It’s About Danni

Summary

Summary of “48 Hours” Episode: “It’s About Danni”

Introduction to the Case

In the poignant episode titled “It’s About Danni,” CBS News’ 48 Hours delves deep into the harrowing story of Danielle “Danny” Houchens, a 15-year-old girl whose tragic disappearance and death in September 1996 left her family and community devastated. Hosted by CBS News correspondents, the episode meticulously reconstructs the events surrounding Danny’s untimely death, the initial mishandling of the investigation, and the relentless pursuit of justice by her family nearly three decades later.

Disappearance and Discovery

On September 21, 1996, Danny Houchens disappeared after a family argument. Seeking solitude, Danny ventured to Cameron Bridge in Belgrade, Montana, a place familiar to her as an avid outdoors enthusiast. Her sister, Stephanie Mollette, recounts, “[00:56]... Not a day since I was 12 years old have I not thought about my sister Danny.” Despite the immediate search efforts, including a search party organized by her mother and family friends, Danny was not found alive. Tragically, that same night, at approximately 9:30 PM, Danny’s body was discovered by two persistent brothers from the community who refused to call off the search despite the encroaching darkness.

Initial Investigation and Family Grief

The initial investigation, led by then-Sheriff Bill Slaughter, concluded that Danny’s death was accidental, attributing it to a possible drowning. Stephanie expresses profound disbelief: “[12:22]... They told us that she drowned and they told us that it really could have been an accident.” However, discrepancies emerged as the family later learned from a coroner that Danny had inhaled water and mud, and there were signs of bruising and possible sexual assault—information initially withheld by law enforcement. A family friend vehemently states, “[02:27] From the instant you saw her body?... It was clear this was not an accident.”

Deputy Keith Farquhar, involved in the original investigation, shared his concerns about the narrative presented by the authorities. He recalls how his attempts to highlight inconsistencies were met with skepticism and ridicule: “[14:05]... he said, what the does a doctor know? And that statement sticks in my mind to this day.” Disillusioned by the lack of transparency, Farquhar resigned three months after Danny’s death, leaving the family without answers.

Decades of Silence and Relentless Pursuit

For nearly 28 years, Danny’s family grappled with unresolved grief and unanswered questions. Stephanie Mollette recounts the emotional toll: “[14:49]... Traumatizing. It was having a big wound in your life and this big gap that was unexplainable.” The case remained cold, with no usable DNA profiles emerging from the initial evidence despite multiple attempts by the Montana State Crime Lab.

In 2021, Detective Sergeant Matt Boxmeyer of Gallatin County recognized the shortcomings in the original investigation and, along with Sheriff Dan Springer, committed to re-examining the case. Stephanie intensified her efforts, persistently contacting the sheriff’s department to seek new leads: “[16:12]... I had been calling the Sheriff's department, trying to get someone to talk to me about Danny's case.”

Breakthrough Through Genetic Genealogy

The breakthrough in Danny’s case came through advanced genetic genealogy techniques. Investigator Tom Elfmont, a retired LAPD Captain with a relentless drive for justice, spearheaded the renewed investigation. Elfmont collaborated with Cece Moore, an expert in genetic genealogy, to analyze four preserved male hairs found on Danny’s body. Despite initial setbacks, Moore successfully extracted a usable DNA profile from the last hair sample: “[24:46]... It was a critical breakthrough.”

Using this enhanced DNA profile, Moore constructed a comprehensive family tree, ultimately identifying Paul Hutchinson, a respected fisheries biologist in Dillon, Montana, as the suspect. Hutchinson’s background was scrutinized, revealing his long-standing reputation in the hunting and fishing communities and his previous employment with the Bureau of Land Management. Stephanie shares her determination: “[16:43]... I was so angry at the people who lied to my family and let my sister's murder go unsolved, but uninvestigated for all of these years, I learned.”

Confrontation and Suspect’s Death

On July 23, 2024, Elfmont and a fellow detective approached Hutchinson under the guise of discussing local fisheries issues. Their interrogation was intense and revealing. Sheriff Dan Springer describes the encounter: “[34:35]... Hutchinson had confirmed he had not only been to the remote area where Danny was attacked, he remembered the street that led there.” Hutchinson exhibited signs of distress and evasiveness, leading Elfmont to suspect his involvement.

However, before an arrest could be made, Hutchinson tragically died by suicide after driving to a remote area and calling dispatch for help—a narrative authorities pieced together later. Elfmont confirmed the DNA match: “[38:06]... The ratio, 10.7 trillion to 1. So he was the guy. This case is solved 100%.”

Aftermath and Continued Struggle for Justice

The resolution of Danny’s case brought mixed emotions for her family. While justice in the traditional legal sense remained elusive due to Hutchinson’s death, the DNA evidence conclusively linked him to the crime. Stephanie expressed her profound sorrow and lingering anger: “[38:43]... I’d like to express My family's gratitude to Tom Elfmont for overcoming every roadblock. To Dan Springer. Thank you for being a man of your word.” However, she also confronted the deep-seated feelings of betrayal by law enforcement: “[39:02]... The sheriff lied to my parents. Bold face. Lied and betrayed the trust of shocked and grieving parents. Those institutions failed my sister, failed my family and failed this community.”

Moreover, Sheriff Springer addressed the long-held grievances, acknowledging the department’s missteps: “[39:42]... If that's what they were told, then that's not the truth.” Former Sheriff Bill Slaughter admitted to withholding information but maintained he did not intentionally lie to the family.

Reflection and Advocacy for Change

In the concluding segments, Stephanie reflects on the enduring impact of Danny’s death and the case’s resolution. Visiting the original crime scene, she shares a heartfelt remembrance: “[40:26]... When I finally saw the exact spot where her body was found... I am so sorry for her that she had to experience that moment.” Her grief is palpable as she contemplates the possibility of other victims and advocates for systemic changes to prevent such failures in the future: “[42:14]... I think that anyone who is able to rape and murder a young girl and then get away with it for almost 28 years had plenty of chances to do it again.”

Conclusion

“It’s About Danni” serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of a family in the face of tragedy and the complexities of the justice system. Through meticulous reporting and emotional storytelling, 48 Hours sheds light on the profound personal costs of unresolved crimes and the unwavering determination required to seek truth and accountability.

Notable Quotes

• Stephanie Mollette: “[14:49]... Traumatizing. It was having a big wound in your life and this big gap that was unexplainable.”

• Keith Farquhar: “[14:05]... he said, what the does a doctor know? And that statement sticks in my mind to this day.”

• Tom Elfmont: “[18:49]... She was a great kid, and the way she died, I get choked up about this a little bit. Really, to this day, bothers me.”

• Stephanie Mollette: “[39:02]... The sheriff lied to my parents. Bold face. Lied and betrayed the trust of shocked and grieving parents.”

• Keith Farquhar: “[38:06]... The ratio, 10.7 trillion to 1. So he was the guy. This case is solved 100%.”

Conclusion

This episode of 48 Hours not only recounts the tragic story of Danny Houchens but also highlights the systemic challenges within law enforcement investigations. It underscores the importance of transparency, technological advancements in solving cold cases, and the enduring strength of a family’s quest for justice.

Transcript

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[Stephanie Mollette]

Not a day since I was 12 years old have I not thought about my sister Danny. That day In September of 1996, Danny disappeared. My name is Stephanie. Danny was my older sister, my mom. Danny was 15 years old, the kind of older sister that every little sister looks up to. Nice stuff. Sorry. Dad's sitting there, he's like, come on, let's try. She was upset with my parents and needed some space to herself. Danielle had gone out to Cameron Bridge.

[Detective]

And she was familiar with this area.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Absolutely. Danny didn't return home and mother grew deeply concerned. And so she and one of her friends drove out to Cameron Bridge to see what was going on. My mom and her friend walked around calling Danny's name and called the sheriff's department and reported her missing. And a search party was being pulled together.

[Detective]

Everybody's calling out her name.

[Family Friend]

Yep.

[Detective]

So if you were out here, you can hear them in the distance. Danny. Danny.

[Keith Farquhar]

Right.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Yep.

[Family Friend]

If she's out here, we just want her to come home. 615 Mt 3730 to 8 started to get dark enough to where I called off the search.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Family friends came out after dark.

[Family Friend]

That was about 9:30 when the dispatcher called me and said they found her body.

[Detective]

How were you informed that Danny was gone?

[Stephanie Mollette]

I was at home. My dad came home and told my mom and I could hear him telling her that Danny was gone. And she said, I know they're going to look again in the morning. As soon as it's light, they'll Be back out there looking for. They're going to find her. They're going to find her. And he said, no, honey, they found her. She's gone. She was strong and she was brave and she was everything I looked up to being 656 to the fish and.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Game at Cameron Bridge.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Go ahead.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Law enforcement didn't tell my family a lot in 1996.

[Family Friend]

There was never a doubt in my mind that someone killed this 15 year old girl.

[Detective]

From the instant you saw her body?

[Family Friend]

From the moment I saw her. 15 year old girls don't die in the swamps at night.

[Stephanie Mollette]

It took almost 30 years, but I had to know.

[Tom Elfmont]

I spent 27 years on the Los Angeles Police Department. And when I retired I moved here to Bozeman, Montana.

[Detective]

What did you think of the original investigation into Danny's death?

[Tom Elfmont]

Oh, it was terrible. It was terrible.

[Keith Farquhar]

So I know where the body was.

[Stephanie Mollette]

There is zero doubt in my mind that they lied to my family.

[Tom Elfmont]

I told Stephanie, I will solve this case, Stephanie.

[Stephanie Mollette]

I promised myself. I promised my sister. I'm coming for you, Danny. I never would have guessed how this ended.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Peter Van Sant reports.

[Keith Farquhar]

It's about Danny.

[Narrator]

It was the end of September 1996. A Saturday night. A fishing area just outside of Bozeman, Montana. A place of tranquility until this night. A few miles up a rural highway near the small town of Belgrade, searchers discovered the body of 15 year old Danny Houchens.

[Detective]

What brought your sister Danny down to this area back on September 21, 1996?

[Stephanie Mollette]

That morning we had kind of a family spat.

[Narrator]

Stephanie Mollette was Danny's little sister.

[Stephanie Mollette]

And so she got 15 year old mad about it and needed some space and some time. And she had her driver's license.

[Detective]

Now people wonder how does a 15 year old get a driver's license in.

[Stephanie Mollette]

The state of Montana in 1996 you actually got your driver's license at 15. She was a very proud driver.

[Detective]

So she hops into her Chevy pickup truck and why would she come to this place if she wanted to? Just kind of take a break.

[Stephanie Mollette]

It's peaceful.

[Narrator]

After Danny's pickup truck was located, a sheriff's posse had searched this wilderness for Danny until it got too dark. But that same night, two brothers, friends of the Houchens family, refused to call it quits.

[Detective]

So they came down this very path at night with their flashlights.

[Stephanie Mollette]

That's right.

[Detective]

They would have crossed this bridge. Right.

[Keith Farquhar]

Somehow in the dense muddy woods, they found her body.

[Family Friend]

The body I believe Peter was right. In this area when she was found right in here. Yes.

[Keith Farquhar]

Keith Farquhar, then a Gallatin County Sheriff's deputy, was the first officer on the scene. In the first hours after Danny was found, no one was really sure what had happened to her.

[Detective]

Did this look like an accident scene or something else?

[Family Friend]

Something entirely different. There's nothing here then or now that would suggest a 15 year old girl should all of a sudden be face down in a small amount of water and mud and be dead. She's a mountain kid.

[Detective]

And is it possible to put into words the shock and horror of that moment?

[Stephanie Mollette]

It's like everything you knew doesn't exist anymore. To not understand how that could have happened and to just feel a gaping hole in your whole being.

[Keith Farquhar]

Rachelle Schrute went to school with Stephanie and Dani.

[Rachelle Schrute]

And I always thought Stephanie and Danny were super cool. Danny was like my friend's cool older sister. They were the most down to earth friendly people.

[Keith Farquhar]

The sisters love the Montana wilderness.

[Stephanie Mollette]

She is pretty. This is like a nature playground out here. And our family, we just played a.

[Detective]

Classic Montana girl, right? She could fish, she hiked, she could ski.

[Keith Farquhar]

And Denny was smart, she loved science.

[Stephanie Mollette]

She was so interested in the way that the world worked.

[Detective]

And she had a sense of humor, right?

[Stephanie Mollette]

Yeah.

[Rachelle Schrute]

Danny, that's really nice.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Isn't she lovely, Rick? Look at your lovely daughter here. She was witty and she was funny and everyone loved her.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Danny.

[Stephanie Mollette]

She'd make humor at her own expense. See my nose? Here's my eye.

[Detective]

How quickly did word spread that Danny had been found and that she was dead?

[Family Friend]

Oh, like wildfire.

[Rachelle Schrute]

It was a lot of shock, you know, learning about Danny dying. It came in stages. You know, there were the rumors all of a sudden of somebody died. Initially, I had just heard somebody drowned.

[Narrator]

While Danny's family was awaiting an official cause of death, everyone, it seemed, from first responder Keith Farquhar to folks all over town were speculating about what had happened.

[Family Friend]

Small town, Montana, if you haven't heard a rumor by 10 o'clock in the morning, you're going to start one.

[Rachelle Schrute]

The rumor started flying of maybe it was a murder. And then we're all like, what?

[Keith Farquhar]

And if it was a murder, who would want to end this young girl's life? And was there a killer on the loose?

[Rachelle Schrute]

It just was like this strange roller coaster of did someone, should we be worried as a community?

[Stephanie Mollette]

I think the rumor mill around Belgrade High School was ruthless.

[Rachelle Schrute]

There was so much other speculation. I remember thinking, man, what if? What if just caused fear.

[Stephanie Mollette]

I tried to be strong. Danny died on a Saturday and I tried to go back to school on Monday. I thought if. I thought that if I was strong then it'd be easier for my parents.

[Keith Farquhar]

But within days, the family's grief would turn to heartbreaking shock when they heard the sheriff's department's jaw dropping announcement about how Danny died.

[Stephanie Mollette]

We just couldn't believe what they told us. It didn't make any sense.

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[Stephanie Mollette]

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[Keith Farquhar]

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[Rachelle Schrute]

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[Keith Farquhar]

Just two days after the discovery of Danny's body, with the people of Belgrade, Montana fearful and demanding answers, authorities released the partial findings of Danny's autopsy. They did not say Danny was murdered. Her manner of death was undetermined. Her family was dumbfounded.

[Stephanie Mollette]

They told us that she drowned and they told us that it really could have been an accident.

[Narrator]

The sheriff told the media that there were no cuts or bruises on Danny's body and no indications of foul play.

[Stephanie Mollette]

She could have just tripped and fell. We don't really know.

[Detective]

Tripped and fell.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Uh huh.

[Detective]

And as avid, experienced outdoors people, even at 12, you thought that was absurd.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Absurd.

[Keith Farquhar]

What the family didn't know at the time was the coroner said Danny had inhaled both wounds, water and mud into her airways. The family also didn't know that there were bruises and cuts on Danny's body and signs of possible sexual assault. The sheriff back then, Bill Slaughter, told us it is often common for investigators to withhold key details to protect their investigations as they looked into potential suspects, including people who, who were close to Danny.

[Family Friend]

Common sense says this girl was not an accidental death.

[Narrator]

Caught in the middle of this controversy was Deputy Keith Farquhar, then a young patrolman. He was assigned to work with detectives on the case. Keith spoke with Danny's doctor.

[Family Friend]

He said there's nothing about her physical condition that would have prevented that girl from being able to roll over in a few inches of water and mud to breathe if she had just fallen, if this was an accident.

[Narrator]

But when Farquhar tried to report the doctor's opinion to other investigators, I was.

[Family Friend]

Pretty much ridiculed by the sheriff.

[Narrator]

What did he say?

[Family Friend]

He said, what the does a doctor know? And that statement sticks in my mind to this day.

[Narrator]

The former sheriff, Bill Slaughter, denies Farquhar's allegations. He says Farquhar was a disgruntled employee.

[Keith Farquhar]

And that his department never ignored any evidence. Fed up and disillusioned just three months After Danny's death, Farquhar resigned from the sheriff's office.

[Narrator]

As years passed, Danny's family tried to accept that her death might have been an accident.

[Detective]

As all that time, weeks to months to years go by and you have no answers, what was that like?

[Stephanie Mollette]

Traumatizing. It was having a big wound in your life and this big gap that was unexplainable, and you somehow had to find a way to heal. Without answers, to live. Without resolution. To hope. With no reason to hope.

[Keith Farquhar]

Until 24 years after Danny's death, Matt Boxmeyer was a detective sergeant with Gallatin County. He took an interest in Danny Houchens and her family.

[Detective]

I found out that they really hadn't been given much information back in 1996 regarding the investigation, which is not uncommon with investigations. You know, you don't openly talk about them with the family. Usually they'd been told that she had fallen down and drowned. It was marked as accidental.

[Keith Farquhar]

Boxmeyer also found out that there had been several efforts over the years to get evidence analyzed by the Montana State Crime Lab. But after each attempt, nothing. No usable DNA profile ever came back. So he was starting from scratch. Meantime, Stephanie decided to turn up the pressure.

[Stephanie Mollette]

I had been calling the Sheriff's department, trying to get someone to talk to me about Danny's case.

[Keith Farquhar]

Finally, Boxmeyer and his bosses made a decision.

[Detective]

They deserved some answers.

[Keith Farquhar]

They told the family that Danny's death was no accident.

[Detective]

I shared with them that I believe that it was a homicide.

[Keith Farquhar]

Homicide. Stephanie then demanded to read the autopsy and look at the crime scene photos.

[Stephanie Mollette]

I was so angry at the people who lied to my family and let my sister's murder go unsolved, but uninvestigated for all of these years, I learned.

[Rachelle Schrute]

That.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Rather than drowning on just water, Dani's head had been held down in the mud. She had mud all the way down into her lungs and into her stomach. There was subcutaneous bruising on the back of her neck. Someone had held her head down forcefully. There was vaginal injuries. There was semen in her underwear. She had fought and scratched.

[Detective]

This is like a nuclear bomb going off emotionally. I would think, for this family and for you.

[Stephanie Mollette]

I remember asking them, so you mean to tell me that in fact, my sister was raped? And they said, yes, we believe she was raped. I remember not being able to breathe. I remember feeling like I needed to puke.

[Keith Farquhar]

In 2021, with Danny's family now knowing the explosive truth, solving Danny's murder would become a top priority for newly appointed Sheriff Dan Springer.

[Detective]

You were Rookie deputy when this crime came down, right?

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Yes. Five days after I started is when we found Danny's body. When you become the boss, you get to decide to do things the way you want to do things. I felt like, well, this is our time. Let's go get some answers.

[Narrator]

Sheriff Springer reached out to Stephanie, and.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

I told her, I am making a promise that we will find an answer to this case.

[Keith Farquhar]

Now, determined to set things right, Springer reached outside the department to a most unusual investigator. Tom Elfmont.

[Tom Elfmont]

I'm very persistent. I have a bulldog personality. I just don't give up on something. I just don't do it.

[Narrator]

He'd spent a lifetime in tough jobs, from a soldier in Vietnam to a cop working the streets of la.

[Tom Elfmont]

I wanted to put bad people in jail.

[Keith Farquhar]

And after a conversation with Sheriff Springer, he was also drawn to Danny's case.

[Tom Elfmont]

She was a great kid, and the way she died, I get choked up about this a little bit. Really, to this day, bothers me. And so when they said, would you like to work the case? I said, yes, I want to work the case.

[Stephanie Mollette]

I, of course, Internet stalked him immediately and came to find out that he's like the man that never retires.

[Tom Elfmont]

I told Stephanie, I will solve this case.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Stephanie.

[Tom Elfmont]

And she said, ok, I'm going to trust you.

[Keith Farquhar]

And with Elfmont leading the way, he soon found a suspect.

[Rachelle Schrute]

Why do I know that name like that sounds so familiar. But it took a little bit of time for it to go. Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, my gosh. No way.

[Ryan Reynolds]

This ranch is under attack.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Our whole way of life is under attack.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Stephanie Mollette]

My family is in danger and I don't have time.

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[Stephanie Mollette]

I pray Spencer can get here.

[Keith Farquhar]

This fight ain't over.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Anything worth having is worth fighting for.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Stephanie Mollette]

Gather your people. We're gonna need every one of them.

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[Stephanie Mollette]

Plus, Section 31 is just a place.

[Rachelle Schrute]

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[Stephanie Mollette]

Starfleet is here to make sure no one commits murder. What a cute idea. This is chaos. Let's get messy.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Don't miss Star Trek. Section 31 now streaming exclusively on Paramount Plus.

[Detective]

Did you ever think coming out here in the mountains outside Bozeman, Montana, that you'd be going back to work as a homicide investigator here?

[Tom Elfmont]

Never No, I never thought so.

[Narrator]

By mid-2023, retired LAPD Captain Tom Elfmont was back to working full time, committed to finding Danny Houchen's killer.

[Tom Elfmont]

The only reason I stayed in it was Danny.

[Narrator]

For Danny's sister Stephanie, Elfmont's refreshing dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm was what the case had always needed.

[Detective]

What does Tom do?

[Stephanie Mollette]

Tom got to work. Tom worked on Danny's case every day. He went through and reexamined all of the evidence.

[Keith Farquhar]

Elfmont had access to everything, including a list of potential suspects from the old case file and that previously tested clothing that Danny had been wearing when she was found.

[Stephanie Mollette]

He, most importantly, made sure that DNA got tested.

[Keith Farquhar]

Elfmont asked the Montana State Crime Lab to use their newest technology to retest the semen on Danny's underwear. At last, a breakthrough. A partial DNA profile. But there were no matches to names in the case file. And when Elfmont compared it to codis, the vast federal digital repository of DNA samples from convicted felons, we didn't get any hits. But Elfmont was undeterred and decided to go a less conventional route. He turned to genetic genealogy. An investigative genealogist, Cece Moore.

[Lifelock Representative]

Since I started working with law enforcement in 2018, I've been able to help solve over 325 cases.

[Keith Farquhar]

Moore is an expert at building out family trees from DNA samples, using information from popular genealogy websites, bringing cold cases back to life. But to solve this case, Moore needed a special type of DNA profile. Problem was, they didn't have enough DNA from that semen.

[Lifelock Representative]

We have to start from scratch, which means there has to be remaining biological evidence for us to go back and retest using more advanced technology.

[Keith Farquhar]

Elfmont did have more evidence for retesting four male hairs that had been found on Danny, which had been perfectly preserved for 27 years. They had never yielded any usable DNA because they were rootless hairs without any skin cells. But Elfmont asked around and connected with Austrea Forensics, a state of the art private lab that's at the forefront of extracting DNA from previously unattainable genetic matter. As if there wasn't enough drama in this case, the first two hairs Estrella tested produced nothing usable.

[Detective]

So the last two hairs are examined. Are they able to get a profile?

[Tom Elfmont]

Yes, in the last hair. Oh, I was so excited.

[Keith Farquhar]

It was a critical breakthrough. Elfmont got permission from a judge to compare this enhanced DNA profile with to samples in popular genealogy databases where people voluntarily submit their DNA profiles. By spring 2024, CECE had what she needed to get to work I'm looking.

[Lifelock Representative]

For patterns, commonalities, overlaps, eventually common ancestors.

[Narrator]

Moore was able to identify the great grandparents on both sides of the suspect's family tree. She then found one marriage that proved decisive.

[Lifelock Representative]

The couple that I finally zeroed in on, they had a lot of children, including three sons.

[Narrator]

Moore felt like she had to be close. But there was a problem.

[Lifelock Representative]

What was really confounding was that everybody lived in New Hampshire. Yet the mystery was what was the link to Montana?

[Keith Farquhar]

Moore scoured through the birth indexes, marriage certificates, and even social media of those sons.

[Lifelock Representative]

When I finally got to the youngest son's Facebook page, he had posted that he moved to Bozeman, Montana on July 1, 1996.

[Keith Farquhar]

Remember, Danny had been murdered in September 1996.

[Lifelock Representative]

Finally, all the pieces fell into place. On May 1, 2024, I called up the detectives to let them know that I believed I had identified Danny's killer.

[Keith Farquhar]

Finally, after nearly 28 years, it was now time for Elfmont to call Stephanie and give her the momentous news.

[Stephanie Mollette]

We found Danny's killer and he is alive, and we are going to make a case against him.

[Keith Farquhar]

The suspect was Paul Hutchinson, a married father of two, who Elfmont soon learned was widely known and respected in local hunting and fishing circles.

[Tom Elfmont]

We learned that he's been working for the Bureau of Land Management in Dillon, Montana for 22 years as a fisheries biologist. He was a big outdoorsman, bowhunter, rifle hunter, fisherman, trapper.

[Keith Farquhar]

And incredibly, it turned out Stephanie's childhood friend, Rachelle Schrute knew Paul Hutchinson. He was a trusted mentor who she had first met in the early 2000s.

[Rachelle Schrute]

Paul came across as just an under the radar person that was always so kind of calm and quiet. He was just so utterly unremarkable.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Stephanie Mollette]

Take your father's strength. His name is Maximus.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Stephanie Mollette]

Strength and honor.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Strength and honor.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Gladiator 2 directed by Ridley Scott. Now streaming on Paramount Plus. Rated R. Screaming on Paramount Plus. Everyone who comes into this clinic is a mystery.

[Rachelle Schrute]

We don't know what we're looking for.

[Narrator]

Their bodies are the scene of the crime.

[Stephanie Mollette]

No symptoms in history or clues.

[Rachelle Schrute]

You saved her life.

[Keith Farquhar]

We're doctors and we're detectives.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I kind of love it, if I'm being honest. Solve the puzzle, save the patient. Morris Chestnut is Watson. Now streaming on Paramount plus and new episodes return Sunday, February 16th on CBS.

[Keith Farquhar]

Stephanie Mallette had spent years dreaming of the day someone would be held responsible for her sister's murder. That day, that dream seemed to be finally coming true.

[Stephanie Mollette]

It was the moment at which I knew that everything I had put into my fight for my sister had been worth it.

[Keith Farquhar]

Back in September 1996, suspect Paul Hutchinson was 27 years old. He had served in the Marine Corps, then moved to Bozeman to study at Montana State University, just 13 miles from where Danny's body was discovered.

[Tom Elfmont]

When he was at Montana State, he had a work study. He worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service, which would have put him on the waterways around Belgrade, where on September.

[Detective]

21, 1996, Danny ended up on a hike.

[Tom Elfmont]

That's correct.

[Detective]

Do you think your sister Danny knew Paul Hutchinson?

[Stephanie Mollette]

No. Paul Hutchinson was a stranger to Danny. There's no way that she would have known him.

[Keith Farquhar]

But many people in the area did know Hutchinson through his passion for hunting and fishing and high profile government job.

[Rachelle Schrute]

He just was like this respected source of information in the hunting and fishing space.

[Keith Farquhar]

Rochelle knew Hutchinson for years. She's an expert hunter and former Yellowstone park guide and is now the hunt and fish editor for gearjunkie.com I think.

[Rachelle Schrute]

I would have considered him a friend, you know, if we were doing some sort of hunt camp, I would have not even thought twice about inviting him.

[Keith Farquhar]

Rochelle says she never once questioned Hutchinson's integrity, even when she went on fishing trips with him. Just the two of them out in the middle of nowhere.

[Rachelle Schrute]

I've always trusted my gut instinct when it comes to Pete, especially men. I never had any feeling that he was unsafe.

[Keith Farquhar]

Though she hadn't seen Hutchinson in years, Rachelle kept up with him online. He would often post on message boards about hunting trips he had taken across the country.

[Rachelle Schrute]

Paul was super active in the hunting community. It seemed like he was constantly hunting, always sharing where he was headed or where he just got back from.

[Keith Farquhar]

Hutchinson had no criminal record. By all accounts, he had been leading a quiet existence since 1996.

[Detective]

And what did you know about his family life?

[Tom Elfmont]

Well, we knew that he had a wife and a daughter and a son.

[Keith Farquhar]

And he lived just a few hours away.

[Detective]

And Dillon, Montana, how far is that from Bozeman?

[Tom Elfmont]

140 miles.

[Keith Farquhar]

Elfmont knew he couldn't make an arrest until he got Hutchinson's DNA, which he was working out how to get. In the meantime, Montana law did allow Elfmont to talk to Hutchinson. With some conditions, it just basically has.

[Tom Elfmont]

To be in a public area where he can walk Away anytime he wants to.

[Keith Farquhar]

So on July 23, 2024, Elfmont and another detective drove down to Hutchinson's office at the Bureau of Land Management in Dillon, Montana, with a body camera rolling.

[Tom Elfmont]

We saw Paul come in and get out of his pickup. And then we started walking up and, and I got up about 10ft from Paul and I said, hey, Paul, how you doing?

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Good, good.

[Tom Elfmont]

My name's Tom Elfond. I'm with the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Uh huh. Hey, guys.

[Narrator]

They came ready with a clever excuse for why they wanted to speak with Hutchinson, hoping it wouldn't raise his suspicions.

[Tom Elfmont]

We wanted to talk to you. We've been talking to some fisheries people about some things that, that have been going on here at the rivers in southwest Montana.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Okay.

[Tom Elfmont]

I explained to him that we're investigating some cases up and down the rivers, and so we want to talk to people that are experts.

[Narrator]

Right at the start, they caught a break, thanks to an unusually scorching hot day.

[Tom Elfmont]

It was 98 that day. And Dillon, he said, let's go inside.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

You guys want to come inside and talk? That'd be great, man.

[Tom Elfmont]

If he invites us in, we don't have to give him Miranda. So we go inside, he takes us in a small conference room.

[Keith Farquhar]

While they didn't ask about Danny Houchens right away, Elfmont says he could tell Hutchinson was nervous.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Appreciate you sitting down with us. Why the hell, what's up?

[Tom Elfmont]

And he breaks into a sweat. It's just his head starts sweating and he asks, can I, can I leave?

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Can you give me a second? Absolutely.

[Keith Farquhar]

Hutchinson said he had to go help a co worker. When he returned, they asked him about the other cases.

[Tom Elfmont]

So I had pictures of four women that died. One in a river in Idaho, two over on the Yellowstone.

[Narrator]

And then Danny Elfmont's partner, Cort Depwig, took over the conversation.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Okay. This is Danielle Houchens. She was killed in September of 96, and she was found off the Gallatin River. Did you ever fish up there? I. I trapped on the Gallatin. Have you ever heard of the Cameron Bridge access? Have you been there before? Probably Jackrabbit. Yeah, exactly.

[Keith Farquhar]

Hutchinson had confirmed he had not only been to the remote area where Danny was attacked, he remembered the street that led there. Elfman says it was a revealing exchange.

[Tom Elfmont]

Shaken, he's all distressed now. He was sitting back in the chair like this, as far as he could get from the table and the pictures, I knew we had him.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

You remember seeing her there or a similar face? I honestly don't I mean, I probably. I've been to a bunch of fishing access sites.

[Keith Farquhar]

For one reason or another, Hutchinson denied knowing anything about Danny's death, even when they told him they had the suspect's DNA.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Is there a possibility that you were there when she was murdered?

[Tom Elfmont]

No.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

You weren't trapping or anything during that time? Not in September. That would have been. Are you asking me? I mean, I'm just asking if you remember anything during that time. No, no.

[Detective]

Did you ever directly say, did you kill Danny Houchens?

[Tom Elfmont]

No.

[Detective]

Why?

[Tom Elfmont]

Didn't need to.

[Detective]

Because he knows that you know.

[Tom Elfmont]

That's right.

[Detective]

And you know that he knows that you know.

[Tom Elfmont]

Correct.

[Keith Farquhar]

As they wrapped up the interview, Hutchinson had a question for them.

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Anything else you want to ask me while I'm here?

[Tom Elfmont]

No, we're good. We're good.

[Keith Farquhar]

Now, to Elfmont, it seemed like Hutchinson couldn't believe they didn't arrest him. But the investigation was far from over.

[Tom Elfmont]

So we walk out of the building and we had surveillance people to follow him. He started driving like a maniac, high speed, doing you turns. He takes off.

[Keith Farquhar]

With the possibility of an arrest of her sister's killer, Stephanie began imagining what justice would look like for Paul Hutchinson.

[Stephanie Mollette]

I was preparing myself for the next three to five years of a court battle, to staring him down, to being present every day in that courtroom.

[Keith Farquhar]

But what Stephanie could never prepare herself for was the startling phone call she got from Tom Elfmont just 12 hours after he had interviewed Hutchinson.

[Tom Elfmont]

So I called Stephanie and I said, stephanie, he's dead. He killed himself. It's a big pause. And she said, you know, I don't know how I feel about that. I said, I get it. I understand.

[Keith Farquhar]

Police say Paul Hutchinson drove to a remote area and called the sheriff's dispatch line saying an officer needed help. When cops arrived, they. They found Hutchinson's body dead by a self inflicted gunshot wound. He was 55.

[Detective]

Give me a sense of that moment for you.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Shock. I didn't expect that to happen.

[Keith Farquhar]

When Hutchinson's DNA was checked against evidence from Danny's body, including the semen on her underwear, there was a match.

[Tom Elfmont]

The ratio, 10.7 trillion to 1. So he was the guy. This case is solved 100%.

[Keith Farquhar]

Stephanie's friend Rachelle, who had considered Hutchinson a mentor, learned what happened as she watched the sheriff's news conference.

[Rachelle Schrute]

I am gutted. I've known him most of my life, like it makes me mad to know him. How dare you.

[Narrator]

At the news conference, Stephanie thanked the current sheriff's team.

[Stephanie Mollette]

I'd like to express My family's gratitude to Tom Elfmont for overcoming every roadblock. To Dan Springer. Thank you for being a man of your word.

[Narrator]

And then she did what no one there expected. She unleashed years of pent up anger.

[Stephanie Mollette]

The sheriff lied to my parents. Bold face. Lied and betrayed the trust of shocked and grieving parents. Those institutions failed my sister, failed my family and failed this community.

[Narrator]

I asked Sheriff Springer about Stephanie's allegations that the sheriff's department for years had lied to her family.

[Detective]

If what they say is true, were they lied to?

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

I don't. I don't know what they said, to.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Be honest with you.

[Detective]

What the parents said is that they were told that their daughter did not have any injuries. If what they are saying is true, were they lied to?

[Sheriff Dan Springer]

Of course. I mean, I think the reports speak for themselves. There were marks on her body. And if that's what they were told, then that's not the truth.

[Keith Farquhar]

We reached out to the man who was sheriff in office back in 1996, Bill Slaughter. Now retired, Slaughter admits withholding some information from Danny's family, but claims he never lied to them, despite the fact he told the local newspaper in 1996 that there was no indication of foul play.

[Narrator]

Weeks after the news conference, Stephanie went back to the scene of the crime.

[Stephanie Mollette]

When I finally saw the exact spot where her body was found. And I sat there and imagined that about her last moments and how it went from peaceful rustling of leaves and, you know, the sounds of squirrels running through the forest and the birds chirping to suddenly turning to this awful and violating and terrifying experience. And then that realization that she must have had when he was holding her face down in the mud, that she was going to die right there. And I am so sorry for her that she had to experience that moment.

[Detective]

For you.

[Tom Elfmont]

What is this case about Danny? It's about Danny. I would wake up at night and I would say middle of the night, 3 o'clock in the morning, and I'd say, danny. I gotcha. It's about Danny.

[Narrator]

In the aftermath of Hutcheson's death, there were so many questions unanswered. Perhaps the most troubling, says Elfmont. Were there other victims?

[Tom Elfmont]

Oh, I think there's a good possibility, yeah.

[Stephanie Mollette]

I think that anyone who is able to rape and murder a young girl and then get away with it for almost 28 years had plenty of chances to do it again.

[Narrator]

Stephanie is now trying to make changes in how Montana funds and supervises law enforcement so that cases like Danny's don't.

[Keith Farquhar]

Fall by the wayside on the table.

[Stephanie Mollette]

I have what was in Danny's pocket when she died, and then her driver's license, which she was really proud of having.

[Narrator]

Years ago, Dani's family spread some of her ashes on a nearby mountaintop.

[Stephanie Mollette]

We spread half of Danny's ashes on top of the tallest mountain on the Bridger Range, Sacajawea Peak.

[Narrator]

And now, almost 30 years later, Stephanie was back here on the banks of the Gallatin river, where Danny died to.

[Keith Farquhar]

Spread the last of her ashes and.

[Narrator]

To tell her sister that she'd made a difference.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Love you, Danny. I think the biggest thing has been after so many years of begging and pleading for people to pay attention to my sister, for people to believe that she mattered, I'm feeling so often like I was screaming into an echo chamber. Now, suddenly, she matters to everyone all over again.

[Keith Farquhar]

Join me Tuesday 4 postmortem from 48 Hours, where we'll dive even deeper into today's episode and answer your questions about the case.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Let the bodies hit the Think about how screwed up we would be if we had survived a plane crash only to end up eating each other.

[Lifelock Representative]

The only way to truly be safe.

[Stephanie Mollette]

Is to be the only one left. You really are insane.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yellowjackets new season streaming February 14th on the Paramount plus with Showtime Plan.