Montana is a peaceful place, but it’s not without its tragedies and mysteries. Unfortunately, some of those mysteries remain unsolved to this day. Here are six cases with unknown resolutions:
1. Mysterious Cow Mutilations
Montana has had several reportings of mysterious cow killings over the years. From the 1970s to 2001, dozens of cows in the Dupuyer area were killed and mutilated. There was even an article about the mystery published in the New York Times in 2001. The article mentioned that many people assumed the cows were killed by predators since a predator might remove their organs and faces. But Dan Campbell, who was raised on a Montana ranch and later became a state deputy, said that there were no bite marks that would indicate a predator. No vehicle tracks or footprints were found around the cows’ bodies. In 2012, a similar incident was reported in Missoula.
2. Mysterious Severed Legs Found in Butte
In June of 2012, two hikers discovered a bag with a pair of severed legs on a dirt trail a few miles up Moulton Reservoir Road. The rest of the body was never discovered, and a DNA match hasn’t been found. Police are still baffled.
3. The Malmstrom Air Force Base UFO of 1967
After doing some routine maintenance on missiles at the Great Falls air force base, security personnel and maintenance crews got ready to spend the night on-site. Early the next morning, reports came in that the crew saw hovering UFOs throughout the night. After these reports, missiles at the base began to shut down.
4. The Murder of Miranda Fenner
One November day in 1998, 18-year-old Miranda Fenner was working at a video rental store in Laurel. An unknown assailant walked in, dragged her to the back of the store, stabbed her multiple times and slashed her throat. Miranda managed to crawl out the front door and flag down a motorist for help, but unfortunately she was pronounced dead at the hospital. The killer left no evidence behind and didn’t steal anything from the store or from Miranda.
5. The Murder of Jeannette “Charlie” Atwater
Early in the morning of January 16, 2000, a burning car was discovered in Billings with Jeannette’s body in the trunk. She did not appear to have been gagged or bound, and an autopsy showed no obvious signs of fatal injury, like head trauma. The night before, she had been at a bar with her co-workers… but no one saw her leave, and detectives who reviewed the bar’s surveillance footage but couldn’t find her in the crowd. Her killer was never found.
6. Deer Lodge and Red Gate UFO Sightings
Deer Lodge and the surrounding area have been home to numerous UFO sightings and mysterious power outages over the years. The name "Red Gate" refers to an area east of Deer Lodge that seems especially full of UFO activity. There is even a movie called "The Secret of Red Gate" about the mysterious experiences.
Had you heard any of these stories?
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!
