How Did 15‑Year‑Old Danni Houchins Die? Her Family’s 28‑Year Fight for Answers and the Breakthrough That Solved the Case

How a Quiet Montana Night Turned Tragic

On the night of Sept. 21, 1996, 15‑year‑old Danielle “Danni” Houchins drove away after a family quarrel and was later found dead in shallow, muddy water near a fishing access outside Belgrade, just outside Bozeman, Montana. What first looked like an inexplicable accident would become a mystery that haunted her family and community for nearly three decades.

Early Confusion and Withheld Details

Initial public statements by local authorities described the death as possibly accidental and suggested there were no obvious signs of foul play. Inside the coroner’s report, however, investigators found mud and water in Danni’s airways, bruises and cuts on her body, evidence of vaginal injury, and semen on her underwear—details that were not fully disclosed to the family or the public at the time.

"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," said Deputy Keith Farquhar, the first officer at the scene.

A Family Demands Answers

Danni’s younger sister, Stephanie Mollet, and family members spent years seeking clarity while living with trauma and unanswered questions. Early forensic testing failed to produce usable DNA evidence and, despite repeated efforts, the case languished for decades with the manner of death officially undetermined.

The Cold Case Reopens

In 2021 and again in 2023–24, renewed attention from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office—led by Sheriff Dan Springer and Detective Sgt. Matt Boxmeyer—brought fresh scrutiny to Danni’s files. Retired LAPD Captain Tom Elfmont took on the case and pushed for modern testing of evidence preserved from 1996.

Forensic Breakthrough: Advanced DNA and Genetic Genealogy

Elfmont had a private lab reexamine four preserved hairs that had once been called "rootless" and therefore unusable. After initial failures, the lab produced a usable enhanced DNA profile from one hair. Investigative genealogist CeCe Moore used that profile to build family trees from public genealogy databases and traced the DNA to a family whose youngest son had moved to Bozeman in July 1996.

Identification, Interview and Confirmation

The genealogical lead pointed to Paul Hutchinson, a married father and longtime Bureau of Land Management fisheries biologist who was active in local hunting and fishing circles. On July 23, 2024, investigators interviewed Hutchinson at his BLM office; bodycam footage shows he was nervous and acknowledged familiarity with the Gallatin River access areas. The next day Hutchinson drove to a remote area, called dispatch, and died by a self‑inflicted gunshot wound.

Subsequent forensic testing matched Hutchinson’s DNA to the genetic material recovered from Danni’s clothing and body. Investigators described the statistical likelihood of the match as overwhelmingly conclusive.

Aftermath and Calls For Reform

The identification and confirmation brought relief and renewed anger. Stephanie Mollet publicly thanked investigators who reopened the case but also accused earlier authorities of misleading her family. Bill Slaughter, the sheriff in 1996, acknowledged withholding some information but denied intentionally lying. The case has prompted calls for greater transparency and improved funding and oversight for cold‑case investigations in Montana.

Remembering Danni

Mollet and the family have worked to honor Danni’s memory—keeping mementos and scattering her ashes at meaningful sites in the Bridger Range and along the Gallatin River. Mollet now advocates for institutional reforms so other families will not be left without answers for decades.

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Credits: Reporting and production referenced in this article include work by investigators and journalists who examined court records, bodycam footage, forensic reports and interviews with family members and local law enforcement.