BUTTE - Butte is a town full of unsolved murders, including a brutal one in which the bodies of a mother and daughter were found beaten, shot, and abandoned right here behind Big Butte. That was 60 years ago, long forgotten by many, but law enforcement says they never forget.
“I always have hope that one day, specifically with some of these cases here locally, we’ll be putting the cuffs on some of these folks before I leave,” said Butte Sheriff Ed Lester.
WATCH: From 1965 to Today: Butte Law Enforcement Reflects on Long-Standing Unsolved Murders
Since 1965, Butte investigators still haven’t brought the killer of Marjorie and Nancy McQuiston to justice.
“There are a lot of people who were there at the time of that crime who are deceased now, so that’s one thing we have to deal with. But technology is always changing, and we always have hope we’ll be able to solve some of these cases,” said Lester.
Investigators hope improved DNA technology and advances in artificial intelligence can help solve the 1994 killing of Julianne Stallman.
“It doesn’t hurt to go back and look at those pieces of evidence as technology changes, because, like I said, what wasn’t a critical piece of evidence in 1994 may be a critical piece of evidence today,” according to the sheriff.
In November of 2007, Brandy Christiansen disappeared without a trace.
In June of 2012, the only thing found of Michael Canada was a pair of severed legs. Both cases remain unsolved.
“The person who is responsible for these crimes is always going to be looking over their shoulder. And someday, there’ll be a law enforcement officer who says, ‘You’re coming with us,’ and that will be their last free breath,” said Lester.
