Freeman Hasn’t Asked To Attend Mother’s Funeral

The mother of freemen leader LeRoy Schweitzer has died in Bozeman, but Schweitzer apparently has not requested permission to leave jail to pay his last respects.

Services are scheduled this morning for Mary Schweitzer, 82, who died Monday. She was the mother of nine children. Schweitzer was informed of the death after relatives called the Yellowstone County jail and requested he telephone them, jail officials said.

Schweitzer has been in jail since March 25, 1996, much of it in virtual isolation. Ordinarily, Schweitzer is not able to take or make telephone calls because he has not allowed jail guards to fingerprint and photograph him, standard booking procedure.

Jail commander Capt. Dennis McCave and U.S. Marshal Bill Strizich said they knew of no requests for Schweitzer to leave jail because of the death.

Tony Gallagher, the public defender assigned to represent Schweitzer if he decides he wants legal help, said federal rules prohibit Schweitzer from attending the funeral, but he could ask to attend a private viewing of the body at the funeral home.

Gallagher said that to his knowledge, there had been no such request as of Wednesday afternoon.

Federal marshals were delivering papers to Schweitzer on Wednesday, and planned to explain the procedures required for him to leave the jail, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Kevin Davis.

U.S. District Judge James Burns of Portland, the freemen’s pretrial judge, would have to sign an order before Schweitzer would be allowed to leave the jail, said McCave and U.S. Attorney Sherry Matteucci.

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