West
Montana man ID'd as suspect in cold case killing of teen girl kills himself after being questioned
Nearly three decades after a teenage Montana girl was found dead near a fishing access point, a married father of two identified as her suspected killer took his own life, hours after being interviewed by investigators, authorities said Thursday.
Advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy led authorities to identify 55-year-old Paul Hutchinson as the killer of 15-year-old Danielle “Danni” Houchins.
“We never gave up on finding the truth for Danni and her family, exhausting all means necessary to bring closure to this heartbreaking chapter,” said Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer. “Our commitment to justice for victims and their loved ones is unwavering, and we will continue to use every resource at our disposal to solve these cases, no matter how much time has passed.”
CALIFORNIA MAN WHO WENT BY ALIAS FOR 40 YEARS ARRESTED IN WOMAN’S MURDER
Danielle “Danni” Houchins, 15, was killed in 1996. Paul Hutchinson, 55, was recently identified as a suspect and killed himself a day after being questioned by investigators, authorities said this week. (Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office)
Houchins left her home in Belgrade, Montana, around 11 a.m. Sept. 21, 1996, and never returned. After reporting her missing, the teen’s mother found her truck at the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access point on the Gallatin River. Later that night, Houchins’ body was found face down in shallow water.
DNA evidence was collected and several suspects were interviewed over the years, but the case eventually went cold. In 2021, Springer hired private investigator Tom Elfmont, a retired Los Angeles Police Department officer, to assist in the investigation.
Hair collected from Houchins’ body was sent to labs in California and Virginia, where Hutchinson was identified as a suspect.
On July 23, Elfmont and Sgt. Court Depweg of the Newport Beach Police Department, who specializes in solving homicides using DNA technology, interviewed Hutchinson. During the nearly two-hour interview, Hutchinson appeared nervous and showed signs of being uncomfortable when he was shown a picture of the late teen, authorities said.
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Stephanie Mollet, the sister of Danielle Houchins, speaks to reporters. (Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office)
“Investigators noted he sweated profusely, scratched his face and chewed on his hand,” the sheriff’s office said. “Upon release, his behavior was observed to be erratic.”
The next morning, Hutchinson called the Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, saying he needed assistance before hanging up. He was later found by deputies on the side of a road with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
“When the time came to face up and account for his violence, he instead chose to end his life,” Houchins’ younger sister, Stephanie Mollet, said at a press conference. “He knew of his guilt and couldn’t face my family or his family and the pain he had caused.”
Houchins and Hutchinson had no connection prior to her death. Investigators described the killing as a “crime of opportunity.” They believe the pair randomly encountered each other at the river and that Hutchinson raped and suffocated her in shallow water.
The Cameron Bridge Fishing Access point on the Gallatin River. (Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks)
At the time of the murder, Hutchinson had just become a student at Montana State University, where he graduated with a degree in fisheries wildlife biology. He worked for the state Bureau of Land Management for 22 years.
He had no criminal or traffic history, authorities said.
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Spring in Montana has a way of keeping people on their toes. One day feels like summer is finally here, and the next morning you’re scraping frost off the windshield before work.
And honestly, that’s pretty normal around here.
A Transition Month: May in Montana
In many parts of Montana, May is still very much a transition month. Higher elevation communities like Butte can still see freezing temperatures late into the season, and in some years the final frost does not arrive until June. That lingering winter chill is just part of life in the Treasure State.
Daylight Gains: Embracing Longer Evenings
At the same time, May also brings some of the biggest daylight gains of the entire year. As Montana races toward the summer solstice, we add roughly 70 more minutes of daylight throughout the month, depending on location, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Longer evenings, greener landscapes, and warmer afternoons start showing up, even if the mornings can still feel like winter.
READ MORE: Old Farmer’s Almanac Predicts Later Frost Dates for Parts of Montana
That’s what makes Montana weather so unique this time of year. You might start the day with a jacket and a windshield scraper, then end the afternoon in shorts and a T-shirt.
While we recently looked back at some of the warmest Mays Montana has experienced, the colder years can be just as memorable. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has tracked Montana temperatures dating back to 1895, giving us a fascinating look at just how cold May can still get across the state.
READ MORE: These Are the Warmest Mays Ever Recorded in Montana
Some of those chilly Mays brought persistent snow, freezing mornings, and temperatures far below average well into spring.
Now it’s time to look back at the 10 coldest May temperatures Montana has experienced since record-keeping began in 1895. Keep scrolling for more.
Top 10 Coldest Mays in Montana According to NOAA
Top 10 Coldest Mays in Montana According to NOAA
Gallery Credit: Chris Wolfe
Montana’s Top 10 Warmest Mays on Record
According to NOAA, these are the top 10 warmest, on average, months of May in Montana
Gallery Credit: Chris Wolfe
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Another platform is coming under fire by the State of Nevada over alleged unsafe conditions for children.
On Wednesday, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford filed a lawsuit against Discord, which is a communication platform that facilitates instant, text, and chat messaging as well as voice and video calls. Users are also able to share media, including photos and videos.
“Discord’s popularity with minors also makes it popular with a much more dangerous cohort: child predators, who seek to groom and exploit minor users,” the 100-page complaint reads in part. “Discord knows that the children on its platform are at risk, and further knows that children and their parents and guardians are afraid of malicious actors on the platform. Yet Discord has done very little to protect these children, and has refused to implement safety features that it knows would greatly ameliorate the risk.”
The complaint lists several cases as alleged proof that the platform is dangerous:
- In 2023, a Las Vegas man was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting a minor and producing child pornography of his victim, whom he groomed on Discord.
- In 2024, a Reno man was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime supervised release for grooming a minor on Discord.
- In 2025, a sting captured eight individuals who had used Discord — among other communications platforms — to solicit sex from law enforcement agents posing as children.
According to the complaint, a group called 764, which was located on a Discord server that contained violent videos and “how-to” guides on sexually exploiting and extorting minors online, “has acknowledged a presence in Nevada”. The FBI’s Las Vegas field office is part of one or more of the agency’s 250 investigations into the organization.
Ford’s team also alleges that Discord has several flaws in its design, which is putting children at risk. For example, insufficient barriers for strangers contacting children, misleading and/or ineffective filters, parental control issues, and an “absence of age or identity verification in the account creation process.”
In February 2026, Discord tried to implement a requirement where users had to authenticate their age “with a face scan or by uploading a form of ID if they want to access adult content.” However, the complaint states that after user backlash to that announcement, “Discord immediately went into damage control mode and walked backed its commitment.”
According to the complaint, Ford’s team is seeking civil penalties of up to $15,000 per violation of the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act and up to $25,000 for each violation directed at a minor.
Discord has denied the claims made in the complaint and sent Channel 13 the following statement:
“The lawsuit’s characterization of Discord does not reflect the platform we have built or the investments we have made in user safety. Discord is a communications platform built to connect people around playing games. Users join Discord communities intentionally, based on their interests, and unlike social media, the platform has no algorithmic feed, infinite scroll, or public “likes” pushing content to mass audiences.
Our safety systems combine advanced technology and human-led investigations, alongside user reports to help identify accounts or spaces engaged in harmful activity, including exploitative and child sexual abuse materials. We require all users to be at least 13 to use Discord and also provide teen users and their parents and guardians with important privacy and safety tools, including Teen Safety Assist and our Family Center. We look forward to collaborating with policymakers in working toward a safer online experience for all users on Discord and across the internet.”
Discord Spokesperson
This is not the only platform that is facing lawsuits in Nevada.
Last month, Ford announced the State of Nevada had reached a settlement with the online gaming platform Roblox.
In addition to abuse concerns, 13 Investigates partnered with ABC News Investigates to tell you how teenagers were being recruited on Roblox to become hackers.
WATCH: 2023 cybersecurity incidents lead to Nevada Gaming Control Board changes
2023 cybersecurity incidents lead to Nevada Gaming Control Board changes
As part of that settlement, Roblox officials agreed to several changes to make the platform safer, including age verification, content control, enhanced parental controls, and agreements to spend $2.5 million for online safety awareness campaigns as well as workshops and training for law enforcement.
APRIL 2026: Nevada reaches settlement with gaming platform Roblox
FULL PRESSER: State of Nevada reaches settlement with online gaming platform Roblox
Ford’s office has filed similar consumer protection lawsuits against TikTok, Snap, Meta, YouTube, and Kik, all alleging harmful design features and a lack of common-sense online safety measures for children.
According to Ford’s office, they’re set to go to trial against TikTok and Snap next year.
LAS ANIMAS COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – A 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck in southern Colorado near the New Mexico border Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with shocks felt as far as Pueblo.
According to the USGS, around 10:45 a.m., an earthquake struck near Weston at a depth of 8.7 km.
USGS said weak shaking could be felt as far as southern Pueblo and Monte Vista, with the shaking measured at an intensity level 3.
USGS said it estimates a 28% chance that an aftershock greater than 3.0 can be felt again within the next week.
Copyright 2026 KKTV. All rights reserved.
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