Typically, Montana is an amazing, and safe, place to call home. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t have moments in our state’s past that are less than perfect. Did you know that some of America’s highest-profile serial killers in Montana that have or had ties to our little corner of the world? Crime and murders in Montana aren’t as common as they are elsewhere in the country, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. Here are five Montana serial killers that are sure to send chills down your spine:

1. Edward Edwards
Wikipedia/FBI
Edward Wayne Edwards was a known conman living in Ohio before he escaped from jail there and traveled around the country, robbing gas stations along the way. He eventually made his way to Billings, where he served time at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge for robbing a service station at gunpoint. He wasn't revealed to be a serial killer until late in his life, but he died of natural causes before he could be executed for his crimes.
2. Wayne Nance, aka the Missoula Mauler
Micah Sheldon / Flickr
Wayne Nance, a Montana native, is believed to have killed at least six people in Missoula and Ravalli counties between 1974 and 1986. These were some of the most famous murders in Montana during this time period.

Related Stories

8 Montana Events That Changed The Course Of Our History Forever

8 Montana Events That Changed The Course Of Our History Forever

 Most People Don't Know About Langville, An Urban Legend Town In Montana

Most People Don't Know About Langville, An Urban Legend Town In Montana

 5 Insane Things That Happened In Montana You Won’t Find in History Books

5 Insane Things That Happened In Montana You Won’t Find in History Books
3. Edmund Kemper
Wikipedia
Edmund Kemper was raised by his mother in Helena. He eventually moved to California to live with his father, only to get turned away by his mother when he tried to return to Helena. Instead, he moved in with his grandparents in California, whom he brutally murdered. He spent five years in a state hospital before going on a horrifying killing spree that earned him the nickname The Coed Butcher. He's currently in his 70s and serving a life sentence in prison, though thankfully not in Montana.
4. David Meirhofer
Matt Lavin / Flickr
Gallatin County is a beautiful and peaceful place. Unfortunately, it's also the place where David Meirhofer committed all of his known murders, making him one of the most notorious Montana serial killers. He was convicted of killing four people between 1967 and 1974, three of them children. Hours after confessing to the killings, he hanged himself in his jail cell.
5. Ted Kaczynski
Wikipedia
Most people don't think of the Unabomber as a serial killer, but he did kill three people, and he would have killed many more had his homemade bombs been more effective. He was born in Chicago but lived in Montana during the 1970s before committing his famous crimes. He passed away in the summer of 2023 while serving eight life sentences at a supermax prison in Colorado.

Just in case these true tales about serial killers in Montana didn’t creep you out enough, here are some of Montana’s spookiest unsolved mysteries.

Crime in Montana may not be all that common, but it’s best to be prepared when you’re heading out. If you’re looking for self-protection, consider getting some mace spray.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More to Explore

Montana Serial Killers

Tori Jane | June 03, 2022

Have there ever been cases of serial killers in Montana?  

Absolutely. Montana is relatively remote, which kind of makes it perfect for serial killers to operate there. Interestingly, though, it seems as if this state is a magnetic place for killers, as there are many infamous serial killers from all over the country who have (or had) ties in some way to the state of Montana. That being said, let’s get into it:  

Are there any serial killers from Montana?  

Yup. In fact, some of the scariest serial killers EVER have lived in or operated in Montana:

  • Nathaniel Bar-Jonah was a likely cannibal and child killer, who received 130 years without the possibility of parole for the sexual assault and likely murders of multiple children. It doesn’t get a lot scarier than that.
  • Then, there was the case of Wayne Nance, a lesser-known serial killer in Montana whose victim count was at least six. He’d been known as the town “weirdo” since he was a teenager, and it came as no surprise that he ended up doing the things he did – murdering six women in cold blood between 1974 and 1986.  

 

Who are some notorious serial killers in Montana?  

Unfortunately, there are more:

  • There was David Mierhofer, who likely committed all his murders in Montana.
  • The infamous Carl Panzram spent multiple stints in Montana prisons during his reign of terror.
  • There are the above-mentioned killers Wayne Nance and Nathaniel Bar-Jonah, and it’s also worth mentioning that Ted Kaczynski, also known as The Unabomber, made his home in Montana for quite a while as well.

 

YIKES. Montana might be a kind of low-key, quiet place to live, but it’s not without its demons. Of course, no place is – Montana is still one of the safest places to call home in the United States!  

Related Articles

Explore Montana