Montana Family Still Searching for Jody Howard, Missing Since 1991

It was a cool October afternoon in 1991 when Jody Fern Howard stopped at a gas station in Wolf Point, Montana, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. October 7 started like any other day. She ran an errand, exchanged a few words with people who saw her, and then...she was gone.

That moment, so ordinary at the time, became the last anyone would ever see of Jody. For more than three decades, her family has lived in the in-between, the place where questions have no answers and hope never really fades.

A Young Mother with Deep Tribal Roots

Jody was just 28 years old when she disappeared. She stood 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighed around 125 pounds, and had black hair, brown eyes, and a smile that could put anyone at ease. She was a proud member of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation, and her roots ran deep.

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Jody was a mother of four sons and maintained a close bond with her three brothers, her sister, and her extended family. Friends remember her as kind, grounded, and family oriented. If she were alive today, Jody would be 62 years old, likely a grandmother surrounded by the same family who still hold her memory close and wonder what happened all those years ago.

When Jody Never Came Home

On October 7, 1991, Jody was last seen at that Wolf Point gas station. She never came home. Those who knew her immediately sensed something was wrong. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into years. And still, no trace of her. No confirmed sightings. No solid leads. Investigators believe foul play was involved. Jody’s last known residence was on the Fort Peck Reservation, where she lived and worked within her tribal community.

The Smallest Clues That Still Matter

Not much physical evidence remains, but what’s known could still hold meaning. Jody had a small ink-dot tattoo on one of her left fingers, a birthmark on the right side of her neck, and noticeably white teeth, details that remain in her official case file. They may seem small, but for her family and investigators, every clue is a thread of hope that one day, something new will surface.

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Decades of Waiting, But Never Giving Up

Time hasn’t dulled the ache of Jody’s disappearance. Every birthday, every holiday, every new year feels like another reminder of what’s missing. Still, her family hasn’t stopped believing that someone knows something, that one day, a phone call, a tip, or a long-buried memory will finally bring answers.

One Story Among Thousands

Jody’s case is part of a larger and heartbreaking crisis, the ongoing tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Across the country, countless families are still waiting, still searching, still fighting to be heard. Each name represents a life that mattered, a story that deserves to be told, and a truth that must be found.

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Someone Knows What Happened

If you know anything about what happened to Jody Fern Howard, no matter how small it seems, please come forward. Contact the Roosevelt County Sheriff/Coroner’s Office at (406) 653-6230 and reference Agency Case Number 1006991. Someone knows what happened in Wolf Point that October night. Until that truth comes to light, her family, and her community, will keep holding on, hoping to finally bring Jody home.