Shraman Mitra
16-year-old Selena Not Afraid was immensely excited to have received an invite to a house party on new year’s eve, 2019. However, on December 1, 2020, the teenager disappeared under strange circumstances from a nearby rest stop while returning home with her friends. Showtime’s Murder in Big Horn’ chronicles Selena’s tragic disappearance and chronicles how authorities located her body about 20 days after the incident. Let’s delve into the details surrounding the same and find out more, shall we?
How Did Selena Not Afraid Die?
Although Selena was just 16 years of age, she was an enrolled Crow tribal member and was pretty proud of her heritage. A native of Big Horn County, Montana, she grew up in a loving family and remained close to her parents till her untimely death. People who knew the teenager described her as a lively and outgoing girl who loved hanging out with friends and having fun. Moreover, Selena was also a brilliant student in her junior year at Hardin High School and had great aspirations for the future. However, a tragic and cruel twist of fate dashed her dreams to the floor forever.
On December 31, 2019, Selena was invited to a house party, and she was delighted to say yes. Even her loved ones allowed her to have fun, believing she would be back home the very next day. Reports mention that after a night of drinking and partying, Selena and her friends started their journey back to Hardin on January 1, 2020. However, their car broke down midway, and the group was forced to halt at a rest stop to repair the vehicle. While the car was being repaired, Selena and one of her friends stepped out for fresh air. The other friend present on the scene later mentioned that they spotted the teen venturing into a nearby field, following which she disappeared into thin air. Moreover, once the car was repaired, the friends drove off on their own, leaving Selena to her fate.
When Selena’s loved ones realized she was not present in the vehicle with her friends, they raised an alarm and reported her missing to the police. Law enforcement officials immediately questioned Selena’s friends before organizing several search parties to comb through the area surrounding the rest stop. It is said that the police used everything at their disposal, from sniffer dogs to helicopters, but Selena was nowhere to be found. Ultimately, about 20 days after the incident, authorities located the teenager’s frozen body about 200 feet away from the road. At first glance, it became clear that she was not dressed for the extreme cold, and an autopsy soon determined that she died from accidental hypothermia.
Questions Surround Selena Not Afraid’s Death
While authorities were confident that there was no foul play involved in Selena’s death, her family refused to accept the hypothermia explanation. For starters. her loved ones wondered how the police were unable to find the 16-year-old’s body within a few days after a thorough search and believed she was placed there by someone else later on. They also wondered if the teenager was abused and harmed before her death, even though the autopsy could not find any signs of physical or sexual abuse. Regardless, the entire indigenous population of Big Horn County was disappointed by how law enforcement handled the case and abruptly shut the investigation upon declaring the death an accident.
When talking about Selena’s death, her loved ones mentioned that the teen had been taught how to face an emergency and claimed it was uncharacteristic of her to walk into a snowy field without any preparation or reason. They also insisted that she was smart and would never unnecessarily put herself in danger. Incidentally, upon investigating further, the police learned that Selena’s father, Leroy Not Afraid, had previously been accused of sexually abusing his daughter. In fact, at one point in the investigation, people wondered if Leroy was involved in the disappearance. Moreover, shortly after the incident, he was made the Undersheriff of Big Horn County, Montana, following which he promptly distanced himself from the investigation.
Still, with time, the police realized they had a basis for a case, as local residents are well aware of the dangers winters can pose in their state. They hence investigated further and learned that a 20-year-old woman called Diandra Pitman was the one who invited Selena to the party. They also learned that Diandra encouraged the teen to consume alcohol but did not ensure her safe return home. Therefore, in December 2020, Diandra was charged with a single count of endangering the welfare of children, although from the looks of it, the court is yet to pass judgment on the same. Meanwhile, Selena’s family still holds on to the hope of finding the truth behind her death, while the police have closed the case as an accident.
