A CARD FILE MADE IN A DECADE

When I moved to the edge of the Blackfeet Reservation in 1999, I started cutting out all the obits from the Great Falls Tribune and sticking them on cards, which I filed. By now I have 2 file boxes mostly full. At first I kept dates, but then I stopped. Mostly I figured I would use them for genealogy since they list next of kin. But someone was inquiring about rez violence because of what I’ve been blogging, so I sorted my cards. First I separated all deaths that didn’t have known causes in the obit and also pulled out the identified murders and manslaughters, including drunk driving. By now most of the deaths under investigation will have been resolved and were probably due to natural causes. Families withhold causes for many reasons, but usually related to stigma.

It was a very mixed experience to do this. First of all, I knew many of these people, loved some of them, and recognized a few as truly exceptional. Many died of old age and I honor them. Diabetes, alcoholism and car crashes took too many. Disease, not so many. I try to attend the funerals of my former students where I often hear about many more accomplishments than I ever heard about earlier. I sat with these cards, playing solitaire, and then thought I would share my list.

IDENTIFIED MURDER OR MANSLAUGHTER (by victims)

(Perps in italics underneath)

Wendy Jo HeavyRunner (52)  Undetermined causes in hospital in Sitka, Alaska.

Zachary Gervais (18)  Knifed.

  Leonard Villa, Jr.  Family suing the US Government for failure to confine Villa for a prior offense.

Marie Heavyrunner (71) Found dead for months under her own house.  Strangled and drowned.

Mark Saint Storm Heavy Runner (44) and Thomas Charles Marc Heavy Runner (21) pled guilty and are incarcerated

Ernest (Sonny) Arrow Top Knot , Jr. (April 2002)

Devina No Runner (25) (ten years and a month in federal prison, $5,000 restitution and five years probation)

Clarence Lester Bird Rattler, (29) (12 years to run consecutive to his 44 years for robbery. He had escaped jail the day before killing Ernest.)

Scott Little Dog shot with a .22 rifle

Lanny Buehl second parole violation

Anthony “Lil Butch” Arrow Top Knot (17) stab wound

Fernandel Omeaso Jr.(17) stabbed

Shannon Bull Plume (33) Continued to be violent in prison. Sentence recently reduced.

S.R.K

Belinda Jane Bullshoe (33)

T.P. R. (2)

David Paul Bearchild

Elena Kate Belcourt (21) apparent murder (Billings motel)

Victor Van Kennedy and Myron Wesley Fallsdown Jr. (also raped a second woman)

Kennedy’s conviction was overturned.

Randy Paul Brown (17) (Missoula) gunshot

Kimberly Mary Calf Boss Ribs (21) Havre

Francis “Butch” Cree Medicine 1989, shot by a hitchhiker

Anthony Lane Lankford (30) also tried to kill Mary Pat Murphy, the highway patrol officer who stopped him

Bernard Francis Day Rider (38) stabbed

Glenda Phyliss Dog Taking Gun (27) beaten to death

Jace Fitzpatrick (4) struck by vehicle while on bike

Loren Gobert (39) drunk

Jonathan Combs (47)

Blair “Mickey Little Dog (48)

Virginia Ann Macdonald (40) Missoula

James MacDonald who then killed himself

James Aldwin MacDonald (43) self-inflicted gunshot

Aarie “Cricket” Mad Plume (25) homicide

Son of Summer Many White Horses

Summer Many White Horses (32) also sentenced for Social Security fraud

David William Miller (22) head trauma, suicide Conrad

Jeremiah James Mittens (5) hit by a car, no driver identified

Susan Hall vehicular homicide

Journey Marie No Runner (25)

Autumn No Runner

Journey Marie No Runner Missoula

Dale LaPlante

William Old Rock (20) Involuntary Manslaughter -- drunk driviing

Mya Angel Pepion (3) died of a gunshot wound. Under investigation.

Rick Rattler shot by his brother

Reuben Roy Rattler (22) self-defense, not guilty

Tyree Paul Reevis (2) struck by a truck -- no driver identified

Varian “JoJo” Running Crane (21) Stabbed and fractured skull.

2 unnamed people arrested.

NO NAME (28) female involuntary manslaughter -- drunk driving

Galen Wildgun

MIXED DEATHS NOT IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIED AS FROM NATURAL CAUSES

Patty Lee Austin (55) undetermined causes (likely suicide, white off-rez)

Marion Arthur “Stormy” Ackerman (57) under investigation (Roosevelt County)

Brian Allan Anderson (23) undetermined causes

Cole William Augare (21) drowning in Two Medicine Lake

Patrick “Barney” Augare (33) undetermined causes

William Patrick Bailey Bird (53) undetermined

Francis Joseph Bull Calf (73) unknown causes

Joshua Bear Medicine (33) family withheld

Garnet A. “Garnsie” Morning Gun Bear Child (44) coroner has not released cause

Wilbur Lee Bear Leggins (43) undetermined causes

Roy Joseph “Braids” Bennett Jr. (37) undetermined

Charles M. Big Leggin (30) undetermined

Doris Lynn Bird (20) undetermined

Ramona E. Blackweasel (49) undetermined

Stephen Adam Borris (20) undetermined (inquest scheduled)

Lollie Sue Boushie (55) brain stem injury (Kalispell)

Tyler Chance Boushie (21) family withheld

Colin Lee Boy Chief (28) undetermined

Alvin Keith Bullcalf Jr. (25) family withheld

Deanna M. Butler (45) organ failure

Earl Leonard Butterfly (48) undetermined

Clinton G. Croff, Sr. (3) under investigation

Carol Marie Comes at Night (41) family withheld

Danelle Rae Calf Boss Ribs (21) undetermined

Clinton Beau Crosby (25) undetermined causes

Wesley Dean Cross Guns (37) undetermined causes

Matthew David DeRoche (37) unreleased causes Kalispell

Leonard Joseph Day Rider (23) family withheld

Melvin D. Eagle Jr. (40) undetermined

Kimberly L. Gobert (35) undetermined, under investigation

Willard Blaine Goggles Jr. (32) undetermined

Bobby Roy Gray (40) self-inflicted gunshot

Tonia Marie Guardipee (33) found dead in a car, undetermined

Marilyn Guardipee (47) undetermined, Portland

Louis Alan Gobert Jr. (31) undetermined

Tia Ann “Chucky” Henriksen (23) under investigation

Merisha F. Hicklin (42) undetermined

Donna Lee Horn (42) undetermined

Franky Dale Hoyt (26) undetermined

Robby Hix John Hoyt (3) undermined (son of Franky and Kenneth)

Kenneth Dale Hoyt (24) under investigation

Julene Ingraham (42) undetermined

Frankie Ray Jaime (34) under investigation

Kello James “Running Antelope” Kipp (35) Family withheld

Tyanne Lee (49) undetermined causes

Allen J. Long Soldier, Jr. (18) undetermined causes Harlem

Tyrone Lee LaBuff (31) undetermined causes

Lucille Marie “Lucy” Jiron Little Young Man(15) undetermined causes
Michael Little Young Man (53)  undetermined causes 12/22/12

Maria Lee Larson (52) undetermined causes

Nolan Joe LaPlante (32) under investigation

Andrew Joseph Livingston (54) self-inflicted gunshot

Kenneth Lee Loring Sr. (39) undetermined

Marvin Clifford Mittens (45) under investigation

Shannon Dawn Mittens (18) cause pending

Curtis Marceau Jr. (27) self-inflicted stab wound

Francis J. “Binkx” Marceau (37) undetermined

Darrell J. “Barney” Marceau (29) undetermined

Gary Dale Matt Sr. (31) suicide Conrad

Judy A. Nelson (63) undetermined causes Spokane Valley, WA

Jon Anthony Nomee (43) family withheld
Cheyenne Lee NoRunner (25)  cause not released

Suzanne Jo Peterson (62) undetermined

Clint William Powell, (19) under investigation

William C. Racine (51) under investigation

Crystal Rose Racine (43) Tacoma undetermined

Eugene Gayle Racine (50) undetermined
David Joshua "Josh" RedHead (33)  under investigation, near an oil rig

Kenneth William Reevis (44) undetermined

Brandon M. Rhodes (32) undetermined Bellingham, WA

Martin Alexander Joseph Rider Sr. (23) undetermined

Vicki Wendie Rider (45) undermined

DeAnn Brooks Rides at the Door (37) undermined, Lawrence Kansas

James Running Crane (45) undermined causes
Cody Running Wolf Sr. (29) family chooses not to disclose cause of death

Patricia Rutherford Cause not available.

Leon A. “Broadwater” Spotted Eagle undetermined

Joseph Jody Salois (38) undetermined

Scott Frederic Sherburne (5) undetermined

Israel Emmanuel Shorting (33) undetermined persons detained pending autopsy

Susan Gaye Spotted Bear (46) under investigation

Gary Lee Spotted Bear (46) under investigation

Wife also dead but no obit for her

Marin “Marty Keno” Standing Rock (29) undetermined

Glenn Joseph St. Goddard (40) under investigation

Marvin Tailfeathers (52) undetermined

Velma Angeline (Salway) Tirade(45) under investigation Tacoma

Marilyn Leona Vaile (49) undetermined

Charlene Mae Yellow Owl (61) undetermined

Henry Nelson Wagner (48) undetermined

Michael Alan Walling (22) under investigation

William Joseph Westwolf (46) undetermined

Clarence “Smokey” WhiteGrass (51) undetermined pending autopsy

Michael R. Williamson (53) undetermined natural causes

Tracy J. Tall (Bull Child) Whiteman family withheld
Tanau Thomas (21) found dead on a back road, under investigation

Michaela Shae White Grass (15) undetermined

William Henry White Quills Jr. (17) undetermined