Danielle 'Danni' Houchins

📍 Location

📝 Description

Danielle 'Danni' Houchins was a 15-year-old girl from Belgrade, Montana who disappeared on September 21, 1996. Her body was later found face down in shallow water along the Gallatin River at the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access Area. The case remained unsolved for decades and was initially ruled as drowning/undetermined. In 2024, advanced DNA testing and forensic genealogy identified Paul Hutchinson, then a Montana State University student living in Bozeman, as a suspect. Hutchinson was interviewed by investigators in July 2024 and died by suicide hours after the interview. Authorities stated the crime was a crime of opportunity with no known prior connection between Hutchinson and Houchins. The case has since been closed with Hutchinson identified as the killer.

🔍 Circumstances

On Sept. 21, 1996, around 11 a.m., Danni left her home in Belgrade, Montana. Her truck was later found at the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access Area along the Gallatin River, and her body was recovered that evening, face down in muddy marsh. The coroner initially ruled drowning and the death as undetermined. Over the years, the case remained cold until 2021 when the sheriff reopened it and enlisted outside DNA/genetic genealogy experts. In 2024, four hairs found at the scene yielded a partial DNA profile, which led to Paul Hutchinson. Hutchinson was interviewed in July 2024 and died by suicide the following morning.

👤 Physical Description

Not publicly disclosed; public sources identify Danni as a 15-year-old female; no detailed physical description of her appearance at the time of the incident has been released.

ℹ️ Additional Details

DNA evidence collected at the scene and multiple suspects interviewed over the years culminated in a forensic genealogy breakthrough in 2024 identifying Paul Hutchinson as the suspect. Hutchinson died by suicide hours after being questioned. Investigators describe the murder as a crime of opportunity with no known prior relationship between Hutchinson and Houchins. The case is now considered closed with Hutchinson identified as the killer.

🔗 Sources (5)

👥 Community Contributions

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