CASPER, Wyo. — Selena Not Afraid was found dead southwest of a rest stop along I-90 between Hardin and Billing on Jan. 20.
The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office in Montana said in a press release that they didn’t suspect foul play in her death. Not Afraid had been reported missing on Jan. 1, last seen at the I-90 rest stop area.
While a preliminary autopsy conducted on Wednesday suggested that Not Afraid died of hypothermia, KTVQ out of Billings report that Big Horn County Attorney Jay Harris says that possible criminal activity is still being investigated.
Crow Tribe Chairman Alvin Not Afraid, Jr. requested that Montana Attorney General Tim Fox provide assistance in the investigation into Selena Not Afraid’s death.
“Yesterday, January 22nd, on behalf of Selena Not Afraid’s family and the entire Crow Tribe of Indians, I formally requested the assistance of Montana Attorney General Tim Fox to help with the investigation into her death,” the chairman said in a press release. “Rural communities across the State often require greater resources and personnel similar to the Montana Department of Justice DCI unit during complex investigations and that is true in this particular case.”
“Selena’s death, and the unsolved cases of so many other missing and murdered indigenous people, can no longer be the result of segregated resources and divided communities. A unified approach amongst our communities is long overdue – and it may be the only way to keep our children safe. Let us work together at every level, to bring closure and justice to our Region. Selena and her family deserve no less.”
