In the early morning hours of April 23, 2021, the life of Dennis Andrew Gresham, a 33-year-old White/Caucasian male from Sheridan, Wyoming, was tragically cut short in Billings, Montana. Gresham had traveled to Billings for work and to pick up a friend from the airport, arriving at the Yellowstone River Campground around 4:30 a.m. It was there, at approximately 5:45 a.m., that he was approached by two individuals, Kristy Lynn Chavez and Michael McClure.
They reportedly asked Gresham for a cigarette and a ride, which he declined.
Following the brief exchange, a violent encounter ensued. Chavez and McClure, who were both armed, confronted Gresham. Chavez later recounted to investigators that McClure began fighting with Gresham. She claimed to have gotten into Gresham's van and started to drive away, at which point she heard several gunshots. Gresham was shot multiple times in what has been described as a random carjacking. His body was left inside his van.
After the shooting, Chavez and McClure drove the van to a hardware store in Laurel. Their suspicious behavior drew the attention of law enforcement, who located the vehicle now covered by a tarp. As an officer was confirming McClure's identity, he sped off in the van, initiating a police pursuit. The chase ended when the van crashed in a west Billings neighborhood. Both Chavez and McClure fled the scene on foot. Chavez was apprehended a short time later.
McClure managed to evade immediate capture and barricaded himself in the attic of a nearby residence, leading to a nine-hour standoff with police. Despite attempts to negotiate his surrender, the standoff ended in further violence. After exchanging fire with officers, McClure died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. An autopsy later confirmed that the shots fired by law enforcement were not fatal. Authorities also identified McClure as a suspect in a separate shooting that occurred on April 19, where a woman was injured.
Kristy Lynn Chavez was charged with deliberate homicide by accountability for her role in Gresham's death. She initially pleaded not guilty but later accepted a plea deal. The homicide charge was dropped, and she was sentenced to 30 years in prison for armed robbery. Gresham was remembered by his family as a devoted husband and father to two young sons, a man with an adventurous spirit and a passion for innovation.
