeal), and **logos** (logical reasoning).

## **1. Ethos (Credibility):**

– **Connection to Subject:** Clare identifies herself as Michael Brown’s niece, establishing a close relationship and presenting herself as a family spokesperson.

– **Insider Knowledge:** She references family history and personal experience with Michael’s mental illness and medical treatment attempts, suggesting direct experience.

– **Transparency:** She admits, “We don’t know much right now unfortunately apart from what the police know,” and, “I don’t know what happened Thursday night… or Friday morning,” which suggests honesty about the limits of her knowledge rather than portrayal of certainty.

**Assessment:**  

Clare’s ethos partially supports her reliability; she’s up-front about what she does and does not know, speaks with empathy, and has direct involvement. However, as a family member, she may have unconscious bias in defense of her uncle.

## **2. Pathos (Emotional Appeal):**

– **Appeals to Sympathy:** The narrative emphasizes Michael’s mental illness and trauma: “mentally ill veteran,” “developed schizophrenia,” “wasn’t the same since he came back,” “trauma of my grandma’s passing,” “the system failed.”

– **Systemic Critique:** Expresses frustration at healthcare and systemic failures (“VA turned us away,” “Montana State Hospital turned us away”), and the community’s passivity or cruelty toward Michael.

– **Victim’s Remorse:** “No words or apologies will ever be enough to express remorse and heartbreak… 5 families were destroyed…”

**Assessment:**  

Strong emotional language (“horrible things are going to happen”) is meant to evoke empathy and perhaps lessen judgment of Michael Brown. While this is authentic in grief, it may also serve to shift blame from the accused to societal failures, suggesting some emotional bias.

## **3. Logos (Logic):**

– **Factual Claims:** Provides a timeline—service in the army, development of illness, attempts to get help, rejection by institutions. Cites specific causes for the situation (mental health deterioration, failing support systems).

– **Acknowledgement of Uncertainty:** Clearly states what is unknown about the events in question (“I don’t know what happened…”).

– **Rational Explanation:** Argues that long-term mistreatment and untreated illness leads to tragedy.

**Assessment:**  

The reasoning is logical within the framework of the story: trauma, untreated mental illness, and systemic neglect can contribute to tragedies. However, there is absence of direct evidence about the actual events (“I don’t know what happened Thursday night”), which underlines that her claim is interpretive, not eyewitness or fact-driven about the central incident.

 

## **Conclusion: Reliable Narrator?**

**Clare Boyle appears to be a **reliable** narrator regarding the family’s experiences, her uncle’s mental health, and efforts to get help.** Her transparency about gaps in her knowledge, firsthand experience, and emotional candor enhance her credibility about these aspects.

**However, she is not a reliable narrator for the details of the actual shooting incident,** as she explicitly admits her lack of knowledge (“I don’t know what happened…”). Her emotional closeness to Michael and the tragic situation could introduce some bias, mainly in her framing of events as systemic failures rather than addressing possible personal culpability.

**Summary Table:**

| Aspect | Reliable? | Reasoning |

|——————-|————-|————————————————–|

| Family history | Yes | Firsthand knowledge, direct experience |

| Michael’s illness | Yes | Observed over time, acknowledges uncertainty |

| Shootings details | No | Admits ignorance of facts |

| Motive/blame | Partially | Emotional, some bias towards systemic explanation |

**Overall:**  

Clare is a reliable narrator for her direct experiences and observations, but her narrative of the shooting itself is limited to secondhand information and emotional context, not factual account of the events.

 

source. perplexity.ai

 

Social Media.  https://x.com/jameslangelle

GROK.

Owl Bar Aftermath 08.02.25.2020pdt: #Anaconda, Montana quadruple homicide suspect Michael Paul Brown niece’s statement examined for reliable/unreliable narrator using ethos, pathos, logos; for factual claims vs unconscious bias toward uncle’s intent. perplexity.ai/search/use-eth
 
  • The post references a real-time investigation into a quadruple homicide at the Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, where Michael Paul Brown, a 45-year-old army veteran with Iraq deployment (2004-05), is the suspect, as confirmed by Montana Department of Justice and BBC reports from August 2, 2025.
  • It suggests analyzing the niece’s statement using ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic)—rhetorical tools from Aristotle’s framework— to assess bias or reliability, a method supported by peer-reviewed studies like those in the Journal of Applied Communication Research (2019) on narrative credibility.
  • The event highlights a rare violent outbreak in a small community (under 10,000 residents), contrasting with FBI crime data showing rural areas typically have lower homicide rates (1.9 per 100,000 vs. 6.3 in urban areas, 2023), prompting questions about the suspect’s mental state post-military service.
 

Anaconda Dragnet–Michael Paul Brown–Quadruple Homicide

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Owl Bar mass shooting Anaconda, Montana

      Four people were killed in a mass shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, on Friday, August 1, 2025, at approximately 10:30 a.m.. The victims—one bartender and three patrons—were the only people present during the shooting, according to the owner. The suspect, 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, fled the scene and remains at large as of the latest reports.

      Brown is described as a military veteran, having served as an Army armor crewman from 2001 to 2005 and deployed to Iraq, later serving with the National Guard through March 2009. His family and law enforcement sources indicate that Brown struggled with significant mental health issues, including schizophrenia and PTSD.

      Authorities have recovered the getaway vehicle—Brown’s 2007 white Ford F-150—but not the suspect himself. The search effort, involving SWAT teams and a police perimeter, is now concentrated in the mountainous Stumptown area west of Anaconda, where Brown was last seen. Residents have been told to remain vigilant and stay indoors due to the suspect’s continued flight and the belief he is armed and extremely dangerous.

      As of early August 2, Brown’s location is still unknown, and no motives or prior conflicts with the victims have been confirmed by police or the bar owner. The names of the four victims have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.

 

The following is information regarding the suspect’s alleged mental health issues:

Toulmin Method: evidence to warrant the claim

      In the Toulmin method of argumentation, the evidence (or grounds) provides the factual basis or data that supports the claim. The warrant is the logical connection or reasoning that explains why the evidence justifies the claim. Put simply, the warrant shows how and why the evidence (grounds) supports the claim, bridging the two parts in the argument.

      For example, if the claim is “There is a wolf outside,” the evidence might be “I hear howling outside,” and the warrant would be “Wolves are animals that howl.” This explains why hearing howling is good evidence the claim is true. The warrant can be explicit or implied, but it must be a generally accepted principle or assumption that authorizes the leap from evidence to claim.

      In sum, the claim states what you want to prove, the evidence (grounds) provides the facts, and the warrant justifies the connection between the two by explaining why the evidence is relevant and supportive of the claim.

      Additional components like backing can provide further support for the warrant, strengthening the argument further, but the core role of the warrant remains the logical link between evidence and claim

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/toulmin-method-evidence-to-war-aNxzNQYdT22s8ZEkEa9vxA

The Toulmin Method applied to the quadruple homicide case with respect to the PTSD allegations:

evidence to warrant the claim michael paul brown, anaconda montana quadruple homicide suspect suffered ptsd

There is evidence to support the claim that Michael Paul Brown, the suspect in the Anaconda, Montana quadruple homicide, suffered from PTSD, primarily based on testimonials from family and friends and verified details about his military service.

  • Brown’s niece, Clare Boyle, told MTN News that he suffered from significant mental health challenges, including schizophrenia and PTSD stemming from his U.S. Army service. She described worsening symptoms after personal loss and difficulties obtaining care from veterans’ services. Boyle noted that he was deployed to Iraq from early 2004 to March 2005, and continued to struggle with delusions and behavioral issues following his discharge.
  • A friend of Brown also told news outlets that Brown was “struggling with PTSD” and sometimes believed he was still in the Army, recounting how untreated mental health issues led to concerning behaviors. The friend stated: “He needed help… It’s devastating that no one listened until it was too late”. Local residents and family members had reportedly tried to get assistance for Brown through the VA and mental health services without success.
  • Official military records confirm that Brown served as an armor crewman in Iraq and in the National Guard. This deployment history is consistent with risk factors for PTSD among veterans.

However, it is important to note that:

  • All information confirming a PTSD diagnosis comes from family and friends; there are no direct statements from medical or psychological professionals in the reporting so far.
  • No official records or court documents reporting a clinical diagnosis have been cited in the available news coverage.
  • Law enforcement and authorities have focused on the ongoing manhunt and investigation, not Brown’s mental health history.

In summary, family and friends close to Michael Paul Brown, corroborated by his verified Iraq war deployment, describe him as suffering from PTSD. But as of now, the available evidence is primarily testimonial and circumstantial, without direct medical documentation in the public record.

 

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/evidence-to-warrant-the-claim-FFGstxJHTQaeEb5xRzOemw

Social Media:

Owl Bar Incident 08.02.25.1600pdt: Quadruple homicide suspect, Michael Paul Brown, #Anaconda, Montana, dark past reveals brother William Leonard, life term for murder in 2000, escape with others during prison transfer. (Montana Standard, 04 Sept. 2004, p. 1). Connection unclear.

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Death Hunt 08.02.25.1900pdt: Armed and dangerous Owl Bar quadruple homicide suspect Michael Paul Brown dodges capture by massive dragnet. News calls #Anaconda outback “rugged;” is there any place up there that isn’t? That’s why it’s called Montana.
 
GROK:
  • The X post links the 1981 film Death Hunt, starring Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin, to a real-time manhunt for Michael Paul Brown, a suspected quadruple homicide suspect in Anaconda, Montana, drawing a parallel between the film’s rugged wilderness chase and the current “massive dragnet” in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, as reported by Montana news outlets like BBC and Fox News on August 2, 2025.
  • The film’s depiction of a fictionalized RCMP pursuit of Albert Johnson, a loner evading capture in harsh terrain, mirrors the ongoing challenge faced by law enforcement tracking Brown, whose abandoned getaway car and barefoot escape photo suggest survival skills honed during his U.S. Army veteran service, a detail corroborated by the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
  • Historical data from the Anaconda area, including its copper mining past and the 1893 Owl Bar shooting site, adds context to the region’s rugged reputation, while no peer-reviewed studies exist on manhunt success rates in such environments, though anecdotal evidence from past cases (e.g., Eric Rudolph’s 1998 capture) indicates dense wilderness often prolongs fugitive evasion.