Montana man identified as suspect in rape and fatal suffocation of 15-year-old girl in 1996

GALLATIN COUNTY, Mont. (TCN) -- Investigators recently identified a suspect who allegedly raped and killed a 15-year-old stranger in a random attack in 1996 and left her body in shallow water.

Family members reported Danielle "Danni" Houchins missing to the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office after she left her home at around 11 a.m. on Sept. 21, 1996, but failed to return. Her mother located Houchins’ truck at the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access on the Gallatin River before finding her body face down in the water that evening.

Authorities collected DNA evidence at the time, including four hairs from the victim’s body. Officials submitted the evidence to a forensic lab in California for analysis, but no matches were found.

The sheriff’s office said a breakthrough came last month when investigators sent the victim’s DNA profile to Parabon NanoLabs in Virginia, where genealogists identified 57-year-old Paul Hutchinson of Dillon, Montana, as the primary suspect.

According to deputies, investigators spoke with Hutchinson on July 23, and he "displayed extreme nervousness." He allegedly "sweated profusely, scratched his face, and chewed on his hand."

Deputies said he "slumped in his chair and exhibited signs of being uncomfortable" when shown a picture of the victim. Following the interview, the sheriff’s office noted that Hutchinson seemed to be "erratic."

Around 4 a.m. the following day, Hutchinson reportedly called the Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, requested assistance, and hung up. Shortly after, officials found Hutchinson deceased on the side of the road with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

According to the sheriff’s office, investigators determined Hutchinson did not know Houchins. Authorities "believe Hutchinson and Houchins randomly encountered each other at the river," where they allege Hutchinson "raped then suffocated her in shallow water."

Investigators reportedly interviewed multiple suspects throughout the years but never identified Hutchinson as a suspect until DNA testing pointed to him. The sheriff’s office said Hutchinson graduated from Montana State University and worked for the Montana Bureau of Land Management for 22 years. He was married with two adult children and had no known criminal history.

Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said, "This case exemplifies our relentless pursuit of justice. We never gave up on finding the truth for Danni and her family, exhausting all means necessary to bring closure to this heartbreaking chapter."

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