On Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, the Billings Gazette reported a Montana woman had been threatened the day before by a man wielding a knife, and who insinuated she would meet with harm like “that bitch on TV,” if she did not go with him.
The woman who outwitted her abductor interpreted that the man who approached her with a knife while she was pulled off a frontage road near Forsyth, searching for a CD in her car, was referring to the missing Sidney, MT math teacher.
But the FBI in the Salt Lake City, Utah division issued a press release update on the Sherry Arnold disappearance on Friday the 13th as well, which said that based upon a public tip, one adult male had been taken into custody and another adult male was being questioned in Arnold’s disappearance.
This led some to assume that law enforcement had their men, potentially, and that the two cases were unrelated. Rosebud County Undersheriff Arlan Thingvold appeared to be of the same mindset when asked if the two cases could be related.
“We have nothing to point that way,” Thingvold said.
Despite Thingvold’s belief that the alleged encounter that took place in his jurisdiction was not relevant to the Arnold case, the law enforcement official put out a BOLO (be on the lookout) about the incident to other law enforcement agencies in Montana, the Dakotas and Wyoming anyway.
The incident, which was allegedly experienced between 2 and 3 p.m. on Thursday--but not reported until 6:50 p.m. the same day--could be the work of someone seeking to further their own crime agenda by inciting fear in other Montana women. Or, it could, however, be yet another clue in the ongoing investigation into Sherry Arnold’s disappearance and death.
What is interesting to note about this other crime incident in Montana is the fact that extensive details were provided by the victim in the case. Many people are so rattled when someone comes upon them abruptly and threatens bodily harm that they couldn’t even describe the suspect much less give so much detailed information as this victim.
The woman in question was able to give the following information about her assailant to the police: She said he was approximately 6-feet, 5-inches and weighed between 250 to 300 pounds. In addition, he had long red curly hair and a full beard. He also sported tattoos in green and blue colors, which included the outline of an Eagle in blue ink and had USA printed beneath it.
Additionally, the Billings Gazette reported that the victim provided law enforcement with a description of her alleged assailant’s mode of transportation, saying it was a faded red Chevrolet panel van with dark-tinted windows and an 80’s model.
References: Billings Gazette, FBI
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