A Montana couple is charged with murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the 2019 death and disappearance of a 6-year-old Crow American Reservation girl.
Mildred Alexis Old Crow was physically abused and left to die in a bathtub before her corpse was wrapped in plastic and covered, according to court records filed by Big Horn County Attorney Jeanne Torske.
Couple Sentenced To Life
The container was taped shut and concealed for more than two years, during which time the offenders claimed victim benefits.
State district court might sentence Roseen Lincoln and Veronica Dust, both 36 years old, to life in prison if they are found guilty. On Tuesday, they remained in detention with a $1 million bond each.
Indigenous women are victimized at extraordinary rates, with federal data indicating that they have the highest homicide rates with non-Hispanic Black women.
A 2018 investigation by the Associated Press revealed that no one knows the exact number of cases of missing and killed Native Americans in the United States since many go unreported, others are poorly documented, and no government database tracks them specifically.
According to court officials, the suspects in Mildred’s death were unavailable for remark and without legal representation. Roseen Lincoln Old Crow was formerly recognized as Lincoln in court filings.
In December 2020, the defendants were initially apprehended as suspects in the girl’s disappearance. They were eventually convicted of criminal endangerment and custodial interference and sentenced to 18 months in prison and $2,000 in fines by a Crow tribal court.
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Montana Girl’s Autopsy Shows Abuse Before Death
In 2017, Lincoln and Dust took custody of Mildred, a descendent of Chief Pretty Eagle, one of the Crow’s last battle leaders.
The victim’s relatives called her their “Little Angel,” and they recalled how much she enjoyed dancing, especially at powwows. Mildred’s family reported her missing to federal authorities in November 2020, saying she had been missing since April 2019.
The trailer she was found in was located about 40 miles north of the Montana-Wyoming border, and the discovery was made in February 2021. The girl had been frequently abused prior to her death, and an autopsy revealed symptoms of this, including a wound to her head.
The prosecutor stated that the offenders’ violent behavior toward the girl was more common after they had been drinking. Prior instances of abuse were never reported to the proper authorities.
