Authorities name Glasgow shooter, describe him as 'recluse'
By KIM SKORNOGOSKI • Tribune Staff Writer • January 23, 2009
The man who shot at a Glasgow hospital, killing one woman and injuring two other people, lived in Glasgow since 2005, but kept to himself to the point that few people in the town of 3,200 even knew his name, authorities said Thursday.
Investigators identified the shooter as Roger Lynn Sellers, 42.
Sellers had no job and was rarely seen outside of the house he rented at 110 6th Ave. N. Investigators said he was born in Weber County, Utah, and lived mostly in the Salt Lake City area.
Great Falls' Don Resseguie, who owns the Glasgow house Sellers rented, said Sellers shared very little about his background, saying only that he had no family and he moved to Glasgow because he visited the town with his family as a child.
"I think you could tell everybody in Glasgow his name and I doubt anybody in Glasgow would recognize it," Resseguie said. "He just never interacted with people."
John Strandell, head of the state Division of Criminal Investigation, said Sellers had no identification on him when he died after two gunbattles with responding officers. Investigators learned his name when they ran his fingerprints through a nationwide law enforcement database.
It then took two days to find his surviving family. Officers searched the house he was renting Wednesday and discovered documents that led them to Sellers' brother.
"Not many people in Glasgow knew him," Strandell said. "He wasn't very friendly to people and was very reclusive."
Strandell said state investigators wrapped up work on the crime scenes Thursday and returned to Helena, where they will continue to search for a motive behind the sniper-style shooting.
On Saturday, Sellers, who was perched behind a gravel slope, fired shots at Melissa Greenhagen, an emergency medical technician, as she walked to her vehicle in the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital parking lot after returning from an ambulance call.
She died after being shot once in the chest.
A nurse and her husband, Suzanne and Scott Billingsley, ran to Greenhagen's aid and were both hit by shots fired by Sellers. A bullet struck Suzanne Billingsley in the back and shattered her foot, while other bullets went through Scott Billingsley's hand and hip. They were both treated at the hospital and are recovering.
Officers responded to the report of gunfire around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, and fired shots at Sellers until he fled wounded. More than 50 federal, tribal, state, county and city officers swarmed the town, locking it down for hours until dogs tracked Sellers' trail along the Milk River banks and a second gunbattle occurred.
The Montana State Crime Lab is still comparing Sellers' wounds with weapons found at the scene to see if officers killed Sellers or if he shot himself.
Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital spokesman Nickolas Dirkes said there are no records showing Sellers ever received care there or at any of its clinics.
"At this time, we have uncovered no motive for the shootings, and no connection between the suspect and his victims at the hospital has been established," Glasgow Police Chief Lynn Erickson said.
Sellers lived on the opposite end of town from the hospital, where his home was surrounded by trees, open fields and few neighbors. Resseguie heard that Sellers occasionally fished behind the hospital, but mostly spent all his time in his house.
Sellers paid his rent on time, dropping off a money order in Resseguie's mother's mailbox, usually at night, the landlord said.
The reclusive behavior was odd enough that Resseguie searched Sellers name on the Internet at one point, but didn't find anything suspicious.
Jeff Knodel, owner of Eugene's Pizza in Glasgow, said Sellers never came into the popular restaurant and that when Knodel passed Sellers on the street, the man didn't even return a "hello."
"Nobody ever knew anything about him," Knodel said. "I never saw him with anybody. I had nothing against the guy, but he's probably where he should be. It's a difficult time here in Glasgow."
Though little is known about the suspect, learning his identity helped bring some closure to the tragedy for the victims' co-workers.
"Learning the identity of the person that committed such senseless acts brings some sense of resolution as we work toward returning the facility to normal operations," Dirkes said.
Erickson and Valley County Sheriff Glen Meier said the information released Thursday would be the last divulged until a coroner's inquest, which won't be scheduled until after state investigators complete their reports.
In accordance with state law, coroner's inquests are conducted by a neighboring county coroner whenever law enforcement officers are involved in a death. A citizen jury, the coroner and Valley County Attorney Kenneth Oster will be allowed to ask witnesses and investigators questions during the inquest to determine if the officers acted accordingly.
"We understand the intense interest in this case and appreciate the community's continued support and patience as our investigation continues," Erickson said.
A Glasgow police officer and Valley County deputy were put on administrative leave following Sellers' death, as is policy. The deputy later was allowed to return to work.
Valley County commissioners ordered courthouse flags lowered to half-staff in honor of Greenhagen, who worked full time as the clerk of District Court in addition to her work as an EMT.
Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts planned to wear their uniforms and black armbands to school today as a tribute to the troop leader. She also was an active volunteer with the Hi-Line Hockey Association and the Fort Peck Theatre.
A Glasgow native, Greenhagen, 37, was married to Craig Greenhagen for 17 years. The couple has three sons and a daughter.
Her funeral services are Saturday.
:lol: 
