Nearly three decades after a Montana teenage girl was found dead near a fishing hole, the married father of two identified as the suspect in her murder committed suicide hours after being interviewed by investigators, authorities said Thursday.
Through advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy, authorities identified 55-year-old Paul Hutchinson as the murderer of 15-year-old Daniel “Danny” Houchins.
“We never gave up on finding the truth for Dani and her family and have done everything necessary to bring closure to this heartbreaking event,” said Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer. “Our commitment to achieving justice for the victims and their loved ones remains unwavering and we will continue to use every tool available to us to solve these cases, no matter how much time passes.”
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Daniel “Danny” Houchins, 15, was killed in 1996. Authorities announced this week that 55-year-old Paul Hutchinson had recently been identified as a suspect and committed suicide the day after being questioned by investigators. (Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office)
Houchins left her home in Belgrade, Montana, around 11 a.m. on September 21, 1996 and never returned. After filing a missing person’s report, the girl’s mother found her truck near the Cameron Bridge fishing area on the Gallatin River. Her body was found face-down in shallow water later that evening.
Although DNA evidence was collected over the years and several suspects were interviewed, the case ultimately remained unsolved. In 2021, Springer hired retired LAPD private investigator Tom Elfmont to assist in the investigation.
Hair taken from Ms Hutchinson’s body was sent to labs in California and Virginia, and Ms Hutchinson was identified as a suspect.
Elfmont and Newport Beach Police Department Sergeant Cort Depweg, who specializes in using DNA technology to solve murder cases, questioned Hutchinson on July 23. Authorities said Hutchinson appeared nervous during the roughly two-hour interrogation and showed signs of discomfort when shown photos of the suspect, who is in his late teens.
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Stephanie Mollett, Daniel Houchins’ sister, spoke to reporters. (Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office)
“Investigators noted he was sweating profusely, scratching his face and biting his hands,” the sheriff’s office said. “After his release, his behavior was observed to be erratic.”
The next morning, Hutchinson called the Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, said he needed help and then hung up. He was later found by a deputy on the side of the road suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
“It was time for him to own up to and explain his violent actions, but he chose to take his own life,” Houchins’ sister, Stephanie Mollett, said at a news conference. “He knew his guilt was real and he was unable to face my family and his family and the pain he caused.”
Hutchinson and Houchins had no prior contact with each other prior to her death. Investigators described the murder as a “crime of opportunity.” They believe the pair met by chance at a river, where Hutchinson raped her in shallow water and choked her to death.
Cameron Bridge Fishing Access Point on the Gallatin River. (Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks)
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At the time of the murder, Hutchinson had just enrolled at Montana State University and had recently graduated with a degree in fisheries and wildlife biology. He had been employed by the Montana Bureau of Land Management for 22 years.
Authorities said he had no criminal history or history of traffic accidents.
