Missing Justice

CBS News

Christy Woodenthigh’s family rushed to her home on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation when they got the shocking news that the 33-year-old mother was dead. They arrived to find no police officers, no approaching sirens, and no sign of Christy. Missing Justice takes you inside what really happened that night and the federal investigation that followed. Christy’s family never trusted the law enforcement officers investigating her death, and bombshell testimony revealed their worst fears. CBS News reporters Cara Korte and Bo Erickson examine how the issues in Christy’s case connect to the larger Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis.

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Our Editor's Take

Missing Justice is a podcast about a popular true crime topic. Many other podcasts explore the unsolved cases of missing and murdered people. But this podcast has a different focus. It talks about the Indigenous community by discussing the case of one murdered woman.

Someone killed Christy Woodenthigh in 2020 on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. Yet authorities made some crucial errors in the murder investigation. Three Bureau of Indian Affairs officials admitted they didn't even write up a report on her death. Nor did they test a suspect's blood alcohol level. The man accused of killing Woodenthigh did go to trial. But a jury acquitted him. So Woodenthigh's family is still seeking justice for their daughter. Missing Justice tells their story. It also lets people know about this crisis of missing people in the Indigenous community.

Cara Korte and Bo Erickson are the skilled journalists behind this podcast. The cohosts report on the US government for CBS News. Their network also produces the Missing Justice podcast. This limited-episode show talks about one of the "stolen sisters," as Indigenous people call her. The reporters talked to over 150 people when investigating this story. They worked on this podcast for over eighteen months. The result is a compelling listen. However, since the show talks about domestic violence and murder, it is not for everyone.

Missing Justice has six episodes. While Woodenthigh's family may not have gotten true justice for their loved one, this podcast is a tribute to her life. It may also help publicize these crime problems in the Native American community.

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Play Trailer

Introducing: Missing Justice

Introducing: Missing Justice

Christy Woodenthigh’s family was shocked to hear that she was dead and her body missing. When they got to Christy’s house, there were no police officers or approaching sirens. For Christy’s family and many others on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, they never trusted the law enforcement officers investigating her death. Missing Justice takes listeners inside the night Christy was killed, the federal investigation that followed, and how Christy’s case connects to the larger Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis. Listen to new episodes of this six-part series on Tuesdays.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episodes

Introducing: Missing Justice

Introducing: Missing Justice

Christy Woodenthigh’s family was shocked to hear that she was dead and her body missing. When they got to Christy’s house, there were no police officers or approaching sirens. For Christy’s family and many others on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, they never trusted the law enforcement officers investigating her death. Missing Justice takes listeners inside the night Christy was killed, the federal investigation that followed, and how Christy’s case connects to the larger Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis. Listen to new episodes of this six-part series on Tuesdays.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Where is Christy?

Where is Christy?

On March 6, 2020, Christy Woodenthigh was run over outside of her home on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Lame Deer, Montana. She died that night. How did Christy, a mother of three, end up dead? In this episode CBS News federal government reporters Cara Korte and Bo Erickson meet with Christy's sister Aleda Spang to uncover what happened that night.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Christy & Jerard

Christy & Jerard

Cara and Bo explore Christy's eight-year-relationship with her boyfriend, Jerard Threefingers. What they find is a complicated partnership intertwined with allegations of intimate partner violence and substance abuse. Even though those closest to Christy knew what she was facing, they had trouble keeping her safe.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The BIA Investigation

The BIA Investigation

The night Christy died, Jerard was questioned by police after picking up her body and driving to his mother's house. Cara and Bo break down that crucial interview. And, months after that fateful night, Christy's family struggles to get information from the Bureau of Indian Affairs federal agents investigating Christy's death. Tribal leaders step in to put pressure on the BIA to hold them accountable.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The US v. Jerard David Threefingers

The US v. Jerard David Threefingers

Jerard’s trial is finally here. Christy’s family is hoping the jury will find him guilty of involuntary manslaughter for Christy’s death. The prosecution puts a spotlight on BIA law enforcement officers but as they take the stand, their testimony reveals serious red flags in how the investigation was conducted. Jerard’s defense argues that Christy’s behavior that night could have led to her death. It’s up to a jury..Is there enough evidence to convict Jerard?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe vs. The United States

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe vs. The United States

Word of Jerard’s not guilty verdict makes its way to the reservation. The community struggles to come to terms with losing Christy but is defiant to not let something like this happen again. Community leaders start to demand answers from BIA law enforcement as they feel less and less safe in their community. And as a result, take a major legal step to demand better resources to keep Northern Cheyenne safe. Cara and Bo unravel how the issues brought forward in Christy’s case are not unique to her, or even to Northern Cheyenne. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the final episode of Missing Justice, Cara and Bo sit down with a former deputy director of BIA law enforcement to find out what can be done to stop the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples crisis. Then, Montana Senator Jon Tester calls for accountability in Indian country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.