Dead body of missing student found in river
By: U- WIRE
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Campus
MISSOULA, Mont. - The body of the man police say was killed by his roommate, a U. Montana student, a month and a half ago was recovered by police Sunday in Mineral County.
Just downstream from Tarkio, about 44 miles west of Missoula, a fisherman came across the remains of Michael Meadows in the Clark Fork River and reported it to police, said Missoula County Sheriff Mike McMeekin, who confirmed the find Monday.
"The remains of the homicide was recovered yesterday," McMeekin said. "We were notified and we made the recovery."
The Missoula County Sheriff's Department worked with the Mineral County Sheriff's office during the recovery effort as well as the search that has been going on since the stabbing on the morning of Feb. 21.
UM student Cyril Kenneth Richard pleaded not guilty to felony charges of deliberate homicide and evidence tampering last week in connection to the death of his roommate. The defendant claims he acted in self-defense.
The body has been taken to the state crime lab for an autopsy.
Police say that Richard stabbed Meadows to death in their residence at the Copper Run apartment complex before wrapping him up in a blanket and carrying him down the stairs to his Subaru. Police say he then drove to a bridge overlooking Alberton Gorge about 30 miles west of Missoula where Richard pushed the body in the river.
A neighbor called 911 just before 6 a.m. that morning to report that they saw Richard cleaning up a puddle of blood that flowed from his apartment and down the stairs.
Richard said he and Meadows were drinking at Westside Lanes the night beforehand and purchased two 40 oz. bottles of Olde English malt liquor at 2 a.m. before returning home, where he said they got into an argument about finances.
According to Richard, Meadows came at him with a pocketknife and during an ensuing struggle, Richard broke his right arm after falling down.
Police say Richard's claims are not supported by physical evidence. In an affidavit filed with Missoula County Justice Court, surveillance cameras at the Town Pump gas station show the two men buying the malt liquor at 12:29 a.m.
According to the tape, Richard opened the door and fished money out of his wallet, with his allegedly broken right arm, while buying two packs of cigarettes and a tank of gas at 3:11 a.m.
Furthermore, the store clerk working that night told police he saw Richard's hands and face were covered in blood.
When he told Richard about the blood, he said Richard became nervous and asked if it was very noticeable. He asked Richard if he had been in a fight and he says Richard told him he had gotten into a fight with his "little brother."
The clerk found that odd, because he remembered Richard's brother lived out of state.
Just downstream from Tarkio, about 44 miles west of Missoula, a fisherman came across the remains of Michael Meadows in the Clark Fork River and reported it to police, said Missoula County Sheriff Mike McMeekin, who confirmed the find Monday.
"The remains of the homicide was recovered yesterday," McMeekin said. "We were notified and we made the recovery."
The Missoula County Sheriff's Department worked with the Mineral County Sheriff's office during the recovery effort as well as the search that has been going on since the stabbing on the morning of Feb. 21.
UM student Cyril Kenneth Richard pleaded not guilty to felony charges of deliberate homicide and evidence tampering last week in connection to the death of his roommate. The defendant claims he acted in self-defense.
The body has been taken to the state crime lab for an autopsy.
Police say that Richard stabbed Meadows to death in their residence at the Copper Run apartment complex before wrapping him up in a blanket and carrying him down the stairs to his Subaru. Police say he then drove to a bridge overlooking Alberton Gorge about 30 miles west of Missoula where Richard pushed the body in the river.
A neighbor called 911 just before 6 a.m. that morning to report that they saw Richard cleaning up a puddle of blood that flowed from his apartment and down the stairs.
Richard said he and Meadows were drinking at Westside Lanes the night beforehand and purchased two 40 oz. bottles of Olde English malt liquor at 2 a.m. before returning home, where he said they got into an argument about finances.
According to Richard, Meadows came at him with a pocketknife and during an ensuing struggle, Richard broke his right arm after falling down.
Police say Richard's claims are not supported by physical evidence. In an affidavit filed with Missoula County Justice Court, surveillance cameras at the Town Pump gas station show the two men buying the malt liquor at 12:29 a.m.
According to the tape, Richard opened the door and fished money out of his wallet, with his allegedly broken right arm, while buying two packs of cigarettes and a tank of gas at 3:11 a.m.
Furthermore, the store clerk working that night told police he saw Richard's hands and face were covered in blood.
When he told Richard about the blood, he said Richard became nervous and asked if it was very noticeable. He asked Richard if he had been in a fight and he says Richard told him he had gotten into a fight with his "little brother."
The clerk found that odd, because he remembered Richard's brother lived out of state.
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