Montana Cold Case Cracked: New Evidence Emerges In 1996 Murder

Montana Puts Another Cold Case Under Their Belt

The Man Who Murdered 15 Year Old Danielle Houchins in 1996 Has Been Identified

From KRTV News:

Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer says Paul Nathaniel Hutchinson of Dillon was positively identified as the murderer using DNA that was acquired after the suspect's death.

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The Day Of The Crime:

• September 21, 1996, the 15 year old Houchins left Belgrade to go to the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access
• When she didn't come home, her mom went to look for her and found her pickup, keys and water bottle all in the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access area
• Gallatin County Sheriff's office instigated a search. The search was stopped for the night when it became too dark for safety
• Family friends found Houchins later near Cameron bridge hidden under a tree
• The autopsy found she had been sexually assaulted and they recovered DNA from the person they believe perpetrated the crime.

The Chain Of Events Leading To The Discovery Hutchinson Was The Murderer

• July 23, 2024 officers interview Hutchinson for about 2 hours.  He exhibited signs of nervousness, of being uncomfortable and he was erratic after the interview.
• Just after 4 am on July 24, 2024, Hutchinson called the Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office asking for help.  When deputies got there, he was dead on the side of the road from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

It's Believed This Was Purely A Crime Of Opportunity

It's believed the 2 didn't know each other before Hutchinson murdered Houchins.  Officials think they ran into each other by the river and Hutchinson raped Houchins then killed her.