Breakthroughs in DNA
The case was revived in 2021 when Dan Springer became the Gallatin County Sheriff. Determined to solve the cold case, he enlisted the help of two experts from California:
Private investigator Tom Elfmont, a retired Los Angeles Police Department officer, and Sergeant Court Depweg, an expert in using DNA technology to solve homicides joined the team.
Their efforts focused on four hairs found on Houchins’ body, which were used to create a partial DNA profile. This profile was sent to a lab in Virginia, where genealogists used DNA databases to identify Hutchinson as a possible suspect.
Died by Suicide
On July 23, 2024, Elfmont and Depweg interviewed Hutchinson, who lived about 100 miles from the crime scene in Dillon, Montana.
The sheriff’s office reported that during the nearly two-hour interview, Hutchinson, who had lived in Bozeman at the time of Houchins’ death, displayed extreme nervousness.
Investigators noted that he sweated profusely, scratched his face, and chewed on his hand. When shown a photo of Houchins, Hutchinson slumped in his chair and exhibited signs of discomfort. His behavior became very erratic.
