While we’d all love to be outside soaking up the summer sun, the sad fact is that most of Montana is usually on fire during the hottest months of the year. So while our brave firefighters and volunteers work tirelessly to save our land, we may as well revisit some of Montana’s less than pleasant history. We’ve put together a shortlist of some of the most famous murders in Montana; each one will send chills down your spine!

Violent crime rates in Montana are quite low, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some grizzly murders in our past. These local homicides will never be forgotten.

1. John Bozeman
Wikipedia
John Bozeman was a pioneer, best known for establishing the Bozeman Trail through Wyoming Territory into the gold fields of southwestern Montana Territory in the early 1860s. Obviously, the city of Bozeman is named after him. John was murdered in April of 1867 while traveling along the Yellowstone River. His partner, Tom Cover, claimed they had been attacked by a band of Blackfeet Indians. But many people believe Tom killed John himself. John Bozeman was apparently quite the ladies' man, and Tom may have been jealous.
2. Wayne Nance
findagrave.com
Wayne Nance, also known as the Missoula Mauler, was a suspected serial killer who most likely murdered Donna Pounds in 1974 and Marci Bachmann, a teenager who had run away from home. Wayne may have murdered several others as well. But in 1986, he entered the home of Doug and Kris Wells, intending to kill them... but Doug shot Wayne in the head in self-defense instead, putting a permanent end to his reign of terror.
3. Miranda Fenner
Forest Service Northern Region / Flickr
For the most part, Laurel is a quiet and peaceful place. But in 1998, 18-year-old Miranda Fenner was working at a video rental store when she was brutally murdered. The killer left no evidence behind, and to this day, her death remains a mystery.

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4. Frank Little
Wikipedia
Frank Little was an American labor leader known for his pro-labor, pro-union, anti-war views. Sadly he was lynched in the early morning hours of August 1, 1917, when 6 masked men broke into his Butte boardinghouse and kidnapped him. While there are a number of suspects, no one was ever prosecuted for his murder.
5. Morris Davis
J. Stephen Conn / Flickr
The Morris Davis homicide case is particularly disturbing. On the night of April 5, 1985, he was delivering a pizza to what turned out to be a vacant house. He was ambushed at the front door and shot 9 times. His delivery wallet was stolen, and no suspects were ever charged.
6. Father John Kerrigan (and Father Reynaldo Rivera)
LeeIn WashDC / Flickr
In 1984, Father John Kerrigan was settling into his new role at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ronan. On the night of July 20, he left a Polish bakery and disappeared. The next day, bloody clothing was found on Highway 35, and a week later his car was found... the car, along with a shovel in the trunk, were covered in blood. His body was never found. Experts think his murder may be related to the killing of Father Reynaldo Rivera, who was shot to death in Santa Fe in 1982 at a rest stop after a caller had asked him to come deliver last rites. Kerrigan had spent time in New Mexico not far from Rivera, and both men were members of the Order of Franciscans. But neither mystery has ever been solved, and a connection hasn't been proven.

These homicides are definitely creepy, and so are these other unsolved mysteries in Montana..

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Famous Murders in Montana

Tori Jane | May 21, 2022

What are some of the most frightening Montana murders?  

Montana might be one of those states that has a relatively low population, but it’s still got its fair share of frightening crimes, including murders. Every murder is scary, but some just kind of stick with us. Among the most notorious and frightening Montana murders is the case of Miranda Fenner, who was 18 when she was killed at the video store she worked at in 1998. The case was cold for decades, until 2019, when a man named Zachary David O’Neill confessed to – and plead guilty to – her murder. Montana was also the home of Wayne Nance, a likely serial killer known as “the Missoula Mauler”. He never saw any jail time for the two murders he was known to have committed, as he was shot during a home invasion in which he planned on more victims. Yikes! 

How many Montana homicides are there in a year, on average?  

Montana has one of the lowest murder rates in the country! In 2019, there were just three murders per 100,000 residents. In 2020, there were 54 murders. It sounds like a lot, but when you compare it to much more populated states like New York or California, it’s outrageously low. Montana is a beautiful place, and thankfully, it’s mostly peaceful. In 2020, Montana had the 21st lowest murder rate in the United States.  

What are some fascinating creepy things in Montana history?  

Montana is one of those places that’s just made to have ghost stories thanks to its wild west past. There's no shortage of creepy things in Montana history! Other than being one of the more haunted states, too, it’s also got one of the highest UFO sighting rates in the country! In 1940, an employee of the Northwest Mining Company observed a disc-shaped craft hovering nearby where he was working. It’s a story that seems too fantastic to be true, except the man revealed this encounter on his death bed, adding an extra layer of spookiness to the whole ordeal.  

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