Montana man, identified as a suspect in the cold case murder of a teen girl, takes his own life following interrogation.

Over 29 years after a Montana teenager was discovered dead near a fishing spot, a married father of two, suspected of being her killer, died by suicide shortly after being questioned by investigators, authorities announced on Thursday.

The killer of 15-year-old Danielle "Danni" Houchins was identified as 55-year-old Paul Hutchinson through advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy.

"We remained steadfast in our pursuit of justice for Danni and her family, utilizing all available resources to provide closure to this tragic situation," stated Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer. "Our dedication to bringing justice to victims and their loved ones remains unwavering, and we will continue to utilize every resource at our disposal to solve these cases, regardless of the passage of time."

On September 21, 1996, at approximately 11 a.m., Houchins left her home in Belgrade, Montana and never returned. Her mother reported her missing and later found her truck at the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access point on the Gallatin River. That night, Houchins' body was discovered face down in shallow water.

In 2021, a private investigator named Tom Elfmont, a retired Los Angeles Police Department officer, was hired by Springer to assist in the investigation.

Labs in California and Virginia identified Hutchinson as a suspect after receiving hair samples from Houchins' body.

On July 23, Hutchinson was interviewed by Elfmont and Sgt. Court Depweg of the Newport Beach Police Department, who specializes in solving homicides using DNA technology. During the nearly two-hour interview, Hutchinson appeared nervous and showed signs of being uncomfortable when he was shown a picture of the late teen, authorities said.

"The sheriff's office stated that upon release, the suspect exhibited erratic behavior, as evidenced by his profuse sweating, scratching of his face, and chewing on his hand during the investigation."

Deputies discovered Hutchinson on the side of a road with a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he called the Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office for help the previous morning.

"Stephanie Mollet, Houchins' younger sister, stated at a press conference that when the time came for him to confront his guilt and account for his violence, he instead chose to end his life."

The pair had no prior connection before her demise. The killing was described as a "crime of opportunity" by investigators. They suspect that the two randomly met at the river and that Hutchinson subsequently raped and suffocated her in shallow water.

Hutchinson, who had recently enrolled at Montana State University and earned a degree in fisheries wildlife biology, worked for the state Bureau of Land Management for 22 years at the time of the murder.

He had no criminal or traffic history, authorities said.