Where is Jermain Charlo? Investigating a Missing Indigenous Woman in Montana

The Disappearance of Jermain Charlo

• 📌 Jermain Charlo, a 23-year-old mother of two, went missing in Missoula, Montana, in June 2018.
• 🔍 Six years later, with no arrests or publicly named suspects, police released surveillance footage from the night she disappeared, hoping to generate leads.
• 💔 Her family has been living in limbo for six years, with her aunt stating, "I feel like I got this puzzle in front of me, but I don't have all the pieces on the table quite yet."

Initial Investigation and Family Concerns

• 🚨 Jermain's family became worried when she didn't contact them, which was unusual as she was always with her phone and active on social media.
• 🚶‍♀️ The last known images show Jermain outside a bar called The Badlander shortly after midnight on June 18, 2018, with a man behind her.
• ⏳ By June 18th, 48 hours after she was last seen, her aunt Valinda filed a report with Missoula PD and the Flathead Reservation Police, feeling there was a lack of urgency from Missoula PD.

Challenges in the Investigation

• ⛰️ The rugged terrain of Montana, including vast wilderness areas, makes searching for missing persons extremely difficult, as highlighted by educator Jen Murphy.
• ❓ Detective Guy Baker, who took over the case 10 days after Germaine disappeared, noted that while most missing persons are found, Germaine might be part of the difficult 2% who are not.
• ⚠️ Concerns about human trafficking were raised due to Montana's large interstate highways and lack of cell phone towers, making it easy for individuals to disappear instantly.

Focus on the Ex-Boyfriend

• 📱 Cell phone data indicated Jermain's phone was active between 2 am and 10 am on June 16th in the Ever Hill area, where her ex-boyfriend, Michael De France, lived.
• 🚗 De France, the father of her two children, initially stated he dropped her off in Missoula at 1 am but later changed his story, admitting he had her phone and eventually threw it away in Idaho two days after she disappeared.
• ⚖️ De France has a history of domestic violence, having pleaded guilty to partner/family member assault in 2013 when he was 19 and Germaine was 17. He was prohibited from owning firearms, but charges related to firearm possession were later overturned, then reinstated, and then overturned again.

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Movement

• 📊 Indigenous persons make up a disproportionately high percentage of missing person cases in Montana (24% of active cases) compared to their population (6%).
• ✊ The red handprint over the mouth, a symbol of the movement, represents the silencing of Indigenous voices and has been featured on billboards and at events like the Emmy Awards.
• 🗣️ Jen Murphy, a photographer, uses billboards to raise awareness and speak directly to perpetrators, emphasizing that the community sees them and will not stop searching.

Ongoing Search and Call for Information

• 💔 Despite extensive searches, including cadaver dogs on De France's property, Germaine has not been found, and her phone has never been recovered.
• 📞 Detective Guy Baker's personal phone number (406-396-3217) and the Missoula Police Department's number (406-552-6284) are provided for anyone with information.
• 🙏 The family continues to search and advocate for answers, with Jermain's aunt having a dream where Jermain indicated her body was in Evero.