In the pre-dawn hours of September 16, 2017, a domestic turmoil culminated in the shooting death of 34-year-old Johnny McKeever, a Caucasian male, outside a home in Pablo, Montana. The events of that early morning were set in motion by a volatile love triangle involving McKeever, his wife Amy, and a 28-year-old Pablo man named Ryan Black.
According to witness statements and law enforcement, McKeever had been drinking heavily and was upset about an affair between his wife and Black. Earlier in the night, he had reportedly been kicked out of a local bar after confronting the pair. The situation escalated around 4 a.m. when McKeever arrived at Black's residence, where Amy McKeever was present. He began pounding on the front door, causing significant damage. In response, Black emerged from the house armed with a. 44 Magnum pistol.
The confrontation on the porch was brief and violent. McKeever, who was unarmed, punched Black in the eye, causing a significant bruise.
Black stated to law enforcement that as he fell backward from the force of the punch, the gun discharged. The single bullet struck Johnny McKeever in the head, entering his left jawbone and exiting behind his right ear. After the shot, Black went back inside and instructed others in the house to call 911. Amy McKeever attempted to perform CPR, but the wound was fatal. An autopsy later confirmed McKeever's blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit to drive.
Ryan Black was arrested on the day of the shooting and initially charged with deliberate homicide. However, the legal proceedings took a significant turn in November 2017 when Lake County Attorney Steven Eschenbacher announced he was dropping all charges against Black. Eschenbacher concluded that Black had acted in self-defense, citing Montana's "castle doctrine" which allows for the justifiable use of force to protect one's home and property. The prosecutor argued that there was not enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Black's actions were unjustified.
This decision was not without controversy. Lake County Sheriff Don Bell publicly disagreed with the prosecutor's assessment, stating that his office believed there was probable cause to charge Black with negligent homicide. Sheriff Bell pointed out that Black himself had claimed the shooting was an accident, not an act of self-defense, a theory that Bell said was inconsistent with evidence gathered by investigators. Despite the sheriff's recommendation and the belief by the Montana Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation that a trial was warranted, the charges against Ryan Black remained dropped, though the case could be reopened if new evidence emerged.
