3 years have passed since Jermain Charlo disappeared in Missoula

Jermain Charlo, a 23-year-old Native American woman from Dixon, was last confirmed alive in the alley behind the Badlander Bar in Missoula on June 16, 2018.

JERMAIN CHARLO'SDISAPPEARANCE.JERMAIN, A 23 YEAR OLDMOTHER FROM DIXONAGENCY, HAS BECOME AWELL-KNOWN FACE IN THEMISSING AND MURDEREDINDIGENOUS WOMENCRISIS IN MONTANA ANDNOW-WORLDWIDE.MTN NEWS FIRSTREPORTED THEDISAPPEARANCE OFJERMAIN CHARLO IN THESUMMER OF 2018.THREE YEARS LATER, HERCASE HAS NOT SEEN ANYCLOSURE.HERE'S A BREAKDOWN OFSOME OF THE KEY DATESFROM HER DISAPPEARANCE.JUNE 15, 2018: JERMAINWAS SEEN AT THEBADLANDER BAR INDOWNTOWN MISSOULA.JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT, AMISSOULA HOUSINGAUTHORITY CAMERARECORDED HER WALKINGOUT OF THE ALLEY BEHINDTHE BADLANDER BAR.THIS IS THE LAST KNOWNVISUAL OF JERMAIN ALIVE.THE FOLLOWING DAY, JUNE16TH, JERMAIN'S REPORTEDLAST LOCATION WAS THEORANGE STREET FOODFARM WHERE SHE WASALLEGEDLY DROPPED OFF.MULTIPLE SEARCHES WEREHELD IN THE AREA.HOWEVER, IN THEPODCAST "STOLEN: THESEARCH FOR JERMAINCHARLO" , MISSOULAPOLICE DETECTIVE GUYBAKER TOLD PODCASTPRODUCER CONNIE WALKERTHAT JERMAIN WASACTUALLY DROPPED OFFNEAR THE INTERSECTION OFPRINCE AND SOUTH FIFTHSTREET WEST.THAT'S EIGHT BLOCKSAWAY FROM THE ORANGESTREET FOOD FARM.AND AT A PROTEST INMARCH OF 2021, MTNNEWS VIEWED A 2018SEARCH WARRANT SHOWINGJERMAIN'S CELL PHONEACTIVE NEAR EVAROUNTIL 10 AM THE DAY OFHER DISAPPEARANCE ONJUNE 16TH.MTN NEWS GENEVAZOLTEK SAT DOWN WITHDETECTIVE GUY BAKER FORHIS REFLECTION ON THE PASTTHREE YEARS AND CAUGHTUP WITH "STOLEN"JOURNALIST CONNIEWALKER.IT WAS HERE IN THE ALLEYBEHIND THE BADLANDERBAR THAT JERMAIN CHARLO,A 23-YEAR-OLD NATIVEAMERICAN WOMAN FROMDIXON, WAS LASTCONFIRMED ALIVE.SINCE THEN, CHARLO'SCASE HAS REMAINED ANACTIVE INVESTIGATION BYTHE MISSOULA POLICEDEPARTMENT.

IT'S NOWBEEN THREE YEARS ANDHER CASE HAS NOT YETSEEN CLOSURE.GUY BAKER IS THESECOND DETECTIVE TO BEIN CHARGE OF THIS MISSINGPERSONS CASE.

ELEVENDAYS AFTER JERMAIN WASLAST SEEN, HE WASREASSIGNED AND NOWWORKS TO SOLVE.GUY BAKER / MISSOULAPOLICE DEPT.

DETECTIVE"I CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UPLEADS, WORKING ON THINGSACTUALLY JUST YESTERDAY.SO IT'S NOT A CLOSEDCASE, IT'S NOT A COLDCASE.

IT'S STILL VERYACTIVE."BAKER CONTINUES TO STAYIN TOUCH WITH JERMAIN'SFAMILY TO KEEP THEM INTHE LOOP...BUT MANYCAVEATS OF HIS RESEARCHARE UNRELEASED HE SAYSTO PROTECT THEINVESTIGATION'S INTEGRITY.AND HE STANDS BY HISWORK FOR JERMAIN, WHOHE SAYS IS THE ONLYMISSING NATIVEAMERICAN WOMAN INMISSOULA."I THINK YOU ALWAYS LOOKTO THE PAST TO SEE IF YOUCAN DO BETTER.

YOU KNOWHE TRIED TO DO THE BESTJOB YOU CAN UNDER THECIRCUMSTANCES, BUT, YOUKNOW, LOOKING BACKSOME THINGS COULD HAVEBEEN DONE A LITTLEDIFFERENTLY THAT I THINKWOULD HAVE BEENBENEFICIAL, BUT NOTHINGWAS DONE WRONG, OR WASDETRIMENTAL, I SHOULD SAYTO THE INVESTIGATION."MEDIA UNDOUBTEDLYPLAYS A ROLE HERE.

GIMLETMEDIA, A DIVISION OFSPOTIFY, RELEASED APODCAST DOCUMENTINGTHE CASE THIS YEAR.BAKER IS PROMINENTLYFEATURED IN THEREPORTING."AN ISSUE THAT COMESUP BETWEEN THE PUBLICAND LAW ENFORCEMENT ISPERCEPTION.

AND WHATEVERYONE'S PERCEPTIONAS TO THEM AS REALITY,WHEN IN FACT, IT MAY NOTBE ACTUAL REALITY.

SO, THEPODCAST WAS NOT ENTIRELYACCURATE.

SO, PEOPLEHAVE LISTENED TO THAT,AND THEY HAVE DRAWNSOME CONCLUSIONS THATMIGHT NOT BE ENTIRELYCORRECT."BAKER SAID SOMETIMESTHE POLICE ARE NOT IN APOSITION TO CORRECT THERECORD - THAT COULDJEOPARDIZE ANINVESTIGATION - ANDWOULD NOT CLARIFY WHATTHOSE FACTS WERE.LAST YEAR, CONNIEWALKER WAS ON THEGROUND IN MISSOULADOING HER OWNINVESTIGATION.CONNIE WALKER /"STOLEN: THE SEARCH FORJERMAIN" JOURNALIST"THERE'S NEVER BEEN AREQUEST FOR THE MISSOULAPOLICE DEPARTMENT ORGUY BAKER TO CORRECTANYTHING IN OURPODCAST."WALKER, AN INDIGENOUSCREE WOMAN FROMCANADA, DOCUMENTEDTHE CASE IN THE 8-EPISODE "STOLEN: THESEARCH FOR JERMAIN."SHE STUDIED JERMAIN'SPAST AND SPOKE WITHFAMILY, FRIENDS, ANDDETECTIVE BAKER."I'VE ACTUALLY BEENHEARING FROM SO MANYPEOPLE IN AND AROUNDMISSOULA, WHO KNEW OFJERMAIN OR KNEW PEOPLEIN THE PODCAST AND I'MCONTINUING TO HAVE THOSECONVERSATIONS.

I AMREALLY HOPING TO DO MOREREPORTING ON JERMAIN'SCASE AS SOON AS WECAN."THE PODCAST REACHEDAN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL,RESONATING WITHINDIGENOUS COMMUNITIESPRIMARILY BUT ALSO THOSEUNAWARE OF MMIP."THIS CRISIS OF VIOLENCETHAT SO MANY INDIGENOUSWOMEN AND GIRLS FACE,AND MEN AND BOYS INCANADA AND IN THEUNITED STATES."TO WALKER, HER WORKISN'T JUST A JOB.

HERINDIGENOUS COMMUNITYALSO EXPERIENCES AHEIGHT OF VIOLENCE."GETTING TO LEARN ABOUTJERMAIN'S LIFE THROUGHHER FAMILY AND FRIENDS,HAS BEEN SUCH APRIVILEGE AND AN HONOR,AND I TREAT IT AS ARESPONSIBILITY."SOMETHING ECHOEDBETWEEN WALKER ANDBAKER...MOREINFORMATION IS OUT THERE.CONNIE WALKER /"STOLEN: THE SEARCH FORJERMAIN" JOURNALIST"FOR ALL OF THE REPORTINGTHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TODO OBVIOUSLY IT'S GREAT TORAISE AWARENESS ABOUTJERMAIN'S CASE ON ANATIONAL LEVEL ORINTERNATIONAL LEVEL, BUT ITHINK THAT IT'S PARTICULARLYIMPORTANT THAT PEOPLETHERE IN HER COMMUNITYARE ALSO PAYINGATTENTION, AND KNOW THESTORY OF, JERMAIN'S STORY,AND THAT HERDISAPPEARANCE IS STILLUNSOLVED."IN MISSOULA GENEVAZOLTEK MTN NEWS.THESE SOURCES WANT TOMAKE CLEAR THAT JERMAINCHARLO IS NOT JUST A FACON A BILLBOARD.THOSE WITH ANYINFORMATION CAN CONTACTTHEIR LOCAL LAWENFORCEMENT ORDETECTIVE GUY BAKER AT406-552-6284.SINCE JERMAIN'SDISAPPEARANCE IN 2018,A NUMBER OF RESOURCESAND GUIDELINES HAVEBEEN GENERATED TOADDRESS THE MMIPCRISIS...IN 2019, MONTANA'SMISSING INDIGENOUSPERSONS TASK FORCEWAS CREATED TO HELPADMINISTER GRANT MONEYAND IMPROVEINTERAGENCYCOLLABORATION.LAST OCTOBER, BLACKFEETCOMMUNITY COLLEGELAUNCHED A WEBSITEMEANT TO STREAMLINE THEPROCESS OF REPORTING AMISSING PERSON ON THEBLACKFEET NATION.

CSKTJOINED THE PORTAL LASTMONTH.MEANWHILE THISFEBRUARY, THE SNOWBIRDFUND BECAME AVAILABLETO FINANCIALLY HELP NATIVEAMERICAN FAMILIESSEARCH FOR THEIR MISSINGLOVED ONES.AND IN APRIL, CSKTCOMPLETED THE NATION'SFIRST TRIBAL COMMUNITYRESPONSE PLAN - ACOORDINATED EFFORT MEANTTO SERVE AS A GUIDE ININDIGENOUS COMMUNITIESWHEN RESPONDING TO AREPORT OF A MISSINGPERSON.