Don Nichols Notorious Kidnapper/Mountain Man Up For Parole(Denied)

[MuffyBee]

http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/30893979/detail.html
1980s Mountain Man Abductor Seeks Parole
April 14, 2012

HELENA, Mont. -- A notorious "mountain man" who abducted a world-class biathlete in 1984 to keep as a wife for his son once wrote that blame for the "incident" lies with her and a would-be rescuer he shot and killed.

Don Nichols, now 81, will need to be more contrite later this month in front of the historically stern Montana Parole Board.

Nichols gained international notoriety for the bizarre crime and prolonged manhunt in the wilderness northwest of Yellowstone National Park.
 ::snipping2::
Edit to add "denied" to subject line.  MB

[MuffyBee]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-04-14/mountain-man-parole/54278888/1
1980s mountain man abductor seeks parole
April 14, 2012

HELENA, Montana (AP) – A notorious "mountain man," who abducted a world-class athlete in 1984 to keep as a wife for his son, once wrote that blame for the "incident" lies with her and a would-be rescuer whom he shot and killed. Don Nichols undoubtedly will need to be more contrite later this month in front of the historically stern Montana Parole Board.
 ::snipping2::
In July of 1984 the Nichols ambushed Swenson with guns while she was on a training run in the mountains above the resort town of Big Sky.

They forced her into the woods and kept her chained her to a tree most of the time when would-be rescuers stumbled upon the camp. In the melee, Dan Nichols accidentally shot Swenson. An armed standoff ensued, and the elder Nichols gunned down Alan Goldstein.

The Nichols left Swenson severely wounded and escaped into the woods. The experienced woodsmen evaded capture for five months living in the Madison Range, until a daring Madison County sheriff and former bronco buster named Johnny France took it upon himself to follow a tip and gave chase alone before storming the Nichols camp and forcing their surrender.

Swenson, despite diminished lung capacity from the gunshot wound, went on to win a bronze medal in the world biathlon championships. The Nichols faced a prosecutor, Marc Racicot, who would later become governor and a jury who didn't buy their argument that modern society misunderstood their mountain man ways.

The sensational tale made the cover of national newsmagazines, spawned two books and a TV movie "The Abduction of Kari Swenson."

Nichols had a far different take on the series of events, believing he was being unfairly judged by people who didn't understand nature or the mountains.

His "manuscript", written in tight cursive and finished in 1992, trashed modern society's pursuit of material goods, quoted famed environmentalist John Muir as he extols life in the woods and Friedrich Nietzsche's view of human nature.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

Here's a recent article about Don's son, Dan:

http://www.krtv.com/news/mountain-man-nichols-fails-to-appear-for-trial-on-drug-other-charges/
"Mountain man" Nichols fails to appear for trial on drug, other charges
March 23, 2012

Dan Nichols, who along with his father became notorious as "mountain men," is wanted by authorities after not appearing for trial this week in Jefferson County.

Nichols was scheduled to stand trial on Wednesday for drug charges after being taken into custody at the Rockin' In The Rivers concert in August, but he did not appear, according to Jefferson County Undersheriff Mike Johnson said.

A no-bond warrant was issued for his arrest earlier this month.

He also failed to appear for a pre-trial hearing earlier in the month on the charges, including a number of drug charges, resisting arrest, and tampering with evidence.

"We have had no contact with him," Johnson said.

Nichols and his father, Don, were dubbed the "mountain men" after abducting Olympic athlete Kari Swenson near Big Sky in 1984 and holding her hostage in the wilderness. The two wanted the woman to be Dan's bride and she was shot in the chest in the ordeal.
 ::snipping2::