In the early morning hours of May 15, 1990, the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman was shattered by an act of sudden and senseless violence. Brian Peter Boeder, a 19-year-old male student from Plymouth, Minnesota, was fatally shot in his dorm room in Langford Hall. The tranquility of the university was irrevocably broken, leaving a community in shock and mourning.
Brian and his roommate, James Clevenger, also 19, were asleep in their room when another student, 19-year-old
sophomore Brett D. Byers of Great Falls, entered and opened fire with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun. Both Boeder and Clevenger were struck by multiple rounds at close range. The motive for the attack remains unclear, as evidence suggested that Byers did not know either of his victims. When police arrived, the victims were still conscious but could only describe the shooter as a "redheaded kid" before they were rushed to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
Following the shooting, Byers fled the scene, leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase that stretched for 90 miles. The pursuit ended near East Helena when Byers crashed his vehicle. He was subsequently apprehended and charged with two counts of deliberate homicide.
During his trial, Brett Byers' defense claimed he had a mental defect, but a jury found him guilty. He was sentenced to two consecutive 75-year prison terms, with an additional 15 years for the use of a weapon, for a total of 165 years in prison. Byers has since been denied parole on multiple occasions and remains incarcerated for the murders of Brian Boeder and James Clevenger.
