A man has been deemed mentally capable of proceeding to arraignment on felony criminal mischief charges for allegedly spray-painting restrooms at fishing accesses and other state recreational facilities with sexually themed messages.

Walter Pyatt will be arraigned Nov. 25 before Judge Heidi Ulbricht. He appeared Thursday at a status conference where Ulbricht said state health professionals had deemed him mentally capable of proceeding in the case.

Ulbricht released Pyatt from custody to a safe house.

Pyatt was charged with the crime in February, months after Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks game wardens were first called to a state-owned pit toilet in September 2014 in the Thompson Chain of Lakes area. Wardens found that white and gold paint marker was used to write messages on the walls of the restroom that were similar to messages found in at least 73 subsequent incidents that occurred on recreational restrooms in the next few months.

The messages instructed people to send letters to various addresses including the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Civil Rights and the Bureau of Consumer Protection. They were accompanied by messages that described sex, prostitutes, drugs and young girls.

The break in the case came in January after wardens monitored activity at the restrooms and identified Pyatt as a suspect. Later investigators found that Pyatt had mailed a handwritten letter to a local physician  that referred to young girls and instructed the recipient to mail letters to various federal agencies that matched those painted on the restrooms. The handwriting in the letter was a match to the writing on the toilets.

Damage to the restrooms totaled more than $2,500. As a condition of his release, Pyatt is prohibited from accessing state or federal land as the case proceeds.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].