Details

On May 2, 1997, Denise Lynn Russell, an 18-year-old enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and several friends attended a party at a residence west of Busby, Montana, on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. After Denise reportedly became upset, she left the party and began walking east on U.S. Highway 212, near Busby, Montana. She was last seen between the hours of 4:00 pm and 5:30 pm.

On September 29, 1997, human remains, later identified as those of Denise Lynn Russell, were found in rural Powder River County, Montana. This area is approximately fifty miles from where Russell was last seen.

U.S. Highway 212 is a two lane road that connects Billings, Montana, with the Black Hills, South Dakota area. The highway also passes through the Crow Indian Reservation and the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. The area around Busby is heavily traveled by semi-trucks and authorities are asking for the public`s help in locating anyone who may have seen Ms. Russell along this highway.

Denise was last seen wearing a light colored t-shirt, oversized blue jeans, and hiking boots. She is described as an 18-year-old Native American female belonging to the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, 5`7", 130 pounds, with brown, shoulder-length hair and green eyes.

Reward information

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of person(s) responsible for the murder of Denise Lynn Russell.