Bozeman Magazine

Part of the Elise R. Donohue Lectures on the American West in Memory of Walter S. Rosenberry Lecture Series Murder on Montana’s Hi Line from Surgeon to Sleuth: A Family’s Fight for Justice In this captivating talk, Clem C. Pellett shares a deeply personal account of a cold case investigation that began with an accidental discovery. Acting as a citizen detective, he uncovered long-buried documents and a web of connections involving McCarthy-era communists, J. Edgar Hoover, and frontier justice in 1950s Montana. His research brings to life vivid characters, both well-known and long overlooked, while offering new insights into Montana’s past. The story culminates in the dramatic capture of the state's longest-running fugitive killer and the emotional reunion of a family torn apart for decades. Included with membership, $5/non-member  Registration is required