Dear Editor,

I am writing today in response to your August 22 article published about a friend of mine, Mark Legard, who was murdered in his house in Plains, Montana. As you mentioned, his father Pat, is begging for information about what happened to Mark that evening of March 14 and is not getting any from the local law enforcement. This is so exceedingly troubling for those of us who loved Mark dearly, and for everyone living in this small community.

Why has there been no leads or updates? Why has there been so many mistakes made by law enforcement in this case? Where is the CPAP microchip that was taken from the mask by law enforcement that has now been somehow “lost?” As you mentioned, why was smoking cited as contributing to his death when he was shot in his head? How are we supposed to have faith that our law enforcement are properly trained to handle these situations correctly without contaminating or flat out losing important evidence?

Plains is supposed to be the kind of town that is safe to let you kids grow up in. A town where if you forget to lock your door, you have piece of mind knowing that your neighbors are keeping a watchful eye out for each other. Learning that Mark was murdered in his own home while sleeping, and that no one has been held accountable for this crime is the hardest truth to swallow in this story. Mark was a great man who had overcome so much in his life and was finally happy and moving forward from an arduous past that had taken so much from him. That is the kind of man he was, he took everything the world had to throw at him and stood up tall to ask, “What’s next? I can take it.” He was stolen from us, and it seems as if only his father and friends give a darn about finding justice for Mark.

I am asking that you keep pushing this story, pressing the law enforcement to find out what happened to Mark. He desires justice and our community deserves to know the truth.

A loving friend of Mark’s,

Barbara Pardee,

Clinton, Montana