Student pleads not guilty in homeless man’s death

By Michael Moore - 12/21/2007

The Hellgate High School student accused of killing a homeless Navy veteran pleaded not guilty Thursday to deliberate homicide.

Anthony St. Dennis, 18, was arrested along with 20-year-old Dustin Strahan for allegedly beating to death Forrest Clayton Salcido near the California Street footbridge on Dec. 5.

St. Dennis, who has a criminal record as both a juvenile and an adult, is being held in the Missoula County Detention Facility on $500,000 bail. Strahan is held on $250,000 bail.

Strahan has cooperated with investigators since his arrest, and told them that the attack on the 56-year-old Salcido was unprovoked and violent. Court records indicate that Salcido’s head was repeatedly stomped, even after he was unconscious.

He died of head trauma.

Salcido has been publicly mourned since his death, touted as a kind man who took to the streets out of choice rather than necessity.

He had a close relationship with his family, worked hard collecting cans to recycle and was loathe to take a handout.

“I found out Forrest was a very sweet man, very intelligent, very humble, very respectful,” said Ron Housely, who worked at the recycling center when Salcido brought his cans. “He was a human being.” He was not treated that way by his killers.

Strahan told police that he and St. Dennis were sitting on a bench near the footbridge when Salcido came by about 10 p.m. on Dec. 5. St. Dennis, court records state, picked a fight with Salcido, pushing him and talking abusively to him.

Salcido, who was scared and asked the men to leave him alone, kept walking, but the men followed him and finally knocked him to the ground, records state.

Strahan told detectives that St. Dennis stomped on Salcido’s head “as hard as he could” as many as 30 times despite Strahan’s efforts to stop him.

The men then walked to St. Dennis’ house, where he washed the blood off his tennis shoes, he said.

The next day, Strahan turned himself after seeing news reports about Salcido’s death. St. Dennis was arrested hiding in a closet at his grandmother’s house.

According to court records, St. Dennis made admissions to the crime on a taped phone call from the jail. His next court appearance is scheduled Feb. 28.