Danielle Houchins Part 1 of 2

DNA: ID

AbJack Entertainment

Society & Culture, True Crime

4.8 • 871 Ratings

🗓️ 23 June 2025

⏱️ 76 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Episode 152 Danielle Houchins Part 1 of 2

In 1996, Danielle “Danni” Houchins was an outdoorsy 15 year old growing up in Belgrade MT. The new driver went for a solo hike at her favorite recreation area outside town, the West Cameron Bridge fishing access site, on a fall Saturday. She did not come home. Searchers found her body face down in inches of swampy water. The ME, coroner and sheriff ruled her death a drowning. But the manner of death was labeled undetermined… even though injuries to Danni’s person, and forensic evidence, said otherwise. And thus began the nearly 30 year quest for justice for Danni. Thanks to a committed new sheriff, a dogged old-school investigator, Danni’s family, and the miracles of modern science, the beloved teen finally got the recognition she deserved, and a form of justice that everyone could live with – except her killer.

This is the last regular episode of DNA: ID before the show goes on summer hiatus, with a crossover episode dropping on June 30^th. We’ll be back in late August with all new episodes!

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to DNAID.
0:03.1	Brought to you by Abject Entertainment.
0:05.3	Be sure to check out some of the other great true crime podcasts from this network, including
0:10.1	The Murder in My Family, Missing Persons, Scene of the Crime, Zodiac speaking, Beyond Bizarr True Crime,
0:18.4	and Campus Killings.
0:20.6	All of these podcasts are available for you to binge on right now, wherever you listen to podcasts.
0:26.0	Subscribe where you're listening to this podcast so you don't miss an episode. The
0:40.3	The The
0:57.0	The It was 1996.
1:24.9	Cheryl Houchins was a wreck.
1:26.9	It was Saturday, September 21st, and her 15-year-old daughter, Danielle, was missing. Danny, as she was known, had left her parents' house at 100 North Davis Street in Belgrade, Montana, around 11.30 a.m., saying she was headed to the West Cameron Bridge recreational area. This was a public area
1:46.7	about three miles southwest of Belgrade, and it featured trails, fields, woods, and fishing access to
1:52.9	the Gallatin River. Cheryl, who was having family friends to visit that afternoon for the annual
1:59.0	Belgrade Fall Festival, wanted Danny home by two.
2:02.4	She gave the 15-year-old her own watch to wear so she could keep an eye on the time.
2:07.4	So when Danny wasn't home by two, and then 2.30 and then 2.45, Cheryl started to become really
2:13.5	concerned. Danny was not the kind of kid who ignored curfews or disobeyed her parents.
2:18.5	Plus, she wanted to see the visiting friends. It was totally out of character for Danny
2:23.0	to just not show up long past when she was supposed to. Cheryl and her friend Kathy Shrop
2:29.3	drove to the Cameron Bridge fishing access area where she knew Danny liked to go. As soon as they pulled into the small parking lot, Cheryl saw the family's white pickup truck
2:38.2	parked where it would logically be if Danny had driven to the area and parked to go on a hike.
2:43.7	But the doors of the truck were unlocked.
	...

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