Sellner Parole Denied

SWAN VALLEY – "June 27, 1992 at exactly 23:17, not that I can remember the date and time," said Missoula County Sheriff's Sergeant Robert Parcell as he quickly recalled the exact date and time he was shot by Gordon Sellner, then 53-years-old, of the Swan Valley.

Parcell along with Missoula County Sheriff T.J. McDermott, Undersheriff Jason Johnson and retired Sheriff Doug Chase attended Sellner's second parole hearing Aug. 31. Sellner was denied parole and can reapply in three years.

The day before his 1992 encounter with Sellner, Parcell had just returned from Command School doing training with the Marine Corps in Washington, D.C.

"I had just started putting on my gear, just about to step out the door, and I get this call. 'There has been an assault with a knife in Lake County, can you go up and assist until they get someone there?' Sure," said Parcell who did not hesitate and drove north. "We did it all the time because there was no one in Lake County at the time."

Parcell said that Sellner allegedly drove John Dorne to Ron Smith's house after Smith's son burglarized Dorne's place. Dorne wanted Smith's help getting his stuff back. When Smith refused, they got into an altercation that included a knife and a dog.

"According to [Smith] the driver had never gotten out of the vehicle. It was a pickup that belonged to Gordon Sellner. I'd never heard of the guy," said Parcell.

Seeley Lake Deputy Sheriff Lloyd Hallgren told Parcell that he knew Gordy. Hallgren told Parcell Sellner didn't like to buy a driver's license so he might be nervous but there should not be any problem.

Parcell went to Sellner's home to talk with him. Sellner was not at home but his wife allowed Parcell to use their phone to call his daughters, whom he was visiting.

"He was already headed back up. Now if I see him I'll talk to him," said Parcell who didn't have any indication that there would be a problem.

Parcell and Hallgren continued back to Seeley Lake. Within a few miles they saw a sedan that Hallgren identified as Sellner's vehicle. Parcell turned around and put on his lights to try to get him to stop. Hallgren continued to Seeley Lake.

"I was just calling it in, and the door blasts open and a guy jumps out, drops something, picks something up and runs into the woods," said Parcell. "I said, 'I've got a runner.' I ran down into the barrow pits and just into the trees. I said 'Hey buddy, come on back, I just want to talk to you' and then pop, pop, pop. It happened that fast. It was pitch black and I realize I'm getting shot at."

Parcell was being shot at with a 41-magnum from 20 feet away. He headed for a tree and was hit in the chest. As he moved to the left, Parcell tripped on a log and fell to the ground.

Parcell returned fire in the general direction of the shooter with four shots, one that misfired. He returned to his patrol vehicle and realized there was still a driver in the vehicle that he had pulled over. The driver got out and he hand-cuffed him.

When Hallgren returned, Parcell asked him where he had been hit. Hallgren said that the bullet had folded over the bottom point on his badge on the left side of his chest. Parcell reached up under his own vest and came out with a handful of blood.

"I realized that I was worse off than I thought I was," said Parcell who had a two-inch hole the size of a silver dollar in his chest. "It wasn't just a bruise; it was a pretty good hit."

Parcell recorded the details of the event as he remembered before being transported via helicopter to Kalispell Regional Hospital.

"[Sellner] is an extremist, fanatic, very paranoid and delusional," said Parcell. "Sellner hasn't paid taxes since 1972. People kept telling him they are not going to let you get away with that, they are going to come and get you. He figures assassination when he sees the lights [that night] - they are going to get me."

Parcell said Sellner later claimed that God spoke to him in a bird's voice and told him to shoot Parcell in the chest because he has his bulletproof vest on and it won't hurt him. Parcell said that Sellner said in a Dateline interview, "If God did not want me to shoot him [Parcell], why didn't he tell me not to."

Parcell was also hit in the holster. Because he was moving to the left it missed his leg and hip.

Sellner was on the run for three years before being arrested. Parcell said he would get reports that Sellner was still on his property south of the Swan River Forest Camp but they couldn't just go in and get him. Family and other like-minded anti-government friends that Parcell called, "willing hostages," acted as sentries for Sellner warning him of any law enforcement in the area.

"Who wants to go into a place where everyone is armed, they are all saying they will fight to the death for my man, the wife is standing out there, he's hiding behind skirts and babies and he dresses as a woman" said Parcell. "He was protected by the fact that no one really wanted to get into a problem and have to hurt somebody. When you have willing hostages that is hard to overcome."

Law enforcement started working their way onto the property by acting as lumber buyers from Sellner who continued to operate his sawmill. After three years, they picked a time when Sellner and only a few others were on the property. Sellner knew that law enforcement were in the woods after receiving a tip.

According to Parcell, Sellner fired shots into the woods trying to flush the law enforcement. Lake County Sheriff's Deputy at the time Mike Dominick said if he fired again he was going to return fire. When he did, Dominick shot dead center at Sellner. However because he was shooting an open sight rifle he had never shot before it hit Sellner in the neck and it went straight through. Two days later Sellner was standing before the judge with a band aid on his neck.

"They said they brought in some kind of an expert that would shoot him and not kill him," said Parcell. "No, [Sellner] just lucked out. [Dominick] just shot high. He was not going to put up with him [shooting into the woods]."

Sellner was tried and went to the Montana State Prison in Oct. 31, 1996 for attempted deliberate homicide and the use of a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced to life plus 10 years with the state and three years with the federal government for weapons changes for having an automatic rifle and explosives. In 2011 he was given his first chance for parole which was denied. His second hearing for parole was Aug. 31.

Parcell provided the Parole Board with a binder including all of his documentation and statements about the incident, the media coverage of the incident and a section of writings written by Sellner. It included statements by Sellner including directives to Christians on how to fight the American Government, his declaration that he was no longer an American citizen and his side of the story from the night of the shooting. Sellner was denied parole and can reapply again in three years.

"I'm very happy with the outcome. Gordon Sellner is basically a fanatical, delusional, paranoid individual. When he gets scared, he turns his fear into violence. That is what he did. He never really said he was sorry. He doesn't show remorse and he really can't because [he believes] God told him to do it," said Parcell. "Let's keep him where he belongs and he ought to serve out his sentence."