Episode 179: Montana Lopez

0:13 Hello, and welcome to the Catch My Killer Podcast. Thank you for listening. My name is Mark. For nearly eight years, I've written a weekly newspaper column about true crime and missing people for the Clare Muslin newspaper in Ohio. With a column and podcast, my objective has always been to try to bring attention the cases that haven't received much media attention, if any at all. This week's story involves a twenty two year old Indiana man named Montana Lopez, who was a beloved Ball State College freshman student who had changed his major from exercise science to social work. While hosting a party at his home, Montana was shot to death some time after two am on June nineteenth, twenty twenty one, in Mudzy, Indiana. The two year anniversary of his homicide is coming up, and as of this recording, law enforcement has made no arrests. Montana Lopez was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on November sixth, nineteen ninety eight. He was a freshman at Ball State University in Mudsey, Indiana. Although Montana grew up in foster care, he never let that stop him or pursuing his dream of earning his college degree and finding his career.

1:45 He was also especially close to his three siblings. He had a twin sister named Juanita, a brother named Nick, and his oldest sister, Simtiana. Although the siblings didn't all live together under one roof, they always tried to keep in touch with each other. Brinson family, who knew Montana, described him as a kind and considerate young man. He was athletic, loved dogs, and enjoyed going to the gym and listening to music. He had made a lot of friends while in college and had lived in a nice home with roommates just outside the Ball State campus. On Friday night, June eighteenth, twenty twenty one, Montana hosted a party at his home, located at the thirteen hundred block of West Abbot Street in Muncy. The party had gotten loud and police were called to the scene. Montana was told to keep the noise down. Law enforcement left the home without making any arrests or shutting down the party. This would not be the last time that law enforcement would visit this party. Later that evening, law enforcement had received a call that someone had been shot at Montana's residence. After the police returned to Montana's residence for a second time, they would find him shot in the net. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A fifteen year old teenager would eventually be taken into custody for being involved in Montana's shooting. However, the teenager has since been

3:15 released in his face no punishment. According to Montana's sister, Santiana, several people at the party had taken photos and recorded video of the carnage. Several witnesses at the party told Santiana that they had witnessed the fifteen year old teenager shoot Montana to death. Santiana has since had conversations with law enforcement and asked them why the fifteen year old teenager is an in custody. She said that law enforcement knows the team shot her brother, but they have not charged him with a homicide for now, the team hasn't ever been officially named as a person of interest, so he must be considered innocent of wrongdoing. While doing research for Montana's story, I found an article on a website about Montana's thoughts on growing up in the foster care system. I would like to share his comments to show just how passionate he was about foster's children maintaining their roots while in foster care. The following piece can be found on the Foster success dot Org website for Montana, being Hispanic brings a large sense of pride. However, with that pride comes experiences of racism. Because of this, Montana has felt the need to suppress his culture. Almost half of Who's Your Children exiting

4:46 foster care in twenty eighteen had at least three placements. While each placement brings its own challenges and adjustments, for young people in foster care or Montana, each placement presented a constant struggle to stay connected to his Hispanic culture. My experience growing up as a youth of color in America was already difficult, but on top of that, I'm a youth that has been through the foster care system as well. When it comes to Hispanic heritage, month yes, there is cultural impact. But because I moved between foster homes, little by little, pieces of my Hispanic culture were stripped for me. The one thing that they could not take for me is my name, Montana Lopez, a name embedded with rich culture. I love my ethnicity and I love the heritage, and it is something that I have begun to embrace daily. However, from one look at me, people sometimes think they know who I am, where I came from, and the hardships that I have endured. One of the hardships includes my interaction with law enforcement. When I get pulled over by a police officer, I immediately suspect the worst and assume that just because I am a person of color and have tattoos, that they will think that I am a bad person. I always think they are not there for my safety, but rather to harass me. I tend to think that if I needed help,

6:16 police officers would first assume to arrest me rather than get me resources like proper aid or help. They may never even realize that even though I have tattoos and I am a person of color, I am a student pursuing my bachelor's degree. Montana would like to see youth of color at the table when decisions are being made about changes to the foster care system. Montana said, I would like to see dcs approach this issue with more diversity. Instead of asking a couple of youth of color, ask them all let their voices and struggles be heard and known. Additionally, he stated that dcs should require parents to take diversity classes as well to ensure that no matter what color or part of the world or state a child is from, that they will all be treated equally and fairly. According to Montana's family members, the loss has been devastating. Montana and his sister Juanita were twins, and anyone familiar with twin siblings understands the closeness that they often share. Montana was also best friends with his brother Nick. For Montana's story, I spoke to his oldest sister, Santiana Soriano and now on with Montana's story is told by his oldest sister, Santiana. I guess when when we were younger. He has a twin, Erney his twin his name Juanita. I'm the oldest out of all four of

7:50 us that we have a younger brother. Also, our mom was addicted to drugs and then we end up being placed with a family friend for a couple of years, and then she went to prison for selling drugs and then we got back with our mom lived with her for five years. We moved around a lot. We lived in Mexico, Texas, different places in Indiana where we ended up in Munthsey and he didn't take us into this into all the time, and I remember we were at the bus station and he was fighting with my mom and my mom end up smacking him in the face and they called the cops and we ended up getting removed in place in foster care, which we talked out of when we were eighteen, so like we were in it from I would just turned fourteen. They were thirteen and my youngest was twelve. My youngest brother and we'd lived in foster care until we were eighteen.

8:50 We talked out. We were actually split up. Me and my sister lived in one home in Munthsey, and then my brother lived Gaston, Indiana, and then from there me and my sister topped down. We lived in the same home the whole entire time. My brothers eventually moved around to three or four different foster homes, but they went to Westdale. They were a football player. He was a football player. I'm pretty sure. There's like a lot of pictures because they're really good at it. But after he graduated and think my brother were in a really bad crack and he ended up breaking his back and so the bottom half of his back was metal like place.

9:33 I'm pretty sure. So he had a rough time after that because he couldn't do much. He loved to be at the gym, loved he loved to be with his friends. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I found like a lot of articles where people made because he went to not one ball state, but think he went to Purdue in Fort Wayne. He had so many friends that there were so many posts about how everybody just loved him, like so many more people than I ever even thought of, Like I even knew I didn't know half the people at his funeral while in foster care. Were you all able to keep in touch with each other during your separation, Yeah, we were. It was just kind of hard for the simple fact that schedules didn't match up, or one foster parent didn't want to take us or the other one when we were to have our meat and stuff like that. So we were able to, but it was something that wasn't like something that would I guess you say, should have happened, didn't really happen like our regular cake being in touch. It would be like sometimes a month or two that we didn't get to see our brothers at a time or sometimes more, but we would go to obviously talk on the phone and things like that, but it just honestly just depended. Now I'm guessing that living in foster care changed the family dynamics because let's say, with you all being separated and not living together under the same roof as a family liney, you had to changed away things were in your family. Is that correct exactly? Yes, because we grew

11:07 up together. Yeah, we were so close, and then we got from Boster Carret And I'm guessing that the separation must have been really difficult for Montana because from what I understand, he was really close to his brother and his twin sister, and then of course he has a relationship with you. But it sounds like he was really family oriented, so to be separated from those that he loved the most must have been a really traumatic experience for him. Because he was fairly young when this happened. It was very difficult, especially for him because he always felt guilty though it was all his fall. I actually found the paper after he possibly only went to his stuff like a letter like just that he had written like a paper he had written where he just was like he had put in there that he was sorry and that he felt like us being separated family being separated was all his fault, and he thought that everybody put the blame on him because it was him and my mom got into a fight which caused us all to get separated. Was he correct in his line of thinking? I mean, I know you all were kind of young, So did you all blame him for the separation? I'm thinking his adults with looking back. Of course she wouldn't blame him, but it's a time you all were kids, and you know how kids can be petty, So did you all blame him for being separated and place into foster care?

12:33 Honestly, no, like we were kids, so obviously when we were younger, we probably did put the blame on them. But if I would have known he still thought that way, I would let him know that my life is a lot better since the simple fact that we were putting foster care because our mom was an alcoholic, she did drugs, she was very abusive, and I was going down the wrong path. Because I didn't have parents that cared. Being put in foster care, I was able to so much more. My life is so much more now than what it would have been if I would have stayed at home. Honestly, thanks to him I have a good life, and I didn't know he felt that way, or I would have let him know, like, don't feel that way. You honestly saved us that at one incident. Now, tell me about his experience and foster care. Did he ever share with you any of his thoughts about it, I mean whether it was a good experience or bad experience. So I know the first foster home that he was in, they still are very close to my other brother, and they were really close to him, and he called the parents mom and dad. But I don't know. I know that being there, he got involved with a lot of different drugs and alcohol. Because even though my mom was a bad mom, she does one thing she didn't really like. It wasn't something that was allowed. I guess you should say they allowed a lot more than what should have been allowed as a kid.

14:01 I guess you said there as a team. But I know they were removed from that home, and I didn't know they didn't have that good of experience the other home. I don't know all the details because I don't really ask. They don't tell everything, and we weren't really close either because since they were allowed to do drinking. Oh call I don't do nothing like that. So and then everybody they looked at me like their mom. I guess you said. That's even my brother, even says Alex. They looked at me and were a mom figure than they view as a sibling. So they don't really tell me that much. Now. Has Montana's death brought you and your other two siblings closer or have you all become distant with each other? Because in many cases, when there's a death of the immediate family, it really makes a lot of changes in the family structure. Whereas sometimes it will bring an entire family together, it can also tear the family apart and drive everyone away. So when somebody dies in the immediate family, it could go either way. Did this bring your family together closer or did it push you all away from each other? Yeah, so it does. It's not too much of a difference. We all still have our own lives. I know.

15:20 It's like really messed with our lives a lot. Like my sister obviously, that was her twin, that was that's the other half of her and my brother that was his best friend. That's the one person that they were together all the time, no matter what. So it's hard to explain, like, I feel like we all have our own different feelings, and me and my sister we don't always show our feelings. So my brother, I feel like hurt him so much more than it's hurt the rest of us. But I I feel like it's the same for us. We just we all just have our own lives. I guess you say, And how was your brother when he passed away? I mean, he was a pretty young guy, wasn't he like twenty one or twenty two something like that. I know he was in his early twenties. He was twenty I think twenty one when twenty twenty one when he passed away, because I'm twenty Yes, I think that's right. I'm pretty sorry twenty or twenty one. And where do you consider home? Do you consider munths He home or is it some other place in Indiana? We were technically more from Anderson. So were you all born in Anderson? Then? I was, Me and my sister and my brother were born in Indy. But I think that had to something to do with the because they were like twins and stuff like that. But most of our life we were in Anderson. Oh, Okay, Andy, I'm very familiar with it. I grew up there. Yeah, yeah, so I'm real familiar

16:53 with Andy. I grew up on the East Side. I went to high school out there, and when I was able to leave, I left. So I ended up going to Ohio. But my family still lives in Indianapolis and they seem to be content there. But it just wasn't for me. I couldn't wait to leave. Yeah, understandable. I mean even today, the East Side of Indie is considered one of the most dangerous areas in America. It was like that when I lived there, and from what I understand, not much has changed. So for me, definitely, moving away was the best choice for me and my family. Yeah, I've seen things about that. And let me ask you about Montana. From high school, he played football. I believe is that correct because I saw pictures of him wearing a high school football uniform. So was that something he really enjoyed doing?

17:53 Playing football? Yeah? Was there any interests in him playing college football? Oh? That, I don't know. We had a relationship. It was his back closest rounds like those times of the years. I know. He played soccer until his senior up to his seat wall. He graduated play he did wrestling also, him and both of my brothers did. I honestly don't know if he wanted to play in college, and I'm guessing that even if he did want to play college football, he may not have been able to because now he did suffer a major back injury, correct from a car accident? Was this stur in college or did this happen before college? I don't think he was in college yet. I think it was after they had graduated, not too long. Well, a major back injury will definitely keep you from playing football. Yeah, yeah, I can't do a lot of stuff after that, right, And what brought him to Ball State? Was there a particular reason why he wanted to go there? I mean, you haven't in university out there, which is a pretty good school as well. So why Ball State that? I don't know. I think it's I had asked Santiana about why her brother decided to remain in Indiana to attend college. We will take a short break and return with her thoughts on her brother's college experience and what led him to choosing Ball State University as his college of choice.

19:41 Oh, okay, so he wanted to stay in Munsey and just stay in the local area. When a lot of kids graduate from high school and they're ready to go to college outside of their state, you know, they want to get as far away as their family as possible. I mean, we've all knew those people. But then you have some that want to stay home and to the local school, like for instance, my youngest son when he finished high school, he went to University Cincinnati, which is local and where a lot of the kids go after they get out of high school. But you do have those who want to, you know, travel, maybe go to a college outside of the country. But I see with your brother, he just wanted to stay local and probably be near his friends and family.

20:25 That's what sounds like. Yeah, I know he wants to Fort Wayne for a while, and I know it he really, honestly, deep down didn't only like it for the simple fact that he wasn't around nobody like family wise, because I know one year I picked him up for I think it was Thanksgiving, because he hadn't won, no way to get home for Thanksgiving, and too nobody was lipped them because everybody had already left to go with their families. So me and my husband and our kids strat into the car and we drove all the way up there and picked him up and he spent Thanksgiving with family with us. That so, I think that when he came back from Fort Wayne, he just I think family is what kept on close.

21:07 And what did your brother want to study at Ball State? Through my research, I saw something about some type of sports, and then I saw something about social work. So he had maybe changed his mind about what he wanted to do, or maybe he wasn't quite sure. What do you think he wanted to do or what did he want to go to school for. I think it was physical therapy. I think it was because I know he was doing with criminal justice for a while and then he ended up switching, and I think it was physical therapy. I can't even remember. It was something like that, something that had to do with like therapy, I'm pretty sure.

21:48 And tell me about where he lived. I read that he had lived just off the campus in an apartment or something like that. Actually it was a house. It was all state rental, Okay. And did he like those accommodations? I think he did. His house was really nice. He was really happy when he moved in there. He was talking us all about it. He got so excited. I got a nice house with his friends. Yeah. I watched an interview with a couple of his neighbor friends and it was two girls, and they said that they just absolutely loved him. They said he was one of the kindest young men that they had ever known, and he was a great neighbor. Yeah. Yeah, everybody loved him.

22:32 Honestly, he could be a jerk. I'm gonna why if you were asked me my brother was nasshol Well, to be fair to your brother. We can all be jerks at some time or another. We can't be lovable all the time, right, But he was super fleet and everybody loved him. When we had his funeral, there were so many people that and I everybody sit into the room as a funeral, there are people sitting on the floor. I didn't know half of them. It was just all people that he came across the life that truly seeing the good side of him and seeing like he's a good person. I was happy that so many people like he was had so many people in his life. But I was just like, honestly super surprised, like just exactly how many, Like I mean, half the people don't even get to show up because there are obviously not everybody can come. Now, when was the last time that you actually had a chance to speak to your brother before he died? Honestly, the weekend before, I'm pretty sure it wanted we all got together at Mollends Park and we had sandwiches and let the kids play outside or out in the park and we all just sat down and just had a good time at Mallaens Park. And I'm pretty sure it was the weekend before because you're making plans to do fathers because he passed their Father's Day weekend. We were planned on getting together that weekend and doing something together because it's what our plan was because honestly, with life, we honestly of all just like we didn't get together as much as we used to because we used to always try to get like Sunday breakfast at my

24:06 house or something. We always try to get together somewhere, and we had him been able to with everything we had so much going on. So our plan was to start doing something on the weekend Saturday or Sunday, and that's what we are planning to do the next weekend, which is Father's Day weekend. Do you remember there being anything significant in your last conversation with him, was or anything that he wanted to get off his chest or anything important like that, Maybe something he wanted to confide in you about. I'm pretty sure we were talking about getting together. Oh. I think we may have had text messages throughout that week because we have a family group trat that we text in all the time. Now, do you know if your brother had anything going on? Is the law life whereas maybe something that he was concerned about, or did he have any type of fears that he may have told you about, For instance, maybe there was someone out there who had threatened him, or he was worried may try to harm him, or anything along those lines. It's not really. I think the week before he died, he did get into a fight with a couple of the kids, with the guys that he was always with that he lived with him because he was kicking them out or something because they weren't paying. And then I know they had cameras put up because his house was robbed. But other than not, not really.

25:40 So you're saying that it wasn't anything that was so bad that he needed to go to law enforcement for help with nothing like that. No, just to the fact that I think he did obviously make the reports when his house was robbed, but I think when the other guys they got into a fight with him idel and they called the cops. Okay, and how did you find out that your brother had passed away? Tell me about that. I think it was like three or four in the morning, and my phone kept bringing and it finally woke me up, and it was my sister and my brother. They kept calling me. My sister was at work at the time, and my brother actually was on his weight to his house. And because I guess my brother, he had called my brother and said they're something about they're gonna jump him or something to come help, that he needed help.

26:37 So my brothers jumped in his car and was headed there. And when he had got there, he had seen police, so he said he got the police game and shut down the party. He said he went to the gas station and they came back, and that's when he realized it was what had happened, that somebody had got shot or something like that, and they put him in the back of a police car and took him to the police station. Even though he was even there when all that happened. Be pulled up when the cops are already there. They were calling me and calling me, and then I finally heard my phone. I answered, and they or trying to tell me that my brother was shot in the next that I need to figure out where he was or what was going on, because me, I'm the big sister like they like. They always told me, I'm the mother like to them almost. So I started calling the hospitals. Nobody had him.

27:25 I didn't know where he was, and all I couldn't do. I was like, Oh, I had to get get to Munthy. So I went and picked up the lady we used to live with her kids. I went there to pick my little cousin so she could watch my kids so my husband could take me to Munthy because I was in the state to drive. So she end up going with us, and on the way there, I was calling around trying to figure out what was going on, and then my brother was at the police station, and I was on the phone with my aunt trying to get her she lives in Ohio, trying to tell her what was going on, to try and figure out what it like. She was starting. She said she was gonna try and start calling and We're trying to figure out what was going on. And my brother finally called me back again and he was just like told me that he he was like, I'm sorry, sis, but they study's dead. And I don't know, like there was something already in me that knew that before I even was on my way to Monthe. When I got the phone call, I just I just knew.

28:21 It was just like a feeling in me, like I didn't want it to be true, but I knew it just I don't know, is I just knew. So I told my aunt, and my aunt drew badway here from Ohio and by the time I got to the police station, the corner had already was just and walking up as I was walking up, and he was showing my brother a picture of my blur's hand with a tattoo and was having my brother identify him. And that's how I found out. And they had a whole bunch of people there because it was a party, and from what I have read during my research, basically everything's started from that party. On that Friday night that your brother had, people were jumping off the roof and jumping into the pool, and they were getting loud and then the police showed up and asked him to turn the music down. Does that sound about right? Yeah? After Montana was killed, law enforcement would eventually arrest a fifteen year old teenager for being involved in the shooting death of Montana. The teenager would be released and not officially charged with Montana's death. We will take a final break and return with San Piana's final thoughts on the suspected killer and life without her brother. Can you tell me more about the initial call that

29:56 law enforcement received. Why were they sent to the party? Based on my research, I have deducted that it was based mostly on noise in the typical things that you would expect to see at a party with college students. Well, supposedly the police came and they then they home turned down the music or something, which, Honestly, if the police would have done their jobs, then I don't think any of it would have happened, because there was under age drinking there. If they would have shut down the party, my brother probably would have got arrested, but at least you wouldn't be dead. But I'd feel the police failed him then because they didn't do their job. Like, as a police and you're coming to a party. Why aren't you checking id seeing that there's alcohol, seeing that like there's it's ball states they're partying, Like obviously there's so many parties ball where they get they're under age drinkers there, Like I just like at that point, like when I found that out, I felt like police Monty police failed him there for the fact that they didn't do their job and putting this party to stop. But they did arrive then and then I don't know what all happened between them, and I've been told so many different things. Supposedly, these kids came and they went inside my brother's house and my brother told them to get out because the party was out because he had been recently robbed and he didn't want to let it inside the house. And that one of the kids pulled a guns in and they, like I guess, so the couple people got him to calm down,

31:29 they put the gun away, and those people called more people to come. The police know who killed my brother. They've already arrested him. One. So the alleged shooter was a fifteen year old teenager I believe. Oh he's either fifteen or sixteen. Yeah, they know who he is. Yes, the media has described the arrest of a fifteen year old boy, but they don't reveal his name. Yeah, we lived named the day he died because everybody came to us and told us there. I have so many message and phone calls then people like was telling me everybody's name that was involved with my brother's killing. I've watched the videos, so there were definitely witnesses.

32:12 Then there was tons of witnesses. And that's why I don't get why nothing's being done, for the fact that they have names of all the witnesses. The girl came to me and my brother's blue release them was like, I watched them kill your brother. I watched your brother fall to the ground and recorded with names and everything and given to the police. And I asked them about it and they're like, oh, we don't know what you're talking about. How do you not know? You were given the recording of this girl literally saying she watched it all happen. I've watched the video when they killed my brother. There's kids running to them, like when they were fighting. To supposed it was a fight and my brother had bruises and stuff all over him. They ran over there. I watched the video and the next you know, they're shooting and all the kids are running away from the shooting.

32:52 There were so many witnesses and nothing's being done. They're just throwing under the bush like nothing. And they know who did it. That's the part. They know who did it. They let him go. He was the one that everybody said that actually killed my brother. He was the one that was arrested. And everybody that came to us that was supposedly witnesses, there's supposedly no witnesses that's seen it happen. His name was the one thing that kept coming up. They would want to actually killed my brother. He's the one that did it. He's the one that did it. And they arrested him and they were supposed to be played the day before his court hearing to be charged as an adult. They had to go through the court to be able to charge him as an adult, to charge him go the day before.

33:35 Why was he released? They said that the judge thought there wasn't enough evidence. But like I said, how is there not enough evidence when you have tons and tons of witnesses. There's videos, so many videos. Everybody knows he did it. That's the problem. And they don't care like they know everybody that was involved, because there was more than one person involved, and I literally knew that their names the day he died. Like I said, I have so many messages on phone calls that day. This is the person who killed it, this is the people that were with them. I have the video footage of my brother's camera, like I watched, and I like people of lives, there was also live like the only one person there that my brother and my brother said he knew was only one person that my brother could identify, like truly identify. And he even lied conpe to what everybody when this video footage that he told everybody that he watched the cops try to revive my brothers the boat. In the videos, he literally left before the cops got there. He didn't even go look we did in the video he said, oh, where's Montana want to corn? They left, didn't even look from to me. The one person that would have been there and that should have been there to help him, he just stood there way everybody was watching him get beat up and get killed. He stood there in front of my brother's garage like nothing's happening, and I was like, there's soon.

34:50 But every you can watch in the video, you no one looked there starting to fight because everybody starts running towards them, and then next thing you know, you just hear all these shots and you see him in the video and everybody's running away. Now, have you personally seen video images of the shooter and all the videos that you've watched, have you actually seen the suspected teenager in any of those of the sugar I honestly didn't. I don't really see them in there because I, like you said, it's like of the videos I have are mainly of when it all was going down, and it wasn't like the camera wasn't exactly on that, but there was a lot of people recording, so somebody has the videos out there because there everybody has so many recording There are so many naptab videos, so many recordings, and I'm sure if the cops really wanted to, they probably could get the videos if they really were do their jobs. At this point, they're not doing their job because they don't even care about the eye witnesses with the recording the names.

35:53 Oh, you asked them and they're like, oh, I've heard about it. I've had one one of the detectives say, oh, I heard about it, but this girl came in front of me and my brothers and she told me stritched my face. I watched her brother fall to the ground. Like, how do you not have it? Have you been able to keep in touch with anyone that actually witnessed your brother's shooting? No, I don't. I don't know a lot of his friends. I don't know any of them that was there. I only know one person that was there at the time it happened, and he lied to people, and I didn't know it was a lie until like the actual video footage, because he told everybody that he was there the whole entire time. He was next to my brother for whatever when they were doing cops tried to do CPR or something on him, like the people from the ambulance, And it's not true because he in the video that clearly shows he didn't even tried to help my brother, not one way. He literally just stood there in front of the garage, and then he got into his car and left before the cops even showed up. And then a year later he messaged me and tried to tell me that he didn't think this. It was this person it was this person. I'm like, he won't and helping my brother, and you lied about it, like I don't believe you, no credibility in your eyes. No, And my brother literally got to a fight with him the week before. So sometimes it just makes me wonder if maybe he had something to do with it. It does like it has ever since, Like my brother died and was murdered, and I watched that video after I heard what he said he was telling everybody, and then I watched that video. It just makes me wonder if he had

37:25 something to deal with it. Since I watched that video, just something in the back of my mind. He has to know something. There's no way that you call my brother your friend, you who lived with him so many years together, we're friends, and you just let him get beat up. And this was another way around. My brother would have helped and defended him. He didn't even care. Did you tell me anything else about what caused the altercation? I know you had said something about people entering your brother's home and he asked them to leave and they got angry at him. Is that the main reason why this happened, or is there maybe something personal that happened before the party. What we've been told it was because they went and they went to the house and my brother didn't want anybody in the house. That's all we really know. There hasn't really been another story is why it could have happened. That's the a story that we've been told is that kids went gone to the house. He told him they need to get out. They pulled a gun, They calmed him down. The kids went out and they caused up friends and supposedly they're in a gang in month see, like one of the gangs that are supposedly around months see. So it definitely doesn't sound like there was a good reason for your brother to be killed. But then there's never a good reason to kill anyone. No. Never, can you tell me about any recent conversations with law enforcement? Have they given you any

38:57 updates or anything useful about the case? Every time I call, very either not an office or they don't know or they don't have an update. So depends on who I talk to you, if I talked to the victim's advocate, which if who they always send meet to you. Can I never get a call back And it's the same thing over and over again. They don't tell me nothing. I've talked to you one detective who I was able to ask questions too, and he didn't know when I even asked about the recordings of the eye witness that was telling us all the names, that was like literally was standing there and talk to me at my brother's blue and Release and had told me that she watched my brother get killed. And he was like, oh, I heard about it, but I don't know. That's all they can give me. Do you have that young lady's contact information? I don't, and I don't have the and I don't have the recording. Other people recorded it and I've asked for the recording, but the girl that recorded it, so she don't have it. She doesn't have it anymore. But it was taken to the police. And what is the name of the lawn enforcement agency that is handling this case? Monthy it's a Monthy police department.

40:06 It would be them. Yeah, but they don't ever even tell me anything. I asked him all the time, like and I just get all the same answers, and I just like, like, that's what makes me feel more too, that they just have thrown down the back burner and like they get no fleshing the fact because they know who did it, and they have so many witnesses, and I feel like this is a case I should have already been closed. So many witnesses, they know who did it, and it wasn't drive by shooting or something, and they were literally or out. They were biding my brother, and like I was, like more than one my brother well honestly could have just kicked him in the back and left him at that because he would have volunt around. That's how Maddie were like he had a broken back as they literally beat him and then shot him. So tell me about what you have been doing on your own to try to get justice for your brother. Do you contact your local media? Do you have a Facebook page? Do you have a TikTok account? Tell me about what you've been doing to bring attention to this case. We have a Facebook page, I have a family, and I work by myself, so it's hard for me. I do a lot of things. So the most fact that I don't really have much. I feel like I don't how much sport.

41:17 We've been in a parade in months. See I've made flyers when I passed a lot of flyers out around the parade, I do a Facebook post. I've been trying to raise money for a reward for anybody that does come forward with any type of information or anybody that was actually there. I don't really care who you are like this, as long as you can help us get them put behind bars. And what's the title of your Facebook page? It's a Justice for Montana, okay. And my suggestion for you would be to do everything you can to keep your brother's story alive, as you are already doing. Go to the media, your local papers, your local news media outlets, and just request that maybe on certain anniversaries they bring up your brother's case, for instance, the anniversary of his death which is coming up soon, or on his birthday, most type of things. But it's important for you to reach out to people and just try to make sure that no one ever forgets about your brother, because you never want your loved one to ever be forgotten. You want to keep that name out in the media constantly.

42:35 I've messaged the Stars Pressed before and they they didn't really message me back. They even put information in the newspaper and I messaged him to let them know. You obviously don't have to update information because it on there said he was arrested. I said, the kid's been released, like he's on the roads, like doing who knows what, attending school probably who knows. They had a couple of people to tell me that he shot up a house, so hughting like he's dangerous, like dat decided like he's a arrested. He's not arrested. He's running the streets. And that's what I did in the paper, firing for It's a Monty parade, like I put in there. Your kids should be sitting next to this kid in school and you don't know it because I recally can't say his name because he's a kid trachnically, but he's not an adult, right because unless he's been publicly named by law enforcement as a suspect, then you really can't say that person's name because you could face legal ramifications if you do. And I have seen that happen. I know families get emotional and they feel like they know what happened to their loved one, but making accusations without proof can be detrimental to that person's name, So you always want to keep that in the back of your mind. Exactly, you can't say his name, and they released him the day before he was going to be an adult court. If they would have got him to adult

44:06 court, he would still probably walk up still. But his name was Poppy public because the fact that he has been tried to as an adult. Well, statistically speaking, when these kind of guys commit murders, they don't always stop at one. So it's highly likely that to do it again. Right. Unfortunately, the way the law works, you have to kill someone before law enforcement will actually do anything. It's like with restraining orders, they're basically just paper. You can follow all the restraining orders that you want against someone, you can lock the guy up for violating it, it doesn't matter. But until that person actually kills you or kills someone else, law enforcement really can't do anything about it. Even if they suspect that the guy's going to probably way commit a murder, can't arrest anybody for thinking about it. And that's sad because the cops know who he is, the cops know he did it. The cops have the evidence, and they have witnesses, but they don't want to use them to put them back. And what's sad is all these school shootings and he's probably attending sport. I'm just like when I feel hopefully he doesn't try to shoot somebody at school or do something like that if he is going to school and just it's just scary because he's you're messing with other kids's lives. We're not putting him behind bars where he belongs, because if he's shot, somebody killed, somebody wants he supposedly, if it is true, shot a house a week or two weeks before this, which I

45:37 was told by multiple people that was giving the information. They were telling the information even where he was hiding, like I knew it on Like I had the information probably before the cops, because everybody was messaging me abow to that day and like people I don't even know, they just knew that I was his sister. I would recommend that you save any correspondence that you have received from different people about your brothers on the side, because you never know it could come in useful one day. I did. I have screenshots and I've sent them to them, but I do I have everything well, and I hate to say this, but even though you gave everything that you have to law enforcement, they are known to lose things. So if they were to have lost whatever you have sent them and worked to come back to you later and say that they lost it, and they need to know if you have copies. That's a reality. Just keep everything. And that's what the frustrating part is. They does act like they're not interested to put away a criminal.

46:42 Yeah, that's bad because there's so many witnesses, so many people. I have the videos, so many people were there. I have videos they were taking. Why the part is going on from Snapchat I've had. I have the video from the chemera one that happened. Like I just there's just so many videos, so many for there to many people that could have stepped in and try to stop. They're called the cop. Nobody did anything. They just watched it all happen. Unfortunately, in today's society, that's a reality. Whenever a train wreck happens. Instead of trying to help anyone, people will just get out their phones and start recording. And that's why I know there's a recording somewhere, because there's no way. There are so many people that were there and they were recording all these other videos. There was no way that there's not recording of them killing my brother somewhere around. Yes, And that's why I'm hoping that someone will hear this podcast and feel the pain that your experience and the loss of your brother, and that individual will come forward and talk to the police. I mean someone with really intimate knowledge of what happened, and someone who possibly know the alleged shooter on a more personal basis. I truly hope so. And that's what's great about podcasts.

48:07 You never know who's going to listen, and you never know what person might have important information who never shared it before, but after hearing the podcast, they might realize that maybe they know something that was important. You just never can tell with people. And another thing I didn't want to ask you is can you share a favorite moment with your brother? Honestly, it's a hard one because we always try to do stuff as family, and our biggest thing was trying to always get together for someday breakfast. Okay, well, then let me rephrase that question. Tell me something that he did that was really so funny or just goofy that you will never forget about it. We are kids. He got into one of my outfit, my dresses, and he posed with my dress. I have the picture and I will never forget it.

49:08 And dressing up even I think even put lipstick only I'll never forget it. We were kids, yeah, I mean, I'm sure that if you asked a lot of people about things like that, that's probably not uncommon. I mean, I think I can remember when I was a kid putting on my mom's wigs. My brothers and I would do that. We would put on our wigs or put on my mom's clothes and act goofy. We did those kinds of things. It was always fine. So it's good that you have something really funny to remember your brother buy that you can always share with your kids one day. So and the last question that I would have for you is for anyone out there that's listening to the sound of your voice, if they know anything about what happened to Montana, what would you say to that person or person if you could speak to them. Honestly, I've always said if they know anything, to contact the police or even contact me.

50:08 And my information is out there, especially if you follow my brother's page that I've made, or even his Facebook page. I post on it all the time. Just contact somebody, let them know. And honestly, like I've told everybody, if you don't I hope it doesn't let you sleep, because this is something that's ruining people, our family's live. It's daily like, it's something that it's a heartache that will never go away. So I've told everybody, if you know something, I honestly hope it interrupt your sleep every night interview too, because you're in they're going to hurt somebody else, and that's going to be on the people that don't turn it in anything. You're gonna feel guilty for not turning it in because if you could turn it in now and save somebody else's life, like, that's all we really want.

50:52 We want put ups and this doesn't happen to somebody else. And that concludes Montana Lopez, who's shot and killed this young man nearly two years ago. He was beloved by so many friends and family members. He didn't have any enemies or serious disputes with anyone that could have led to his death. If you're listening to this podcast and have a tip, I encourage you to please contact law enforcement and help remove a killer from the streets. If you have any information about this unsolved homicide, please contact the Monsey Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division at seven six five seven four seven four eight six seven, or contact Monthy Crime Stoppers at seven six five two eight six four zero five zero or city police dispatchers at seven six five seven four seven four eight three eight.

51:52 And if you would like to view Montana's thoughts on foster care, please visit the Foster success dot org website. I will be sure to provide this information in the case story notes. And if you are a parent, law enforcement official, friend, or relative seek and justice for an unsolved commicide case, please visit my website and complete the contact form. You can also contact me through Facebook. Thank you for listening