Missoula Crime Report: 812 Felonies and More Juvenile Cases in 2023

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - In 2023, the Missoula County Attorney’s Office filed “a lot more” complaints than they did in 2022. According to County Attorney Kirsten Pabst, their felony numbers were up as well. 

“We filed 812 felonies in 2023 compared to the 787 the year before,” Pabst said. “Interestingly, the juvenile numbers are almost double. I'm going to drill down over the next couple of weeks and really try to figure out more of the why and to see if we need to allocate resources a little bit differently, but I thought I would just offer you sort of a top of the trees view.” 

When it comes to this week, Pabst said her office only charged nine new criminal complaints, which is significantly lower than their weekly average. 

“There was a partner or family member assault and an assault with a weapon,” Pabst said. “The allegation is that the defendant assaulted his partner with a hammer. We charged sexual intercourse without consent, a DUI fifth offense, a theft involving a stolen vehicle, three drug cases involving meth, and then one fugitive from justice.” 

Read More: Drunk Driver Crashes at One of Missoula's Busiest Intersections

On Thursday, an anonymous bomb threat was sent by email to the Clerk of Court. The threat said explosives had been placed inside the Missoula County Courthouse.  

“It did not have a lot of merit, but we like to air on the side of caution,” Pabst said. “I sent my folks home because we're pretty used to working remotely anyway and I'd rather be safe than sorry. It was a little disruptive, but we sent everybody home and then the Sheriff's Department, in conjunction with the police and the K9 unit, swept the entire courthouse and just confirmed that there was no active or real threat.” 

The Missoula County Attorney’s Office provides a weekly crime report every Friday morning at 9:00 on Talk Back. You can listen to Pabst’s full report below: