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Enter At Your Own Risk
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At Your Own Risk

A historical repository dedicated to notable law enforcement officers, true crime research, and deep-dive case files.

Enter At Your Own Risk
This is the title of a book that tells the story surrounding the murder of a Montana Highway Patrolman, Michael Ren, April 8, 1978, in Eureka, MT. I wrote this book so the full story of the murder could be told. Much of the information was never made public. I was one of the Lincoln County deputies that  investigated these events.

From the back book cover:

"Enter at Your Own Risk is a recounting of the 1978 shooting death of Montana Highway Patrol Officer Michael Ren in Eureka. MT. The subsequent trial of Clyde Rector, the man who killed him but was acquitted by claiming self-defense. It is written by a former law enforcement officer involved in the investigation. It includes information that will likely be new to the public.

The story explores the events leading up to the shooting, the investigation that followed, and the contentious trial, highlighting potential inconsistencies, unanswered questions, and possible conspiracies, including the involvement of organized crime figures and alleged FBI obstruction. The author also reflects on the impact of the acquittal on law enforcement and the character of the key individuals involved, such as Sheriff McMeekin and the victim.

The author hopes a reader will resolve the lingering questions. Could that reader be you? "



Here you will find facts as history has recorded them.
We ask questions:

Question 1: What do we know and how do we know it.
Question 2: What are the records.
Question 3: What story do those records tell us.




Now the question for you, can you add to or correct the
stories, records and accounts?







Use the Contact Form (see right)  to get in touch.

If you have comments or information please let me know. The entire point of my project is to have the story told as accurately and completely as possible.
Copyright: ©John Willems- 2026

Contact email: john@eastofthemountains.com
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