Gardiner, MT Area Cold Cases
Name
Randy ChurchAge
23Cause of Death
Gun/FirearmInfo
Agency
Bozeman Police Department
Name
Marsha HelgesonAge
21Cause of Death
HomicideInfo
The body of this 21 year old billings woman was found in the moming hours of september 9th, 1978 on alkali creek road in the billings heights. The victim frequented the old 17 club and other bars and was last seen at the old sambo's restaurant on first avenue north. Several suspects were questioned during the investigation but no arrests were made.Agency
YellowStone County
Name
Corina ContrerazAge
16Cause of Death
HomicideInfo
This young 16 year old southside billings girl's body was found near the pryor creek & 1-90 interchange where pryor creek road inter-sects with indian creek road. Numerous suspects were identified during the course of the original investigation.Agency
YellowStone County
Name
George HeinrichAge
58Cause of Death
HomicideInfo
This double homicide was one of the most high profile murders in the county's history. 58 year old george heinrich and 42 year old marlene mazzola had been dating for approximately a month before they were found murdered heinrich's home on highway 312 east of billings. Heinrich was a local business man who bought and sold cattle. Mazzola was a district manager for avon products in the billings area. The bodies were discovered by heinrich's adopted daughter.Agency
YellowStone County
Name
Judy HattenAge
48Cause of Death
BeatenInfo
The body of 48 year old judy hatten was found by her boyfriend in her home at 1030 12th avenue in laurel on the morning of march 11, 1995. Hatten was beaten to death. She had no known enemies and no motive for the crime has been established. In 2012, the laurel police department tumed the case over to the yellowstone county sheriff's office cold case unit for further investigation.Agency
YellowStone County
Name
Thomas NovakAge
12Cause of Death
MissingInfo
Thomas novak was last seen on 7/25/1958 wearing a tan shirt and blue jeans. The tipster stated that thomas was most likely autistic and did not have a good home life. Reading some newspaper articles at the time it is stated that thomas would often hitch rides or stow away on trucks and may have been trying to get to fernyl nevada or idaho at the time he went missing.Agency
Utah Department of Public Safety
Name
Gabriel DistefanoAge
14Cause of Death
ShootingInfo
14-year-old gabriel distefano was last seen going to a party in riverdale. It was the last time she was seen alive. Her body was found, wrapped in plastic, on sept. 16, 1982, in a ditch near a construction site in harrisville. She had been shot once in the head, according to police.A break came in gabrielle’s case last year, when detectives were able to link the case to another cold case, 21-year-old joyce gallegos, shot four days earlier. Investigators determined the bullets that killed both young women came from the same gun.Agency
Utah Department of Public Safety
Name
Jenny AtkinsonAge
31Cause of Death
HomicideInfo
Jenny atkinson was reported missing on 7/23/2012 from brigham city, utah. On 8/10/2012 she was located deceased near mantua, utah. Although there were no obvious signs of foul play, an official cause of death could not be determined due to advanced decomposition. This case has been worked extensively to determine the circumstances surrounding jenny’s disappearance and death, but questions still remain.Agency
Utah Department of Public Safety
Name
Michael JohnstonAge
Cause of Death
HomicideInfo
Johnston was last seen at an apartment in a brigham city motel in july 1981. Ruby matthew rebeterano was convicted of second-degree felony homicide in johnston’s death. An eyewitness said rebeterano got into an altercation with johnston, and she later saw reberterano carrying a large white bundle out of her apartment. Blood spatter was found in the apartment and johnston’s vehicle. Rebeterano was convicted of second-degree felony homicide and sentenced to prison. Rebeterano was released from custody after five years and now lives in salt lake city, utah.Agency
Utah Department of Public Safety
Name
Rico MascheranaAge
74Cause of Death
ShootingInfo
Rico, age 74, was at his home located at 3250 w. 3500 s. In the early morning hours of december 31, 1977. He was making repairs and was working under his kitchen sink when he was shot from outside the house through the kitchen window. Rico stood and went to the front porch after reportedly hearing loud pops, not yet realizing he’d been shot. He then proceeded to go back into his house once he realized he’d been injured to call police. Rico survived the initial life threatening injuries but succumbed to secondary complications a couple of months later. Robbery did not appear to be a motive in the shooting.Agency
Utah Department of Public Safety
Name
Julianne StallmanAge
41Cause of Death
Knife/StabbingInfo
Agency
Butte Silver Bow Police Department
Name
Marlene MazzolaAge
42Cause of Death
HomicideInfo
This double homicide was one of the most high profile murders in the county's history. 58 year old george heinrich and 42 year old marlene mazzola had been dating for approximately a month before they were found murdered heinrich's home on highway 312 east of billings. Heinrich was a local business man who bought and sold cattle. Mazzola was a district manager for avon products in the billings area. The bodies were discovered by heinrich's adopted daughter.Agency
YellowStone County
Name
Ben BumsAge
Cause of Death
HomicideInfo
Homicide victim ben bums body was found near 1-94 on prior creek road, just 200 yards south of the huntley interchange. Bums had been hitchhiking from northwestem montana to his home in forsyth. According to reports, less than a half hour passed between the time pryor creek residents heard gunfire at around 12:30am and passing motorists found the young man's body.Agency
YellowStone County
Name
Jeannette AtwaterAge
Cause of Death
FireInfo
Shortly after 3:30am on the morning of january 16, 2000, firefighters were called to the scene of a car fire near a pull-off area on bench blvd. In billings heights. When firefighters opened the trunk of the burning car they discovered a body, later identified as jeanette atwater. The previous evening, this attractive young billings woman, and the mother of three small children had attended an office party with several co-workers from the napa store where she worked. The major clue in this case is video from the cenex convenience store located near the crime scene. The store's video monitoring system recorded a male, approximately 5'8" in height, wearing a dark coat and pants. The suspect got into an older model compact car...Possibly brown in color with an orange stripe on the side. Drawings of the suspect and vehicle were made and circulated. To-date, no arrests have been made.Agency
YellowStone County
Name
Stephanie EldridgeAge
21Cause of Death
MurderInfo
October 2020: kenneth jones, 32, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and concealment, and alteration or destruction of evidence on october 29, 2020. Jones admitted that he got into a fight with eldredge, pushed her, and she hit her head, leading to her death. In his panic, jones hid her body and lied to officers. Anyone who has any information about this case, the identity, or location of the suspect(s) is asked to contact the idaho falls police department at 208-529-1200Agency
Idaho Falls Police Department
Name
Brenda GomezAge
Cause of Death
MissingInfo
Brenda may be in the company of her father and they may have traveled to mexico.Agency
Utah Department of Public Safety
Name
Jenny AtkinsonAge
31Cause of Death
MurderInfo
Agency
Box County Sheriff's Department