Kriti Mehrotra
It was in the fall of 1996 that the entire community of Gallatin County, Montana, was left shaken to the very core as a 15-year-old was found dead in a marshy, wooded area. As explored in CBS’ ’48 Hours: It’s About Danni,’ Danielle Adeline “Danni” Houchins was the one who suddenly passed away, leaving everyone to wonder precisely what had transpired. However, it wasn’t until three decades later that her death was even publicly ruled a homicide, following which DNA testing led to a new suspect and her case being closed for good.
Danielle “Danni” Houchins’ Body Was Found Face Down in a Swamp
Born on November 11, 1980, to Sheryl and Rex Houchins as one of their three children, Danni was leading a nearly idyllic life when everything swept right from under her feet. She was an incredibly bright honors student determined to follow in her father’s footsteps to become a biological engineer, was active in the community through her school system and church, and had a passion for the outdoors. Whether it was fishing, hiking, rock climbing, river rafting, or skiing, she loved it all, so she often found solace in the open areas.
Therefore, following an argument with her family on the morning of September 21, 1996, Danni left home and drove off to the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access area to clear her mind. This wasn’t unusual for her since she knew the area pretty well, yet it was out of character for her not to even call or return home by the time the late afternoon rolled around. So, worried, her mother set out to find her, and Jiust located her truck parked in the access area lot. Her keys and water bottle were strewn nearby along a path, making her even more concerned. That’s when she filed a missing person’s report.
Authorities almost immediately got to work and launched an extensive search for the teenager, only to call it off once it was dark with the idea they would resume the very next morning. However, Danni’s loved ones didn’t agree, and so the ones who knew the area decided to continue looking for her in the marshy, heavily wooded area. They found her body in the late hours of the day in the muddy undergrowth, far back from the walking path, just for her cause of death to be ruled undetermined, drawing mere hours later. Her family was told her drowning could have been accidental, but it was only once they saw her autopsy decades later that they learned she had been killed. There were bruises on her neck and body consistent with her being held down forcefully, she had vaginal injuries, and there was semen as well as rootless hair follicles on her body.
Danni Houchins’ Case Remained Cold For Three Decades
Despite the fact many speculated Danni had actually been killed since she was no stranger to the area or the outdoors, officials at the time maintained her death was undetermined. They apparently investigated her case for a little while, collecting evidence from the scene as well as interviewing those close to her, only for no suspects to come to light and her case to grow cold. Nevertheless, Danni’s then 12-year-old sister always believed the police weren’t entirely honest with her family regarding what had transpired, so she made her sister a promise to attain justice.
That’s precisely what Stephanie did. She approached new detectives at the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office in 2020, demanding that they resume her sister’s case and fill her family in on the investigation. That’s when the truth of Danni’s autopsy reports came to light, making even the new officials believe the 5-year-old had horrifically been raped and killed on that fateful day. So, knowing they needed experts, they reached out to a retired veteran investigator named Tom Elfmont, who became so intrigued by the case that he dedicated every free minute of his time to it to find some closure.
Tom knew that a lot of technological advancements had been made over the past three decades, so one of the first things he did upon realizing DNA and hair samples had been preserved from the scene was send them for testing. It was a long drawn process during which he continued looking at every possible angle, but it wasn’t until the genetic genealogy testing was done in full that a suspect finally came to light. With the preserved DNA, experts were able to gather a full suspect DNA profile of the possible perpetrator, who was identified as Paul Hutchinson in May 2024.
Danni Houchins’ Case Was Closed For Good After the Prime Suspect Died by Suicide
With the DNA evidence, the fact Paul was a graduate student in nearby Bozeman at the time of the incident, as well as his then work experience with the Fish and Wildlife Service that made him knowledgeable about the area, officials were sure they had their perpetrator. However, owing to his lack of criminal record, his ensuing career as a fisheries biologist for the Bureau of Land Management, and his being a happily married father of two, they deemed it fit to interview him first. It was in July 2024 that officials went to his office to ask him questions about Danni, and although he didn’t say anything incriminating, he was quick to get visibly nervous.
In the end, because there wasn’t enough evidence to arrest Paul at the time, officials walked away from his office without ever even directly asking him if he had killed the teenager. However, they believe they got their admission of guilt when the 55-year-old married father of two took his own life mere hours later. While they were looking to charge him with murder, he died by suicide, following which new DNA samples of his were collected to be tested. Once it was confirmed he was a perfect match to the evidence recovered from Danni’s body, her case was closed for good.
Read More: Dana Mackay Murder: Where Are John Mackay and Nicole Houchin Now?
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