Valen Roy Hotomanie was 23 years old when he was reported missing from Wolf Point, Montana, a community in Roosevelt County on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Official public records identify him as an American Indian/Alaska Native man with black hair and brown eyes, 5 feet 11 inches tall and about 145 pounds. NamUs lists his date of last contact as November 2, 1995, while its circumstances field says he was last seen in Wolf Point on the 2nd or 3rd of November; the Montana Department of Justice missing-person listing also gives November 2, 1995 as the date of last contact.
At the time he disappeared, Valen was reportedly wearing a gray shirt, blue jeans, and a blue jacket with “HOTOMANIE” on the back. The Charley Project classifies his case as endangered missing and gives the same physical description and clothing details, though it lists the missing date as November 15, 1995, which differs from the official NamUs and Montana DOJ date of last contact.
Because public sources conflict, the exact date of the events surrounding his disappearance is unclear.
Public case summaries report that Valen was last known to be in Wolf Point, and some secondary sources describe allegations that two individuals beat him and threw him from a bridge into the Missouri River south of town. Those sources state that suspects were arrested about a month later and charged with aggravated assault, but were later released, and that authorities have continued to need additional evidence because Valen’s body has not been found. The case has therefore remained painful and unresolved for those who loved him, with the public record reflecting both the uncertainty of what happened and the continued absence of answers.
Valen’s disappearance is being handled by the Roosevelt County Sheriff/Coroner’s Office, and the Montana Department of Justice listing directs anyone with information to contact local law enforcement or the Montana Missing Persons Clearinghouse. NamUs identifies the investigating agency as the Roosevelt County Sheriff/Coroner’s Office and lists the case as MP23715. The available public information does not indicate that Valen has been located, and the case remains listed in missing-person databases.Last Seen: Nov 2, 1995
