A woman disappears during a tense situation with friends In the late summer of 2019, the life of an 18-year-old Native American woman, Kaysera Stops Pretty Places, came to a tragic and mysterious end in Hardin, Montana. A member of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne tribal communities, Kaysera was last seen by her family on August 24, 2019. When she didn't return to her grandmother's home that night, concern grew.
Her family's attempts to report her missing were initially met with resistance from law enforcement, who reportedly told an aunt there was a mandatory waiting period, which is not the law in Montana for individuals under 21. A report was finally filed on August 27th.
Just days before she vanished, Kaysera had filmed and posted a video to social media showing law enforcement officers beating her younger brother, who was in a wheelchair, at the Crow Fair. This act of speaking out is considered by many to be a possible factor in the events that followed. On the night she was last seen, Kaysera was reportedly with a small group, including two other young women and a 23-year-old man named Natosi Summers, who had allegedly purchased alcohol for them. Witnesses later told police they heard an argument involving the group in the early morning hours, which caused them to scatter.
On August 29, 2019, a passerby discovered Kaysera's body in the backyard of a Hardin residence. Despite the discovery, her family was not officially notified that the body had been identified as Kaysera until September 11, leaving them to search for her for nearly two more weeks. The official autopsy could not determine an exact cause or manner of death, ruling it undetermined. While the report noted no evidence of injury or disease, it did not rule out asphyxia. Toxicology results showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.149, but no drugs were found in her system. The family believes she was murdered and has been critical of the investigation, citing a lack of communication and effort from the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office.
The family's pursuit of justice has been fraught with difficulties. They faced pressure from the county coroner, who also owned the local mortuary, to have Kaysera's remains cremated, a decision that went against their cultural beliefs and prevented the possibility of a second autopsy. The family stated that the cremation was done without their proper consent. For years, her death remained officially unsolved, fueling the family's advocacy and highlighting the broader crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Eventually, charges were filed against Natosi Summers for criminal endangerment in connection with her death. To date, however, no one has been charged with homicide.
