Six years. It has been six agonizing years since Jermain Charlo, a 23-year-old mother from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, vanished into the cool Montana night. If you’ve seen the 48 Hours episode titled "Where is Jermain Charlo?", you know the story isn't just about a missing person. It’s a messy, heartbreaking look at a system that often fails Indigenous women and a family that refuses to let her name be forgotten.
Honestly, the footage released in that episode is haunting. You see Jermain in the alleyway behind The Badlander bar in downtown Missoula. It’s June 15, 2018. She’s wearing a light blue baseball cap and a gray hoodie. She looks like any other young woman out for a Friday night, but she was never seen again after those grainy frames.
The 48 Hours Jermain Charlo investigation: What we learned
The CBS news team didn't just recap the basics. They pushed for the release of surveillance video that the Missoula Police Department had held onto for half a decade. Detective Guy Baker, who took over the case ten days after Jermain disappeared, is the first to admit that the early hours were botched. The first detective assigned actually went on a scheduled vacation right after the report was filed.
Think about that. Those first 48 hours are the most critical in any missing persons case. While the clock was ticking, the investigation was basically at a standstill.
The timeline that doesn't add up
The 48 Hours episode highlights a massive discrepancy in the story told by Michael DeFrance, Jermain's ex-boyfriend and the father of her two children.
- The Last Contact: DeFrance was the last person seen with her. They left the bar together.
- The Changing Story: He first told family he dropped her off at a grocery store. Later, he told police it was a residential area eight blocks away.
- The Cell Phone Pings: This is the part that gets people. Jermain’s phone didn't stay in Missoula. Between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. on June 16, her phone was pinging off a tower at Evaro Hill.
Evaro Hill is rugged. It’s thick forest. It’s also exactly where Michael DeFrance lived at the time. When confronted, DeFrance claimed she left her phone in his car. He then admitted to throwing the phone away at a mile marker in Idaho a few days later. Police searched that area. They found nothing.
Why this case is different
There is a lot of talk about "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women" (MMIW), but Jermain’s case became a catalyst for actual policy change. Because she disappeared off-reservation in the city of Missoula, there was a confusing overlap of who was responsible. Was it Tribal police? The FBI? The City?
Valenda Morigeau, Jermain’s aunt, has been the loudest voice in this fight. She told 48 Hours that she felt the police didn't take it seriously because Jermain was a Native woman who had been out drinking. It's a "blame the victim" mentality that we see far too often. But Valenda didn't back down. Her pressure eventually led the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to create the first Tribal Community Response Plan in the country.
The legal twist in 2024 and 2025
If you’re looking for a "case closed" ending, you won't find it here. Michael DeFrance has never been charged in connection with Jermain’s disappearance. He was, however, sent to prison on federal gun charges after investigators found firearms on his property during searches for Jermain.
But here is the kicker: in late 2024, an appeals court overturned that conviction. They ruled that his previous domestic violence records didn't technically fit the federal definition required to bar him from owning guns. It felt like a massive blow to the family. To them, those guns were the only thing that had kept him behind bars while they searched for Jermain's remains.
The search continues at Evaro Hill
Detective Baker hasn't given up. He’s spent years hiking through the brush at Evaro Hill. He’s used drones, cadaver dogs, and ground-penetrating radar. He’s convinced she’s out there. The 48 Hours episode shows him standing in the middle of nowhere, looking for a shallow grave or a piece of clothing. It’s grim work.
What most people get wrong about Jermain
A lot of people think Jermain was just a "runaway" or caught up in human trafficking. Detective Baker actually investigated the trafficking angle early on because of some tips about out-of-state men in Missoula. He eventually ruled it out.
The evidence points toward someone she knew. Jermain was a mother who loved her kids. She was training to be a wildland firefighter. She was supposed to start a new job planting trees the Monday after she vanished. People who are planning to run away don't usually set up their whole future first.
How you can help right now
The case is still active. If you live in Montana or were in Missoula in June 2018, think back.
- Do you remember seeing a woman in a light blue hat with three trees on the front?
- Did you see a dark-colored vehicle parked near Mile Marker 94 on Highway 12 in Idaho around June 18, 2018?
- Any tip, no matter how small, should go to Detective Guy Baker at 406-552-6300.
The best way to support the family is to keep sharing her story. Use the hashtag #JusticeForJermain. Look at the photos of her tattoos—she has a distinct butterfly on her back and a "J" on her wrist. Awareness is the only thing that keeps these "cold" cases from freezing over completely.
If you want to dive deeper into the technical investigative side, the podcast "Stolen: The Search for Jermain" by Connie Walker is a great companion to the 48 Hours episode. It goes into the history of the relationship and the tribal jurisdictional issues that the TV episode only had time to scratch the surface of.
The search for Jermain Charlo is a reminder that justice isn't a guarantee; it’s something people have to fight for every single day.
Actionable Steps:
- Watch the full episode: You can stream "Where is Jermain Charlo?" on Paramount+ or the CBS News website to see the specific surveillance angles.
- Monitor the 9th Circuit developments: Keep an eye on the legal proceedings regarding Michael DeFrance's vacated sentence, as this impacts the leverage investigators have.
- Support MMIW Resources: Follow organizations like the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA or the Friendship Center in Montana to stay updated on local search efforts.