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Will never-before-seen video of missing Montana mom lead to a break in the case? | Full Episode

June 12, 2025 / 40:25

This episode covers the disappearance of Germaine Charlo, a 23-year-old Native American mother who went missing in Missoula, Montana, on June 16, 2018. Key discussions include the investigation led by Detective Guy Baker, the impact of Germaine's case on the indigenous community, and the ongoing search efforts by her family and volunteers.

Germaine was last seen socializing in downtown Missoula. Her family, particularly her aunts Valinda and Danny, express their frustration with the investigation's pace and the lack of urgency from law enforcement. The episode highlights the challenges faced by indigenous women in missing persons cases.

Detective Baker shares insights into the investigation, including the last known images of Germaine and the involvement of her ex-partner, Michael de France, who was the last person to see her. The episode discusses the complexities of Germaine's relationship with de France, including past incidents of domestic violence.

The episode emphasizes the broader issue of missing and murdered indigenous women, with statistics showing a disproportionate number of cases among Native Americans. The community's efforts to raise awareness through billboards and social media are also featured.

As the investigation continues, the episode leaves viewers with a sense of urgency for justice and the hope that someone will come forward with information about Germaine's case.

TLDR

Germaine Charlo, a 23-year-old mother, vanished in Missoula in 2018; her case highlights issues facing missing indigenous women.

Episode

40:25
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[Music] This search for Germaine Austin Charlo continued today in the Missoula area.
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This is a 23-year-old mother of two. We get a missing person advisory probably maybe a couple times a month and 98% of
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those people who are reported missing are going to be found or their case is resolved. It is unusual just to have
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somebody vanish. Germaine Charlo was 23 years old when she vanished on June 16th, 2018.
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She was very active on social media. Hi. For those of you who don't know me, I'm
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Jermaine. This is now going to be my blog about me and whatever I do. She posted about
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everything. None of this is scripted. Oreo. I don't like fake like food, makeup.
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This is what I'm doing. This is where I'm going. I'll have a better vlog tomorrow because I'm going grocery
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shopping. So, like for her like to not be active on social media, then I knew something was not right.
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So, on the evening of June 15, 2018, Germaine was downtown Missoula, uh, socializing at some bars,
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and she was last known to be alive in the alley, uh, behind one of the bars. Charlotte is a Native American woman.
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She's 5' 8 and weighs 130 lb. She was last wearing blue jeans. We started thinking about, okay, did she make it
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back on the reservation? Did she not make it back on the reservation? The reservation itself is 1.319
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million acres. It's mountainous. There's numerous rivers. There's numerous predators.
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And every hour, day, minute, that search area expands. I think there's always that hope that
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she's out there somewhere. You didn't know Germaine? I didn't know Germaine. I dream about her. I think
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about her. But what does she represent to you? She definitely represents our people. This is one of many cases in
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Montana. I know how to take pictures and visual representation of any issue is huge. That red hand you can't not see.
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It shouts out, "We're not going to take this anymore." Germaine has become the western Montana
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face of missing and murdered indigenous people. And now we're to the point where
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it's the first anniversary. It's the second, the third. And you've been living in limbo for 6 years. Yeah. I
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miss her. I'm never going to say, "Oh, you know what? I'm going to stop searching for
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her." She's out there somewhere. But where? What do you need to solve this case? I feel like I got this puzzle in
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front of me, but I don't have all the pieces on the table quite yet. One or two pieces could break the case. Someone
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out there knows. Someone out there knows what happened to Germaine Charlo. And they're just not talking. Come forward.
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We know you're there. Be brave. [Music] [Music] on Highway 93 on route to Missoula.
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It's hard to miss this billboard [Music] and Germaine Charlo's haunting gaze. When I see that billboard,
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I'm frustrated. Missoula police detective Guy Baker has been searching for Germaine for more
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than six years. We've just time and time again come up empty-handed. These are the last known images of
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Germaine Charlo. They were captured on surveillance video on Friday, June 15th, 2018 in downtown Missoula.
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There's Germaine chatting with people outside a bar called the Badlander. A little before midnight, Germaine walks
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away from the camera, a man by her side and disappears into the night. Six years
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later, with no arrests and no publicly named suspect, police released the video to 48 hours, hoping to generate leads.
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Someone out there knows what happened to Germaine Charlo. Germaine walks out of view, so maybe somebody saw something
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that has never thought about contacting us. So if anybody has any information about that night or any aspect of this
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investigation, I encourage them to call me. For Germaine's aunts, Danny Matt and
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Valinda Morv, this painful ordeal began on Saturday, June 16th, 2018 with a call
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from Germaine's grandmother. She was very close with my mom. My mom's actually the one who had called me and
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said, "Have you heard from Germaine?" And I said, "No." Why? Hello, I'm back. Um, the family
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says Germaine never went anywhere without her phone, so it would be unusual for her not to text or call.
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They knew she had been in Missoula. So, I kept calling her, calling her. And when she didn't answer her phone,
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Danny had a feeling something wasn't right. We'd called to the hospitals, to the shelters, anywhere we could think of
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just cuz it was not natural for her to not talk to my mother like she did on a daily basis. She disappeared without a
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trace. Nothing. The family was sick with worry. No one had heard from her, and she had not
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returned to her home on the Flathead reservation about 40 miles from Missoula. On Monday, June 18th, 48 hours
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after Germaine was last seen, Belinda contacted authorities for help. Because she went missing out of Missoula, I had
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called Missoula Police Department to let them know she had gone missing. There was like no sense of let's make
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sure that we check all the boxes and make sure that we've done everything that we can to make sure she's safe. The
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family also contacted the Flathead Reservation Police. We try to get as much information out there as we can.
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Try to get flyers, pictures, whatever we can do out there. Police Chief Craig Couture. As the days go on, people
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started thinking, "Hold on, maybe there is more to this than just she's gone." Then on June 20th, 4 days after Germaine
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disappeared, Belinda made the drive from the Flathead reservation to the Missoula
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Police Department, officially filed a missing person's report and met with a detective assigned to Germaine's case.
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He did his due diligence and he checked the hospitals and the homeless shelters.
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I was told that she was not in immediate danger. Belinda knew in her heart Germaine was
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in immediate danger. Frightened and frustrated, the family reached out again. Thank you so much for
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being here today. Volunteer searches were organized. I've been on a couple of the searches. Describe them to me.
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They're heartbreaking. Jen Murphy is an educator living in Montana. Every little step that you take, it's a
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grid search, so you can't be any farther than an arms length apart so that you don't miss anything. Yep. You come upon
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anything that looks out of place. So, grid searching a mountain with trees that are right next to each other is
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almost impossible. During one of those searches, she met Valinda. How would you describe your
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bond with Valinda? She's like a sister to me now. So, her pain is your pain. Absolutely. Mhm. They're
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continuing to investigate the disappearance of 23-year-old Germaine Charlo. Here is another look at her
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right now. If you have any information on her disappearance. After Germaine had been missing for
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about 10 days, Detective Guy Baker, who just come back from vacation, volunteered to take over the case. Is it
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unusual for someone to go missing in Missoula? Uh, no. No. I think we have sometimes multiple people per week, 97
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98% statewide reported missing people are found. So, it's that 2% that are the difficult ones.
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Baker was concerned Germaine's case was among that difficult 2%. Then in mid July, one month after her
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disappearance, there seemed to be a new and disturbing development. Missoula police are concerned that a
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missing Dixon woman might be held somewhere against her will. Tonight, they're continuing to investigate the
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disappearance of 23-year-old Germaine Charlo, who also goes by the name Liz. We had some information early on that
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there might have been some people in Missoula from out of state that were trying to buy a girl and I was thinking
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there was a connection there. There are thousands of rural areas and miles to go across this state
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and there are people who are extremely vulnerable. Missoula County Deputy Attorney Britney
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Williams. Human trafficking is a huge problem nationwide, but how does it differ in Montana?
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I would say it differs from a lack of knowledge. I think people have an idea that Montana is rural and undeveloped
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and we don't have major crimes that occur here, but the fact of the matter is we have one of the largest
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interstates that runs through our state right here through Missoula, Montana. There are people who
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can be swept away in an instant and because of lack of GPS or cell towers, you might never hear from that person
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again. In a matter of minutes, they could be gone and they could be trafficked to another
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state, potentially another country. If Germaine Charlo was a victim of trafficking, could law enforcement find
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her? While Detective Baker was investigating the possibility Germaine Charlo may have
00:11:48
been a victim of sex trafficking, her family was desperately trying to get her back home. We called her phone, it seems
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like a million times over. tried to Facebook, FaceTime. [Music] Even from the time she was a little kid,
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she had like the best personality. She's very outgoing, beautiful, resilient, animal lover.
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Oh gosh, the list of pets she had is I think she had like a flying squirrel or something. And then a pig. She had two
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pigs. She's very outdoorsy. She had always loved to be by the river and fishing.
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Valinda was only 10 when her niece Germaine was born. Soon they were as close as sisters. When she was born, I
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didn't like her at all. I was the baby of the family and she stole my thunder. And then one day my
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grandma was cooking and Germaine, she needed to be fed and my grandma's like, "Hold this baby." I was like, I remember
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like looking at I was like, "All right, you're not that bad." And then from that
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day on, she was my baby. She was my baby sister. Germaine was creative and imaginative.
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She was an amazing artist. Her dream was to attend the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico. On her
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YouTube channel, she was like using fingernail polish to make an octopus. She would like crochet grocery bags to
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try to save the environment. That girl could do anything she set her mind to. I swear she was so smart and so talented.
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She grew up on the Flathead reservation. Got the confluence of the Flathead and Jackal rivers. You've got the bison
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range right next to you and mountains, you know, as far as you can see. A really strong sense of community. And
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Germaine Charlo's roots run deep on this reservation. She's a member of the Confederated Salish and Coutney tribes
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and a descendant of Chief Charlo known for his peaceful resistance during the 1870s when the tribe was forced to move
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from their ancestral land in Montana's Bitterroot Valley to the Flathead Reservation.
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We are on tribal land. Yes, Germaine lived in this orange house over here. Germaine was balancing life while
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co-parenting her two young sons, Jacob and Thomas. Her relationship with their father was strained. Oh, she was a great
00:14:20
mother. Her world evolved around those boys. She wanted to teach them all about fishing and hunting, take them to the
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fair, try to give them the best life she knew how. Germaine had been working at the Big River Cantina on the Flathead
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Reservation. She was hoping to find work as a seasonal firefighter and had an interview scheduled, but she didn't show
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up. Is she the first native woman to disappear from the Flathead Reservation? No. Missoula County Deputy Attorney
00:14:53
Britney Williams knows it all too well. In Montana, indigenous persons make up only about 6% of the population, but 24%
00:15:03
of the state's active missing person's cases. Would you consider it to be an epidemic? I would. Yes. And is there any
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indication why? I think that there's that's a very complex question. There's a lot of history there. I think there's
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just so many different factors that go into each missing person, from domestic violence to human trafficking to poverty
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to homelessness. As law enforcement began digging deeper into Germaine Charlo's disappearance,
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they would rule out the possibility the 23-year-old mother of two had been a victim of trafficking. That was
00:15:40
initially a avenue of investigation. Ultimately, I don't believe that she was trafficked. Why? I think that we have
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enough evidence through this investigation that lends itself to believe something else
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has happened to her. Germaine posted this Tik Tok video lip-syncing lines from a TV show together. Together. Yeah.
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The day she disappeared. It's the same image seen in her missing poster billboard. She's wearing the same
00:16:12
clothes in the surveillance video. Detective Baker discovered the video early in his investigation and he shared
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excerpts of it with us. He told us that the man standing behind Germaine was Michael Def France, Germaine's ex and
00:16:28
the father of their two children. He agreed to speak with police without a lawyer. You believe Michael de France
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was the last person to see Germaine Charlo. That's what the investigation has determined and he told us that.
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According to police, sometime around midnight, Michael and Germaine walked away and got in his 2011 brown Dodge
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truck. He said that uh they left the downtown area and that he dropped her off and that that ended their night
00:17:00
together. According to law enforcement, Michael de France stated he dropped Germaine off at
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the Orange Street Food Farm. Michael de France did this because Germaine stated that her friend Cassidy lived nearby and
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Germaine was going to spend the night there. Michael de France dropped Germaine off at approximately 0100
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hours. Police didn't find a Cassidy, but they learned Germaine had been visiting
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Missoula regularly because she was dating a man named Jacob who lived in that neighborhood.
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They had met on a dating app and they weren't together for very long, but it seemed like they had a very strong
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connection and he was just totally infatuated with her. Authorities say Jacob was out of town miles away in
00:17:49
another state. Belinda says he and Germaine were texting each other that night before she disappeared. Her plan,
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according to like her message to him, was that she was going to go back to his place that night cuz he was out of town.
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According to law enforcement, when Jacob attempted to call Germaine shortly before 1:00 a.m. on June 16th, he
00:18:10
thought it was strange because the phone rang several times before it went to voicemail. Jacob felt that somebody
00:18:18
purposely ended the call. And this particular call that was made to her has been shown through the carrier to have
00:18:28
been silenced by someone. Jacob also told police that the day before she disappeared, Germaine told
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Jacob that Michael had been yelling at her, asking if she was dating anyone and wanted to get back together with her.
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Police say Jacob cooperated with the investigation and was never considered a suspect.
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It's unsettling to see Germaine Charlotte socializing that night and Michael de France, the last known person
00:19:01
to see her alive and not know what they were talking about or what may have been
00:19:07
going on between them. Michael de France has not been named as a suspect in Germaine's disappearance.
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We showed the surveillance video to Valinda and Danny. They're seeing it for the first time. And there she is. For
00:19:24
her to be walking in front of him, it seems like he keeps like trying to catch up to her. They sense Germaine was
00:19:32
sending a message about Michael de France and she's, you know, we got to go our separate ways.
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[Music] Germaine Charlo never went anywhere without her phone, so it was crucial for
00:20:00
investigators to find it. We got cell phone data linked to Germaine's cell phone that indicated it was active on
00:20:08
the night she disappeared. And it was active multiple times, uh, primarily between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and up
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until just about 10:00 a.m. on the 16th of June. And where was the phone? So, the phone's never been recovered, so we
00:20:23
don't know where the phone was, but judging by the information we got from the tower, it was most definitely north
00:20:28
of Missoula, and it was in the area of Ever Hill. Ever Hill is on the Flathead Reservation. It's a rugged area with
00:20:38
lots of trees and wildlife, and it's a place Michael de France knows well. He lives specifically up on the Ever Hill
00:20:46
area. He was the last person to be with Germaine Charlo before her life as we know it came to a standstill. Searches
00:20:55
have been conducted on Evero Hill, but Germaine was not found. There's always that hope that she's out
00:21:04
there somewhere. Germaine's family came up with the idea to put her missing poster on a billboard. Jen Murphy
00:21:12
expanded the family's mission to include more missing indigenous women. I currently am doing a project with
00:21:19
billboards throughout Montana and throughout the United States. I try to have billboards as close to our
00:21:25
reservations as possible. Trying to make sure that speaking to the perpetrators too, like we see you. The investigation
00:21:34
into Germaine's disappearance is just one of many cases of missing and murdered indigenous women known as MMIW.
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In 2019, the Justice Department created a task force to investigate cases of missing and murdered indigenous people
00:21:51
around the country. Social media has helped to ignite the movement. And this is the case of Germaine Charlo. At the
00:21:59
2024 Emmy Awards, Reservation Dogs actor and nominee Defro Wunat was on the red carpet. Yeah, this is representing this
00:22:08
is red palm print representing missing and murdered indigenous women. Bringing attention to the crisis. I feel like
00:22:13
we're all of the human race and should be looked for the same. It's not like we're asking for special treatment.
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We're just asking for the same treatment. We're not going to stop looking for our people.
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We're not. Our lives matter. As a photographer, Jyn Murphy is using her lens to open the aperture to the
00:22:34
MMIW crisis. This photo shoot with Vina Little was in the same alley where Germaine was last
00:22:42
seen. Starts out with praying and trying to set yourself right. We offer a moment
00:22:48
of silence in a space for our sisters. It's a painting on the paint. Just relax your hand. Okay. Then
00:22:58
just put your hand just straight down. What does the red hand mean? The red hand print really symbolizes our people
00:23:05
being silenced. How we have always been looked at differently and that our people have not
00:23:13
been heard in the same way that other people are. That's a harsh reality and it has been since the beginning of time,
00:23:21
since colonization. Germaine's family can't help but wonder about how her case was treated in those
00:23:31
critical early days in the investigation. When I reported her missing, there was no sense of urgency.
00:23:38
I don't know if it's because she's over 18 or because she was drinking or the fact that she was Native American. Lead
00:23:45
detective Guy Baker can't speak to those first days of the investigation. Remember, he didn't get the case until
00:23:52
10 days after Germaine disappeared, but he's well aware that some missing person's cases do get more attention
00:24:00
than others. You know, just look at our national media. Gabby Patito goes missing and uh look at the national
00:24:07
exposure she got for a week or two for a Caucasian female and how many missing Native American females went missing in
00:24:15
that same time period and got nothing. So, I've made a concerted effort to keep Germaine relevant.
00:24:23
It's Baker's hope that by releasing the surveillance video to 48 hours, he'll gain new leads for Valinda and Danny. Do
00:24:32
you see her? Yeah. Being social, silly, being herself. It's the last glimpse of Germaine's life the night she
00:24:40
disappeared. Germaine, her bubbly self. It's beautiful just to see her. Um, hurts at
00:24:49
the same time, but um so full of life. Then they zero in on the man standing behind Germaine here. Yep. Michael def
00:25:01
France introduces him. Then he's got his arms crossed like and rolls up his sleeves like trying to
00:25:10
intimidate whoever the dude is that she's talking to. Does it tell you anything? It kind of
00:25:17
shows me his demeanor that night. Looks like he's in a rush to leave and that he's annoyed that she's her attention
00:25:23
isn't focused on him. Danny was surprised and relieved to see there were other people, potential witnesses in the
00:25:31
alley that night. There's a lot of people, which reassures me that somebody knows something. Somebody's seen her.
00:25:39
Somebody's got to know what that conversation was. Detective Baker says he spoke with
00:25:45
several of the people seen on the video, but because this investigation is still
00:25:50
active, he wouldn't say much about what he learned. I'm hoping that maybe by chance somebody saw them and just has no
00:25:59
idea that she's been missing and says something and that is just like the small missing piece
00:26:06
that we need. Authorities needed a break in Germaine's case to learn more about her life. They
00:26:14
would take a closer look at her past and they would discover her relationship with Michael de France wasn't just
00:26:22
strained, it had been dangerous. [Music] While authorities did not name Michael de France as a suspect in Germaine's
00:26:49
disappearance, they did want to learn more about the couple's relationship. They started at the beginning. Germaine
00:26:57
Charlotte was 14 when she met 16-year-old Michael de France in 2010 when his family moved in across the
00:27:04
street. They both enjoyed fishing on the river and taking long walks. The teens were practically inseparable,
00:27:14
but there were red flags. I don't remember why I had her phone, but like I had found some explicit
00:27:23
photos of her on her phone. Like you know I had mentioned to Michael I was like she was never like this before like
00:27:29
you know this is not okay. This is not something that you guys should be sharing at your age. What was his
00:27:34
reaction? He didn't really say much. Despite family disapproval, Germaine continued to see Michael de France. Then
00:27:44
in April 2013, just two weeks shy of Germaine's 18th birthday, Valinda got a harrowing call. There was an incident
00:27:54
where um she had called me and said, "Auntie, I need you down here. Michael, hit me." According to court documents,
00:28:02
Michael de France, who was 19, admitted he assaulted Germaine. On 414 2013 in Sanders County, I caused bodily injury
00:28:13
to my girlfriend. The documents also state how he hurt Germaine. The defendant made the following admissions.
00:28:21
that he hit her three times, that he used his fist. It was hard to hear that and see her go through that and the
00:28:30
emotional phone calls and the conversations that followed. You know, she was a kid.
00:28:39
Def France plead guilty to partner family member assault. He wouldn't serve any jail time, but he would be
00:28:46
prohibited from possessing firearms. Despite the violence, Germaine and Michael Defran remained together.
00:28:55
Germaine's family says she was staying with Def France in a camper on his parents' property.
00:29:02
A few months later, Michael def France left town to work as a seasonal firefighter.
00:29:08
I'm home alone for two more weeks. So, everyday vlog will probably be only me until my boyfriend slash fianceé gets
00:29:19
home from work. Germaine, alone, lonely, and living in a camper, began sharing her world on YouTube. I usually don't do
00:29:30
much. I'm just supposed to be a house boy. She was very good about hiding pain and
00:29:38
tried to pretend like everything was okay. Soon they were young parents raising their two boys, but Valinda says the
00:29:47
violence continued. Multiple times of getting phone calls and going down to make sure she was
00:29:54
okay. And it was hard for us to watch her go back. But that's what happens to a lot of women who are victims of
00:30:01
domestic violence. They'd break up and make up and break up and make up. According to Danny, the couple
00:30:08
eventually broke up for good in 2017. Michael still wanted Germaine to do as Michael said. And so when Germaine
00:30:18
started to create a life without him, um it seems like things got worse for her.
00:30:25
She was the mother of his kids and had to kind of walk on eggshells around what Michael wanted or how, you know, he
00:30:35
pictured her or wanted her to be as a mom. In early 2018, just months before her disappearance, Germaine and Michael
00:30:44
had a heated custody battle over the boys. According to her family, Germaine had
00:30:50
limited resources. Michael de France, it seemed, had more. He had an attorney. She didn't have an
00:30:58
attorney. Germaine was working hard to find stability with work. A judge decided the kids would live with
00:31:05
their father and she would have visitation rights. The parenting plan says her family was stressful for
00:31:14
Germaine. Shayla Russell noticed a change in her cousin's behavior. Michael had the boys and so she was
00:31:23
lonely and scared for her safety. She was scared for her safety. Yeah. She would talk about having nightmares or
00:31:29
being scared to be alone. 48 Hours requested an interview through Def France's attorney. He declined our
00:31:38
request. In their effort to find Germaine, authorities secured numerous search warrants, including at least two on
00:31:47
Michael de France's property. But because this is an active investigation, many of the search
00:31:54
warrants have been sealed. Dozens of searches for Germaine over the last 6 years. There have been canine
00:32:02
searches. Canines who are trained to detect bodies. Every place that we've searched has not
00:32:14
yielded the evidence that would give us the answer. What do you think happened to her and why? All I can say without
00:32:23
compromising the investigation is I think Germaine's disappearance is a result of a criminal action and somebody
00:32:30
knows what happened to Germaine and we need their their assistance. Somebody knows something. Something that always
00:32:38
baffled Baker is what happened to Germaine's cell phone. Turns out Michael to France provided an answer.
00:32:51
[Music] Evero Hill is the last known area where Germaine's cell phone was active.
00:33:09
According to investigators, it was pinging between 2 and 10:00 a.m. the morning after she was last seen. It's a
00:33:19
very heavily forested area, lots of different wildlife, and then one sole highway that runs through the top of
00:33:26
Ever Hill. It's the area where Germaine's ex, Michael de France, was living. In his initial statement to police, he
00:33:37
said that he dropped Germaine off in Missoula around 1:00 a.m. and that she had her phone with her.
00:33:44
So why was it active on Evero Hill, roughly 14 miles north of Missoula hours later, the France changed his story and
00:33:54
said her phone was with him. In a subsequent interview, he provided a statement that she left her cell phone
00:34:04
and he attempted to go through her cell phone and he was unable to get into her cell phone.
00:34:10
What he said he did next surprised detective Guy Baker. Def France admitted that 2 days after he last saw Germaine,
00:34:19
he threw her phone away. So Mr. France had told us during one of his interviews that he discarded uh Germaine's cell
00:34:27
phone in Idaho. [Music] Michael de France, then working as a truck driver, told authorities he disposed of
00:34:38
Germaine's phone in Idaho at mile marker 94 on Highway 12. Law enforcement searched the area but
00:34:48
never found the phone. I I have to ask why would he get rid of her cell phone? What explanation did he have?
00:34:57
You can't tell me. Can't tell you. Is that unusual that someone would one admit to having a missing person's cell
00:35:05
phone and then two that they would dispense with it? Yeah. Why would you get rid of his cell phone if someone was
00:35:10
around to give the phone back to him? Why would he have her phone? Why would he destroy it? Throw it out at mile mark
00:35:17
or what the hell ever? I I don't understand. I wouldn't say Michael de France is not a person of interest. I
00:35:25
would say that I'm not at liberty to say who is or who is not a person of interest.
00:35:32
No suspects have been named in connection with Germaine's disappearance. Police are now considering the case a
00:35:39
nobody homicide. But without a body, prosecuting a homicide is a challenge. I think it's important for everyone to
00:35:48
know that you only get one bite at the apple here, only one shot. And so I want to gather as much information to ensure
00:35:57
a successful prosecution should we meet that crossroad. It's my belief that we are close to
00:36:05
moving forward in this case. Moving forward meaning filing charges against a suspect.
00:36:13
If it ultimately is determined that this is criminal means, absolutely. Germaine and her family deserve answers
00:36:21
and it is my hope that someone comes forward, provides us some new lead that can lead to justice.
00:36:29
I have my cell phone on that billboard, not just the police department's main number, cuz I want someone to call me
00:36:36
because I want the information. The billboard's location was important to Danny and Valinda.
00:36:44
It looks out toward the reservation and Evero Hill where Michael de France was living with
00:36:51
Germaine's two sons. I know that Michael would probably have to take that route to come to Missoula. And I thought,
00:37:00
well, the boys might not be able to see her in person, but that picture will be there, and Jacob and Thomas could see
00:37:07
their mother every time they drove by there. I hope through out these years that Thomas and Jacob haven't forgot who
00:37:17
their mother is, and I hope they know that she loves them very much. In Missoula, there's a different
00:37:24
billboard. This one showing Valinda's face. Her photo stands as a stark reminder of the
00:37:33
ongoing crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women. It took me a long time to do that photo
00:37:41
shoot because I don't want people thinking that like I want attention on myself. It's not
00:37:49
about me. It's about Germaine. We will no longer be silent about our women going missing.
00:37:57
We have to fight for justice for our loved ones. Do you still plan on searching for Germaine?
00:38:06
Always. I don't care how long it takes. I'm never going to give up on her. I don't care if I have to search till
00:38:19
I'm 80 years old. If this case is never solved and I retire, it's not going away in my mind.
00:38:30
That'll be one of those things that will be with me until the day I die. That weighs on us. That weighs on our
00:38:38
tribal council. Everyone here thinks about it. Six winters have passed since Germaine
00:38:48
disappeared. Today is Germaine Charlo's birthday. Danny and Belinda no longer believe she
00:38:58
is alive. So I have a gift of when my family makes it to the other side. When my grandma
00:39:08
passed away, she came and told me she made it. When my grandpa passed away, he told me
00:39:14
he made it. and had this dream and Germaine was there and she's like, "I just wanted to
00:39:22
tell you I found grandma and grandpa and I'm fine and she gave me a hug and she turned to
00:39:30
walk away and I said, "Gerine," and she goes, "What?" I was like, "Where's your body?" And she
00:39:39
looked me dead in the eyes. She said, "It's an evero." She's like, "I love you, but I have to
00:39:44
go. [Music] I can only describe it as evil. Something horrible from 48 hours. This
00:40:09
is Train to Kill the Dog Trainer, the Aerys, and the Bodyguard. He couldn't control his obsession. Who was the
00:40:16
hunter and who was the hunted? Follow and listen on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 85
    Most heartbreaking
  • 80
    Most emotional
  • 80
    Best concept / idea
  • 80
    Biggest cultural impact

Episode Highlights

  • The Disappearance of Germaine Charlo
    Germaine Charlo, a 23-year-old mother, vanished on June 16, 2018, sparking a search.
    “Germaine has become the western Montana face of missing and murdered indigenous people.”
    @ 02m 35s
    June 12, 2025
  • Community Response and Search Efforts
    Family and volunteers organized searches, but Germaine remains missing after six years.
    “Every little step that you take, it's a grid search.”
    @ 08m 26s
    June 12, 2025
  • The Impact of Missing Indigenous Women
    Indigenous persons make up 24% of Montana's active missing person cases, highlighting a crisis.
    “Would you consider it to be an epidemic? I would. Yes.”
    @ 15m 03s
    June 12, 2025
  • Germaine's Last Glimpse
    Surveillance footage captures Germaine's bubbly personality just before her disappearance.
    “It's beautiful just to see her. Um, hurts at the same time.”
    @ 24m 45s
    June 12, 2025
  • The Search for Answers
    Authorities are determined to uncover the truth behind Germaine's disappearance, believing someone knows what happened.
    “Somebody's got to know what that conversation was.”
    @ 25m 39s
    June 12, 2025
  • Fighting for Justice
    Valinda emphasizes the need to raise awareness about missing indigenous women.
    “We will no longer be silent about our women going missing.”
    @ 37m 54s
    June 12, 2025
  • A Mother's Love
    Valinda vows to continue searching for Germaine, no matter how long it takes.
    “I don't care how long it takes. I'm never going to give up on her.”
    @ 38m 06s
    June 12, 2025
  • A Haunting Dream
    Valinda shares a chilling dream where Germaine communicates with her from beyond.
    “It's an evero.”
    @ 39m 40s
    June 12, 2025

Episode Quotes

  • I think there's always that hope that she's out there somewhere.
    Will never-before-seen video of missing Montana mom lead to a break in the case? | Full Episode
  • We're not going to stop looking for our people.
    Will never-before-seen video of missing Montana mom lead to a break in the case? | Full Episode
  • The red hand print really symbolizes our people being silenced.
    Will never-before-seen video of missing Montana mom lead to a break in the case? | Full Episode
  • It's beautiful just to see her. Um, hurts at the same time.
    Will never-before-seen video of missing Montana mom lead to a break in the case? | Full Episode
  • Somebody's got to know what that conversation was.
    Will never-before-seen video of missing Montana mom lead to a break in the case? | Full Episode
  • We will no longer be silent about our women going missing.
    Will never-before-seen video of missing Montana mom lead to a break in the case? | Full Episode

Key Moments

  • Community Searches08:10
  • Human Trafficking Concerns10:34
  • Cultural Symbolism23:03
  • Last Glimpse24:45
  • Hope for Witnesses25:39
  • Raising Awareness37:54
  • Determined Search38:06
  • Chilling Dream39:40

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown