(Bonner County, ID), A wanted fugitive from Bonner County, Idaho, was arrested in Georgia after being on the run for more than 30 years. He is also a person of interest in a missing persons cold case.
According to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, 74-year-old James Montz was arrested Friday in Thomasville, Georgia. Deputies said Montz, a former resident of Bonner County, was convicted in 1994 for growing marijuana but fled before he could be sentenced. He has been on the run ever since.
Deputies said that Montz has also been a person of interest in the 1993 disappearance of Michael Haire, who was reported missing that year. Detectives are now investigating the case as a possible murder.
Deputies said they, along with the Idaho State Police, were investigating the cold case when they discovered Montz was living in Georgia under an assumed name. The U.S. Marshals Service and local Georgia police arrested him based on the Bonner County warrant.
Deputies said that Montz will be extradited to Bonner County to face sentencing for his 1994 marijuana conviction.
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 263-8417.
