Justice Served for Danielle Houchins: Suspect Takes Own Life After DNA Links Him to 1996 Murder

Nearly three decades after the tragic murder of 15-year-old Danielle Houchins, authorities have identified and confronted 55-year-old Paul Hutchinson as the suspected killer. After being interviewed by investigators, Hutchinson committed suicide, ending his life as the truth emerged.

Montana authorities have closed the cold case of Danielle "Danni" Houchins, a 15-year-old girl who was brutally murdered in 1996. After nearly three decades of investigation, DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy led detectives to identify Paul Hutchinson as the killer.

On September 21, 1996, Houchins left her Belgrade, Montana home and never returned. Her truck was later found abandoned at the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access point on the Gallatin River, where her body was subsequently discovered face down in shallow water.

Justice Served for Danielle Houchins: Suspect Takes Own Life After DNA Links Him to 1996 Murder

Over the years, DNA evidence was collected and multiple suspects were questioned, but the case remained unsolved. In 2021, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer enlisted the help of private investigator Tom Elfmont to re-examine the evidence.

Elfmont and investigators sent hair collected from Houchins' body to labs in California and Virginia for DNA analysis. The results pointed to Hutchinson as the prime suspect.

Justice Served for Danielle Houchins: Suspect Takes Own Life After DNA Links Him to 1996 Murder

On July 23, Elfmont and Sgt. Court Depweg of the Newport Beach Police Department interviewed Hutchinson at his home. During the interview, Hutchinson displayed signs of nervousness and discomfort, authorities said.

"Investigators noted he sweated profusely, scratched his face and chewed on his hand," the sheriff's office reported. "Upon release, his behavior was observed to be erratic."

Justice Served for Danielle Houchins: Suspect Takes Own Life After DNA Links Him to 1996 Murder

The following morning, Hutchinson contacted the Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office, expressing his need for assistance. Deputies located Hutchinson on the side of the road with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"When the time came to face up and account for his violence, he instead chose to end his life," said Houchins' sister, Stephanie Mollet, at a press conference. "He knew of his guilt and couldn't face my family or his family and the pain he had caused."

Justice Served for Danielle Houchins: Suspect Takes Own Life After DNA Links Him to 1996 Murder

Investigators believe Hutchinson randomly encountered Houchins at the river and brutally attacked her, leading to her death by suffocation. At the time of the murder, Hutchinson was a student at Montana State University and later worked for the state Bureau of Land Management for 22 years.

"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 Sheriff 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."