Suspect denies role in murder

The 20-year-old Missoula man accused of killing a homeless Navy veteran pleaded not guilty Thursday to deliberate homicide.

Dustin Strahan was arrested along with 18-year-old Anthony St. Dennis for allegedly beating Forrest Clayton Salcido to death near the California Street footbridge on Dec. 5.

Strahan has cooperated with investigators since his arrest; he told them the attack on the 56-year-old Salcido was unprovoked and violent. He is held on $250,000 bail.

St. Dennis, who has a criminal record as both a juvenile and an adult, is being held in the Missoula County Detention Facility on $500,000 bail.

Court records indicate that Salcido's head was repeatedly stomped, even after he was unconscious. He died of head trauma.

In the weeks since his death, Salcido, who lived outside and alone by choice, has been publicly mourned. Bouquets of flowers, tobacco offerings, sweetgrass and even a chocolate cake have piled up in tribute along the footbridge, which for years has served as a thoroughfare to an island campsite used by the homeless.

At one end of the bridge, a mobile of Busch malt liquor cans hangs from the icy bannister, paying homage both to Salcido's affinity for drink and knack at collecting and recycling aluminum cans in exchange for a few dollars.

In the wake of the violent murder, friends, family and community members were left to wonder how such an indiscriminate attack could happen to someone as kindhearted and simple as Salcido.

Strahan told police that he and St. Dennis were sitting on a bench near the footbridge when Salcido came by about 10 p.m. Dec. 5. St. Dennis, court records state, picked a fight with Salcido, pushing him and talking abusively to him.

Salcido, who was scared and asked the men to leave him alone, kept walking, but the men followed him and finally knocked him to the ground, records state. Strahan told detectives that St. Dennis stomped on Salcido's head “as hard as he could” as many as 30 times despite Strahan's efforts to stop him.

The men then walked to St. Dennis' house, where he washed the blood off his tennis shoes, Strahan said.

The next day, Strahan turned himself in after seeing news reports about Salcido's death, although he initially lied to investigators. Strahan first said he and St. Dennis were trying to stop Salcido from raping a woman, but later admitted the attack was unprovoked.

St. Dennis was arrested hiding in a closet at his grandmother's house.

According to court records, St. Dennis made admissions to the crime on a taped phone call from the jail. His next court appearance is set for Feb. 28.

Strahan is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 31, and again on Feb. 28 for a trial scheduling conference.

District Judge John Larson said Thursday that he would allow Strahan to be screened for Missoula's pretrial supervision program.

Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg said he will oppose any release, regardless of the outcome of the screening.

To avoid any conflicts of interest with the Missoula public defenders representing St. Dennis, Strahan is being represented by two attorneys from the Lake County public defender office.

Reporter Tristan Scott can be reached at 523-5264 or at tscott@missoulian.com.

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