Talk examines 1978 shootout in Eureka

In an arrest gone wrong, in 1978 Clyde Rector killed highway patrolman Mike Ren in a brief shootout on a back street of Eureka. How Rector was acquitted of murder remains a small-town Montana legend.

Gary Montgomery, a Eureka resident familiar with both Ren and Rectory, will examine the background behind the shooting and trial at this month’s meeting of Northwest Montana Westerners, a local history group. The event is 7 p. m. Monday, July 20, at the Northwest Montana History Museum.

Ren and two other policemen were attempting to arrest Rector, who had a history of being institutionalized for schizophrenia. Cornering him on a dead-end street, Rector leaped from his truck, rifle in hand. He fired, leaving Ren sprawled halfway out of the patrol car. Running through the neighborhood, he took refuge in a home. A standoff ensued, during which Rector made several phone calls asking for help, and even spoke with a reporter before surrendering.

After being sent to the state psychiatric hospital for evaluation, Rector was declared competent to stand trial. But in a surprise that sent shock waves through Montana, the jury voted to acquit him.

Following a stay in the state hospital, Rector drifted back to Eureka and eventually was found dead of an apparent suicide in a wilderness cabin.

Montgomery detailed the story in his book, "The Saga of Clyde Rector and Mike Ren."

His goal, he notes, was “the desire to present an accurate historical record of a series of events about which there has been rampant innuendo, inaccurate accounts, gross misinformation, false narratives, and wild speculation for far too many years”.

There is a second chapter in the story, according to Montgomery. One of the people Rector called during the standoff was Alfred Luciano. The Eureka ranch owner was plagued by suspicions of Mafia connections, including being falsely labeled as a nephew of Lucky Luciano.

According to Montgomery, who worked for him as ranch manager, there were several attempts to entrap Luciano. A series of circumstances led to a raid of his business and a federal trial. Luciano was acquitted and able to get his criminal record purged.

Montgomery has worked as a logger, lumber mill worker, Christmas tree cutter, Forest Service fire crew, substitute teacher, and ranch manager. For 29 years, he has published The Trail, a quarterly historical journal. He holds a degree in wildlife biology and has authored five other books.