Paul Hutchinson Dillon, IL, identified as suspect in death of Belgrade teen, 15-year-old Danielle “Danni” Houchins, 28 years ago; Cold case solved
Paul Hutchinson Dillon IL Death: The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office announced that a cold case involving the 1996 murder of a Belgrade teen has been solved.
Paul Hutchinson, 57, was named as a suspect in the death of 15-year-old Danielle “Danni” Houchins last month. He committed suicide shortly after being interviewed by investigators.
“This case exemplifies our relentless pursuit of justice,” said Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer in a press release. “We never gave up on finding the truth for Danni and her family, exhausting all means necessary to bring closure to this heartbreaking chapter.
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.”
Houchins was slain on September 21, 1996. On that day, she left her home about 11 a.m., and when she did not return, her family reported her missing to the sheriff’s office.
Her mother located Houchins’ pickup at the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access on the Gallatin River, and later that night, her body was discovered face down in shallow water, according to the announcement. Investigators concluded that Hutchinson and Houchins had no prior connection.
They describe it as a crime of opportunity, believing Hutchinson and Houchins met at random at the river, where Hutchinson raped and suffocated her in shallow water. Despite multiple suspects being examined over the years, Hutchinson was never linked to the case until DNA tests identified him.
He began attending Montana State University in September 1996 and eventually graduated with a degree in fisheries and wildlife biology. He later worked for the Montana Bureau of Land Management in Dillon for 22 years. He had no criminal or traffic record and was married with two grown children.
According to Springer, investigators kept the investigation open because they knew Danni had been murdered and believed the agency would soon have the means to solve the case. When Springer became sheriff in 2021, he felt that the matter needed to be looked at from a different perspective, so he engaged private investigator Tom Elfmont, a retired Los Angeles Police Department detective. Sergeant Court Depweg of the Newport Beach Police Department, who specializes in using DNA technology to solve homicides, also assisted.
“During the initial investigation, four hairs were collected from Houchins’ body,” reads the release. “That preserved evidence was sent to Astria Forensics in California for analysis. A partial DNA profile from one of the hairs was developed and run through the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, but no matches were found. The profile was then sent to Parabon NanoLabs in Virginia, where genealogists used additional DNA databases to identify Hutchinson as the suspect.”
On the evening of July 23, Elfmont and Depweg interviewed Hutchinson. The sheriff’s office reported that Hutchinson appeared highly nervous throughout the roughly two-hour interview. Hutchinson reportedly called the Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office at 4:17 a.m. the next morning, stating that he needed assistance, and then hanging up. Deputies subsequently discovered him on the side of the road, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“Investigators noted he sweated profusely, scratched his face, and chewed on his hand,” reads the agency’s release. “When shown a photo of Houchins, Hutchinson slumped in his chair and exhibited signs of being uncomfortable. Upon release, his behavior was observed to be erratic.”
“The information we’ve received will be shared with federal and local law enforcement agencies in an attempt to locate possible victims of similar crimes,” reads the release. “This resolution brings a long-awaited sense of closure to Danni’s family and the community. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to justice and thanks all those who assisted in bringing this case to a close.”