Home / Crime and Justice / Cold Case Solved: Friend Was Her Killer
Cold Case Solved: Friend Was Her Killer
7 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Danni Houchins' body found in 1996, case solved nearly 30 years later.
- DNA from hair on victim matched Paul Hutchinson, a trusted friend.
- Suspect took his own life after being interviewed by investigators.
In 1996, the body of 15-year-old Danni Houchins was discovered in a swampy area near Bozeman, Montana, leaving her family and investigators baffled for decades. A recent re-examination of the case, spurred by Houchins' sister, utilized advanced DNA technology. Investigators isolated a DNA profile from a hair found on Danni's body, which ultimately led them to Paul Hutchinson.
Hutchinson, who was a graduate student in Bozeman at the time of Houchins' death, worked with the Fish and Wildlife Service. Investigators learned he had no criminal record and was a husband and father. When confronted by investigators for an interview, Hutchinson became visibly nervous. Hours after the interview, he died by suicide.
