Phillip Robert Brewer, a 33-year-old white male from Gillette, Wyoming, was tragically murdered in early September 2016. Known for his love of fishing and the outdoors, Phillip was a father of two young sons and cherished time with his family. He had traveled to Gillette with his close friend, 38-year-old Jody Fortuna, to visit a childhood acquaintance, Michael Montano.
The visit, however, ended in a gruesome double homicide that shocked the community.
Phillip Robert Brewer and Jody Fortuna were reported missing in late September 2016. Their last known location was Gillette, Wyoming. On October 8, 2016, law enforcement discovered a pickup truck near an intersection in Gillette that emitted a foul odor. Inside, they found a 55-gallon barrel and plastic totes containing decomposing, dismembered human remains. The bodies were identified as those of Phillip Brewer and Jody Fortuna. Phillip, a 33-year-old white male, had been shot in the back of the head at close range. Jody had suffered similar gunshot wounds to the head and back. Their clothing and personal documents were also found with the remains.
The investigation quickly led authorities to Michael Montano, the man Phillip and Jody had come to visit. Witnesses reported seeing Phillip's body in Montano's truck, and a friend of Montano's, Samson Bears, told police that Montano had borrowed the barrel and confessed to needing it to “get rid of some bodies.” Montano's trailer, a motel room, and a storage unit were searched, revealing blood evidence, a fired bullet, and additional body parts stored in plastic totes. One neighbor reported hearing gunshots on the night of September 2, 2016, which aligned with the estimated time of death.
Initially, Michael Montano denied involvement, but during a police interview in October 2016, he abruptly confessed, saying, “I killed em.” He later claimed to have no memory of pulling the trigger, citing drug use and confusion. Montano's girlfriend, Kylee Collins, reportedly discovered the bodies in the bathtub and later pleaded guilty to failing to report the crime. In 2018, Montano pleaded guilty to both murders. Although prosecutors recommended a sentence of 51.5 years, the judge deemed it insufficient and sentenced Montano to 125 years in prison.
The murder of Phillip Robert Brewer, a 33-year-old white male, and his friend Jody Fortuna remains one of the most disturbing cases in Wyoming's recent history, marked by betrayal, brutality, and a chilling lack of remorse from the perpetrator.
