New Surveillance Video Released in Hope of Solving Missing Montana Mom Jermain Charlo Case
On June 16, 2018, 23-year-old Jermain Charlo, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes, disappeared in Missoula, Montana. Recently, the Missoula Police Department released previously unseen surveillance footage exclusively to "48Hours" in hopes of generating new leads in the ongoing investigation. The video footage, captured just before midnight on June 15, 2018, shows Charlo walking down a street in downtown Missoula with a man a few paces behind her. Later, she is seen socializing outside The Badlander bar, with the same man standing nearby. This man has been identified as Michael DeFrance, Charlo's ex-boyfriend and the father of their two sons. Police have not named DeFrance as a suspect, despite him being the last known person to see Charlo that night. In interviews with Detective Guy Baker, DeFrance claimed he dropped Charlo off at a food market in downtown Missoula around 1 a.m., where she told him she was meeting a friend named Cassidy. Police were unable to find anyone matching this description, raising suspicions about DeFrance's account. Charlo had been dating a man named Jacob, who lived in the area, and they had communicated shortly before her disappearance. Jacob was out of town at the time and fully cooperated with the investigation, but was never considered a suspect. Phone records indicate Charlo's phone pinged from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Evaro Hill area on the Flathead Reservation, approximately 14 miles from downtown Missoula. DeFrance later confessed to possessing Charlo's phone after her disappearance and attempting to access it. He claimed he disposed of the phone in Idaho at mile marker 94 on Highway 12, but despite extensive searches, it was never found. Detective Baker remains hopeful that the release of the footage will help uncover the truth about Charlo's fate. The case is part of a broader issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW), which disproportionately affects Indigenous communities. In Montana, while Indigenous people make up only about 6% of the population, they account for 24% of active missing persons cases. Jermain Charlo's love for nature and animals and her aspirations to attend the Institute of American Indian Arts underscore the tragedy of her disappearance. Her family believes she is no longer alive, and authorities are now investigating it as a potential no-body homicide. Community members, such as Jen Murphy, have been deeply involved in the search efforts, emphasizing the importance of equal treatment and visibility for missing Indigenous individuals. The investigation remains open and active, with Baker urging anyone with any information to come forward. He is particularly interested in any witnesses who might have seen Charlo that night or have additional details about her whereabouts after 1 a.m. Baker's direct contact number is featured on posters and billboards to facilitate tip reporting. Industry insiders highlight the significance of the public release of the surveillance footage, noting that it could reinvigorate interest in the case and bring much-needed attention to the broader issue of MMIW. The Missoula Police Department's proactive approach in sharing this evidence is seen as a critical step towards solving Charlo's disappearance and addressing the systemic challenges facing Indigenous communities in terms of safety and justice. Missoula PD, known for its commitment to community safety and crime resolution, continues to work diligently on the case, driven by the belief that every piece of information, no matter how small, could be crucial in finding Charlo.