the montana hate crime

On November 12, 2022, after 5,543 miles of walking with a cross through 17 states and 210 counties without incident, #TheLongWalkUSA suddenly fell victim to a violent assault and hate crime on the side of a remote US Highway in Madison County, Montana. Our missionaries were literally minding their own business at the end of a long day of walking in the bitter cold when suddenly forced to defend themselves and each other from a madman and his buddies who threatened, “Your kind ain’t welcome in Montana.” These persecutors then conspired with the Madison County Sheriffs Deputies to have our team pulled off the road and prevented from walking through their county. For nearly two years, Full Proof Gospel Ministries fought the unjust and false charges brought against our missionaries for simply acting to defend themselves and each other from an unprovoked and violent attack in the middle of nowhere. There were no pleas and no deals with the wicked men responsible for attempting to train-wreck our peaceful walk across America, including the Attorney General of the State of Montana. A trial was scheduled for 10.23.2024, but the LORD intervened to delivered our ministry from all unjust charges as we kept right on walking for Jesus.

“The actions I took on November 12, 2022 along US 287 in Madison County, Montana in response to an unprovoked and sudden threat to our lives and wellbeing were what I believed to be JUST and RIGHT according to my conscience before God and according to my responsibility to stand in the gap for my children and for my brethren in Christ. Here I stand, not guilty of any wrongdoing before the Lord and my country. So, help me God. As for #TheLongWalkUSA, I promised the Lord I would walk from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and I have every intention of keeping my promise to the Lord, come hell or high water. Thanks for all your prayers and support.”

— Jesse Boyd (11/16/2022)

timeline

November 12, 2022 — The Madison County Hate Crime (#TheLongWalkUSA Milepost 5543)

November 15, 2022 — Corrupt Madison County Justice of the Peace, Mark Glines, accuses FPGM missionaries of perpetrating a “crime of violence,” setting maximum bail and requiring ankle monitors.

November 16, 2022 — 2 FPGM missionaries and 2 FPGM volunteers are released from jail with ankle monitors upon the posting of $200,000 in bail.

January, 2023 — Damning sheriff deputies’ body camera and dash camera footage leaked by anonymous whistleblower, confirming a hate crime and conspiracy against the FPGM missionaries

January 23, 2023 — FPGM Missionaries Arraigned in Montana 5th District Court, Judge Luke Berger orders the removal of all ankle monitors after $5,000 in cost incurred.

May 09, 2023 — The Office of the Montana Attorney General files for an arrest warrant against FPGM missionaries who return to Madison County to resume #TheLongWalkUSA.

May 11, 2023 — 5th District Judge Luke Berger denies application for arrest warrant, affirming “The Defendants are free to continue their mission work.”

May 13, 2023 — #TheLongWalkUSA resumes in Madison County with a replica of the original cross confiscated by Madison County, more than 100 people in support, and passing by the spot of the infamous hate crime.

August 30, 2023 — The Montana Attorney General files “States Notice of Outstanding Issue,” acknowledging the missionaries were not the aggressors and yet petitioning Judge Berger to re-write a Montana self-defense statute and the long-standing definitions of English words so that “draw or present a weapon” cannot mean “point a weapon.”

January 25, 2024 — Trial against FPGM missionaries and volunteers set for October 23, 2024.

September 19, 2024 — The Montana Attorney General dismisses the unjust charges against Eric Trent, Carter Phillips, and Bethany Phillips as #TheLongWAlkUSA nears the Pacific Ocean.

October 4, 2024 — 5th District Court Judge Luke Berger issues a righteous ruling on the “States Notice of Outstanding Issue,” thereby vindicating Jesse Boyd’s actions taken in defense of his family and fellow missionaries. The judge affirmed Montana law “plainly states that a person can draw or present a weapon when a person is threatened with bodily harm. The plain meaning of ‘drawing’ includes ‘the art or technique of presenting an object . . .’ and the plain meaning of ‘presenting’ includes ‘to aim, point, or direct (something, such as a weapon) so as to face something or in a particular direction.” This order supporting and affirming Montana’s self-defense and gun statues becomes “the law of the case,” thereby protecting and benefitting all Montana citizens.

October 10, 2024 — After 8,118 miles across 20 states and 251 counties, #TheLongWalkUSA reaches the Pacific in Humboldt County, California, thereby completing its walk across the “length” of the land (Genesis 13:17). All five targeted in the Montana Hate Crime were present and crossed the finish line together.

October 16, 2024 — The Montana Attorney General attempts to bribe Jesse Boyd, requesting that he petition Judge Berger to delay the 10/23 trial in exchange for the dropping of charges sometime after the upcoming 11/5 election.

October 21, 2024 — The Office of the Montana Attorney General dismisses all charges against Jesse Boyd, admitting it cannot “ethically proceed to trial.” Our missionaries walks a VICTORY LAP around the AG Office in Helena, Montana, openly praising the Lord.

October 22, 2024 — FPGM retrieves all property, including the original cross, from Madison County Sheriffs Office. The deputy who returned the property admitted on camera his department had screwed up in this matter. Upon request, the Madison County print off the hitherto unreleased mug shots for the missionaries to take home as souvenirs.

October 23, 2024 — Scheduled trial in Virginia City VACATED

October 26, 2024 — Carter & Bethany Phillips park the FPGM support vehicle in the exact spot is was parked on the day of the hate crime, and Jesse Boyd walks a VICTORY MILE with the original cross along US Hwy 287, walking right up to the spot where the persecution had occurred.

November 3, 2024 — With both crosses, the vindicated FPGM missionaries conduct the first of many encore walks, the “breadth” of the land (Genesis 13:17), around the federal prison in Thomson, Il in support of fellow missionary and political prisoner Cal Zastrow, unjustly incarcerated therein by the Biden Administration for singing a hymn and praying in a hallway outside a Tennessee abortion mill that has since closed its doors.

jesse boyd’s full testimony while in solitary confinement

This testimony was composed in the Gallatin County Detention Center in Bozeman, Montana on the pages of notebook given to Mr. Boyd by a fellow prisoner, an inmate from Los Angeles, California who showed him great kindness throughout the entire ordeal (Tuesday, November 15, 2022),

compilation of all anonymous whistleblower footage

relevant court filings

AMENDED MOTION TO DISMISS & BRIEF IN SUPPORT (02.01.2023)
”The State appears to be unlawfully burying evidence and information supporting defendants’ self-defense and defense-of-others claims.”
DEFENDANTS’ REPLY BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF AMENDED MOTION TO DISMISS (02.17.2023)
“The State’s theory of this case would essentially require this Court to rewrite § 45-3-111(2), MCA, according to the State’s fantasy that “pointing” a gun should be differentiated from the concept of “drawing” a gun. This is an argument that should be addressed to the Montana legislature; it should not be used to pursue felony(!) charges against travelling Christian missionaries who committed no crime.”
DEFENDANTS’ BRIEF IN RESPONSE TO STATE’S FIRST SET OF MOTIONS IN LIMINE (02.17.2023)
”The State has filed fifty-two (52) total pages of briefing in its motions in limine, improperly in three sets of motions to avoid the 20-page briefing limits in the local rules. No trial, pretrial hearing, or preliminary hearing has even been scheduled in this case, and no evidence has been proffered.”
DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS FOR SELECTIVE PROSECUTION (03.21.2023)
“Defendants Jesse M. Boyd, et al., by and through their counsel of record, move to dismiss on grounds of selective enforcement and prosecution. Counsel submits, upon investigation, that this is the most extreme case of selective prosecution motivated by religious discrimination in the history of Montana.”
STATE’S MOTION TO DISMISS (10.21.2024)
”The State no longer believes that it can ethically proceed to trial.”

media coverage

tv reports

news articles

recorded interviews

testimonials

In the short videos below, the precious FACES and memorable PLACES from encounters along a 5,543-mile WALK from North Carolina to Montana are the LOUDEST PROOF that the false charges brought against our peaceful Christian missionaries (who were threatened and attacked by a complete stranger along a rural highway on 11/12/22) were ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS, motivated by those who hate the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and hate those who preach it.