Hot Jock, are you the one this is written About? I'm not looking for a fight..... I'm asking a legitimate question here. Was that your handle back then? Was this maybe written by or about you??

I know Hot Jock well enough to know that he did not kill Dexter. His username is just that: a name. :lol: :lol: :lol:

I know Hot Jock well enough to know that he did not kill Dexter. His username is just that: a name. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Even if you think I did it, all you have is circlestansive evidence anyway. 😂

Not an out right denial Hot Jock?? Just the taunt that all I have is circumstantial evidence??!!??

Not an out right denial Hot Jock?? Just the taunt that all I have is circumstantial evidence??!!??

Uh, it's "circlestancive..."

Please get it right :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

"Hot Jock shot wad" makes total sense as a sentence, though, in a sexual connotation. I think they put WAY too much stock into that.

Not an out right denial Hot Jock?? Just the taunt that all I have is circumstantial evidence??!!??

Unless Hot Jock killed Dexter as a child.... it’s not him.

Unless Hot Jock killed Dexter as a child.... it’s not him.

Maybe Hot Jock is a child prodigy, like Philip Pauli :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

It doesn't look like this article ever made it into the thread:
HUNTING A KILLER - Long-ago Bad Route rest stop murder still puzzles Dawson County law enforcement
http://billingsgazette.com/news/crime/long-ago-bad-route-rest-stop-murder-still-puzzles-dawson/article_a8136b42-7109-5695-be17-0181840a0e53.html

The only thing it adds for us is the current sheriff's theory
“If you’re going to kill over gas, you’ve killed before,” Canen said. and some more detail on the location of the dump. It also omits the info about the graffiti entirely.

Heres the cached (non-paywall) version:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XwZvkF5rtq8J:billingsgazette.com/news/crime/long-ago-bad-route-rest-stop-murder-still-puzzles-dawson/article_a8136b42-7109-5695-be17-0181840a0e53.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Thanks for posting that article. Seems like the Sheriff thinks Dexter was killed because his killer was in need of gas.

I think he shot him in the backseat, my theory. Then he took Stefonek’s vehicle because his was out of gas and drove to Glendive and on the way, ‘uuuh, I got the river on my side.' He takes the Whoop Up exit. If he takes a right to the river, there’s a lot more houses here, but if you take a left off the interchange you go up on the flat and it’s all gravel and farming, not many vehicles there.

The article also says you could spot the landfill from the road, meaning that the killer didn't necessarily need to be from the area.

Seems like the killer could've been a drifter/migrant-worker of sorts and there's a 70/30 chance he's dead by now. Figure this was a random act more or less.

Seems like the killer could've been a drifter/migrant-worker of sorts and there's a 70/30 chance he's dead by now. Figure this was a random act more or less.

What makes you think he was a drifter? I think I'm in the minority on this, but based on the location of where Dexter's body was found, I'm convinced the killer is local...

Thanks for posting that article. Seems like the Sheriff thinks Dexter was killed because his killer was in need of gas.



The article also says you could spot the landfill from the road, meaning that the killer didn't necessarily need to be from the area.

I missed that. I'll go back and check...

What makes you think he was a drifter? I think I'm in the minority on this, but based on the location of where Dexter's body was found, I'm convinced the killer is local...

From the article:

"The 1980s model blue and white Chevy had a topper. There was enough bedding and clothes in the back to suggest someone was living in it. A state highway worker in charge of looking after Bad Route from time to time, Mitchell, circled the truck looking for signs of life, noting the truck’s Arizona license plate."

All the stuff in the back/in the bed + the AZ plates. I'd say it's equally possible the guy, whoever he is, stole that truck sometime before encountering Dexter.

Based on the article and playing around with Google Earth imagery my best guess as to the location of the dumpsite is here off of "Whoop Up Rd." :
https://bit.ly/2Fhnidn

It's approximately nine miles away from the rest area, which is the distance given in the segment. Whoop Up and Bad Route are the same road, the name just changes at a 90 degree bend.

So either the killer took the freeway to the dumpsite, or took Bad Route there. If he took the freeway I'd say he was a local, if he took Bad Route then he was a drifter who happened upon it. (Just a hunch)

Regarding the AZ plate, is it possible the witness was wrong? What other states had similar colored license plates at the time?

Based on the article and playing around with Google Earth imagery my best guess as to the location of the dumpsite is here off of "Whoop Up Rd." :
https://bit.ly/2Fhnidn

It's approximately nine miles away from the rest area, which is the distance given in the segment. Whoop Up and Bad Route are the same road, the name just changes at a 90 degree bend.

So either the killer took the freeway to the dumpsite, or took Bad Route there. If he took the freeway I'd say he was a local, if he took Bad Route then he was a drifter who happened upon it. (Just a hunch)

Regarding the AZ plate, is it possible the witness was wrong? What other states had similar colored license plates at the time?

Is Bad Route near Badstreet USA?

Regarding the AZ plate, is it possible the witness was wrong? What other states had similar colored license plates at the time?

Arizona plates were solid red in 1985. Missouri plates were extremely similar looking, but that's about all I can see from a ten-minute Google search.

Also, there was a Phoenix license plate holder (like from a dealership or concerning a sports team or something) on that vehicle, which makes me think the identification of the plate as Arizonan is correct.

Is Bad Route near Badstreet USA?

I hope he's there...

https://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/michael-hayes-album-cover.jpg?quality=95&w=650&h=366

I hope he's there...

https://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/michael-hayes-album-cover.jpg?quality=95&w=650&h=366

Doot Doot Doot.

Doot Doot Doot.

I bought that fanny pack.

I hope he's there...

https://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/michael-hayes-album-cover.jpg?quality=95&w=650&h=366

Had no idea Dog the Bounty Hunter wrestled.

I hope he's there...

https://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/michael-hayes-album-cover.jpg?quality=95&w=650&h=366


http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/tmimn.gif

Doot Doot Doot.

Well, you know... :lol:

It doesn't look like this article ever made it into the thread:
HUNTING A KILLER - Long-ago Bad Route rest stop murder still puzzles Dawson County law enforcement
http://billingsgazette.com/news/crime/long-ago-bad-route-rest-stop-murder-still-puzzles-dawson/article_a8136b42-7109-5695-be17-0181840a0e53.html



I was hoping Dexter's old Rhinelander address would be on his ID so I could just drive past it or just to know where it was out of curiosity because my hometown is about 20 minutes from Rhinelander and I drive through sometimes.

He had PO Box though.

You can visit his grave in Rhinelander, if you're so inclined.

I always wondered why Dexter would make such a long trip by himself

The threat you are referring to sounds like the one mentioned in the segment about Dwayne McCorkendale, the trucker who was shot to death at an Oklahoma rest stop in 1988.

That was the one where they told the truck driver over the CB "we'll drive any way we want to!". The person who said it sounded like an impetulant child :lol:

https://www.abcfoxmontana.com/bozeman/montana-murder-mysteries-bad-route-rest-stop-killing/article_46c5c486-de39-11e9-b8f5-1b9843ea16c4.html

Not really so much an update, but this news station did a podcast about the murder. Police are still working on the case and trying to identify the owner of the truck.

https://www.abcfoxmontana.com/bozeman/montana-murder-mysteries-bad-route-rest-stop-killing/article_46c5c486-de39-11e9-b8f5-1b9843ea16c4.html

Not really so much an update, but this news station did a podcast about the murder. Police are still working on the case and trying to identify the owner of the truck.

451: Unavailable due to legal reasons




We recognize you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore access cannot be granted at this time. For any issues, contact newsroom@abcfoxmontana.com or call 406-542-8900.

It's making me think the sooner the UK strikes a trade deal between the USA the better.

451: Unavailable due to legal reasons




We recognize you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore access cannot be granted at this time. For any issues, contact newsroom@abcfoxmontana.com or call 406-542-8900.

It's making me think the sooner the UK strikes a trade deal between the USA the better.

Try proxy.toolur.com ??

Try proxy.toolur.com ??

Did I do something wrong?


Your search - https://www.abcfoxmontana.com/bozema...843ea16c4.html - did not match any documents.

Suggestions:

Make sure that all words are spelled correctly.
Try different keywords.
Try more general keywords.

Here's the full address: https://www.abcfoxmontana.com/bozeman/montana-murder-mysteries-bad-route-rest-stop-killing/article_46c5c486-de39-11e9-b8f5-1b9843ea16c4.html

Try that.

If Dexter's killer ran out of gas and was forced to spend the night at the rest stop, that tells me that he was traveling east through Montana or that the guy legitimately didn't pay attention and let his car run out of gas while heading back to Arizona. Look at the map here (https://www.google.com/maps/search/gas+station/@46.9573624,-104.9537309,10.02z/data=!4m8!2m7!3m6!1sgas+station!2sYellowstone+River+Historical+Marker,+Glendive,+MT+59330!3s0x533acdd7145739cd:0xe180dce998c39496!4m2!1d-105.0195253!2d46.8984781). The rest area is at the Yellowstone Historical Marker and those gas stations are the closest ones around (in Glendive, which seems well populated). I have no idea what this guy was doing, but if you look at the map (assuming this guy started in or was intending on going to Arizona), it almost looks like the guy was headed back to Arizona. But what the hell was he doing in Montana?! And it's interesting to note that the closest landfill is in the same vicinity as those gas stations.

If Dexter's killer ran out of gas and was forced to spend the night at the rest stop, that tells me that he was traveling east through Montana or that the guy legitimately didn't pay attention and let his car run out of gas while heading back to Arizona. Look at the map here (https://www.google.com/maps/search/gas+station/@46.9573624,-104.9537309,10.02z/data=!4m8!2m7!3m6!1sgas+station!2sYellowstone+River+Historical+Marker,+Glendive,+MT+59330!3s0x533acdd7145739cd:0xe180dce998c39496!4m2!1d-105.0195253!2d46.8984781). The rest area is at the Yellowstone Historical Marker and those gas stations are the closest ones around (in Glendive, which seems well populated). I have no idea what this guy was doing, but if you look at the map (assuming this guy started in or was intending on going to Arizona), it almost looks like the guy was headed back to Arizona. But what the hell was he doing in Montana?! And it's interesting to note that the closest landfill is in the same vicinity as those gas stations.

My first guess would be the guy was some sort of transient who had just finished up a job somewhere and was on his way out of the state.

My next guess would be something drug-related......either buying/selling/delivering.

I live in Montana (where the man's body was found) and my boyfriend is from Glendive, which is near where the man's body was found. I asked him about this case a few weeks ago, and to the best of his (and my) knowledge, there have been no updates on this case.

Is the area still pretty isolated like it was back then or has it been built up a lot in recent years?

I always thought they would have Linked up the truck to the guy especially since they could narrow it down to a state. Maybe the tags or truck were stolen

Was hoping this one would have been solved by now

Hey i never thought of this till remembering the Dennis Duh-PeeU segment. He changed license plates! I think the bad route killer stole plates from another state. He did steal/hi jack the old man's car for more fuel after all...

seen a few other shows like Ffiles where the killers stole plates to put on their cars.

If he was military I think the witness would notice the military car sticker. Maybe he works on the rail road? Or he moved from AZ to Pacific nw and passed thru montana. Did he steal a persons car while hitch hiking in AZ? Did he work for Yellowstone national Park?

I've seen this segment plenty of times before and recently watched it on Amazon Prime. Man, is this story sad and scary! Dexter Stefonek just wanted to go back home and grieve only to end up beaten and murdered at a rest stop on a freezing cold morning by a cold-blooded murderer. I wonder if the caretaker of the rest stop, Fred Siegle, thought it was suspicious that the killer drove back into the rest area with Dexter's car even though he explained to him that he just needed to get gas for his truck. Could be why he didn't question him any further. He easily could've been the next victim.

Our boy Dexter was planning on doing more than just grieving when he got back to Rhinelander. He was rushing home to try to convince a much younger woman to marry him.

I went up north last weekend and drove by the paper mill Robert Stack mentioned Dexter had just retired from. I grew up near Rhinelander. I thought I'd snap a quick photo of it for this thread.

https://ptpimg.me/g6d375.jpg

I've seen this segment plenty of times before and recently watched it on Amazon Prime. Man, is this story sad and scary! Dexter Stefonek just wanted to go back home and grieve only to end up beaten and murdered at a rest stop on a freezing cold morning by a cold-blooded murderer. I wonder if the caretaker of the rest stop, Fred Siegle, thought it was suspicious that the killer drove back into the rest area with Dexter's car even though he explained to him that he just needed to get gas for his truck. Could be why he didn't question him any further. He easily could've been the next victim.
I'd like to know more about the murders Stack mentions when he says "Police think he has struck before and may strike again".

I'd like to know more about the murders Stack mentions when he says "Police think he has struck before and may strike again".

I don't remember which page, but someone posted a link to an article earlier in this thread where the sheriff or some other LEO said something along the lines of "if you're willing to kill for gas, you've killed before".


My personal opinion is this guy wasn't a local. If he was, wouldn't the caretaker recognize him? Why would he leave Dexter's body in a landfill that's supposedly known only to locals, effectively narrowing the suspect pool to his own pond? And as others have pointed out, the dump was actually visible from the site, so it couldn't have been that remote. In addition, if you're from a small town, and you murder someone on your own turf, are you going to take the body to your own backyard where someone might easily recognize you?

Another thought I have is that I don't think Dexter's body or his belongings were ever held onto. I agree with a theory posted earlier that his belongings were stashed under other junk, and eventually someone rifled through them before the official discovery. I don't think the good condition of Dexter's body is strange either--it's winter. Any body left out there in wintertime is going to freeze and be preserved, except for the exposed parts that were chewed on by rats/other animals. That makes perfect sense to me. In addition, if someone's going actually hold onto a body and Dexter's belongings for months, there's a million places to dump them instead of returning to a location near the site.

I don't have some huge theory, or anything, those are just some bits I noticed that I don't think are correct.

Eastern Montana and western North Dakota are very rural. The Bad Route rest stop is approximately 15 minutes west of Glendive. There are plenty of gas stations there now, but I'm not sure how many there were back then. It's a long stretch of highway from Bismarck to Billings, and though it's fragmented with a few towns, I can see someone who is unfamiliar with the area running out of gas, especially in 1985.

In the winter, it gets bitter cold. Like -30F cold. I've always viewed this as someone who nearly froze to death, and was likely willing to do anything to survive at that point. Yet, November doesn't usually get that cold. I think the LE "kill for gas = has killed before" statement is relatively tone deaf in this regard to the inherent danger of the elements.

I always dismissed the bathroom scrawl as potentially homosexual-tryst related, until reading the fully released text. It does seem as though this person was bragging, but the date written down is nearly two full weeks before Dexter's murder. What's more, the date specified (11/03/85) was not a Saturday, it was a Sunday.

I also feel that the murderer is not local. Local murderers in this region know where to hide a body, even in the winter. As I said before, this is an extremely desolate area when you march into the thick of it. This is the same region where Dan Wilson and Patricia Meehan committed "suicide by exposure". There is a vast open territory to hide something as large as a car, as long as you buried it. You would have the kind of privacy to do that. A local wouldn't risk dumping a body in a local garbage dump for fear of identification, when they could stuff a body in a barrel and bury it somewhere where nobody would ever think to look.

Also, locals know to fill up when the tank falls below half, as it could make the difference in keeping from freezing to death. If you get stuck in the snow or ditch, at least you can keep your car running to generate heat until a trooper rolls by.

That brings up another point. I understand the theory of the perpetrator burning the car as a distraction to allow them to get some distance to escape, but it just doesn't feel right to me. In the winter time, you would be able to see a smoke plume like that for miles and miles.

This crime is a dark secret that someone has kept their entire life. Their friends and family would never suspect that they were capable of such a thing. They probably regret it, but justify the crime as the reason for their survival.

Just saw this UM segment (S01, EP24). What happened to Dexter Stefonek was horrific & very sad. Too bad they still haven't found who did this.

I've driven cross-country at times (alone). And, at times I have driven through desolate areas. And, unfortunately - I can see how this type of thing can happen, especially if you're in the middle of nowhere.

The police theorized that Dexter pulled into the rest stop shortly after 7:00 a.m. The custodian of the rest area pulled in between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and only saw the killer's vehicle. At around 9:00 a.m. is when the killer returned to the rest stop with Dexter's vehicle. This (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/2111+W+Towne+St,+Glendive,+MT+59330/47.0075189,-104.8690007/Yellowstone+River+Historical+Marker/@47.0083868,-104.9367835,29007m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!4m14!1m5!1m1!1s0x5325270b9e2b8c21:0x68ecaec6e624f53d!2m2!1d-104.7477933!2d47.1022667!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x533acdd7145739cd:0xe180dce998c39496!2m2!1d-105.0195253!2d46.8984781!3e0) map shows the direction from the nearest gas station in Glendive, to the road where Dexter's body was dumped, back to the rest stop. It would have taken the killer 30-45 minutes to get the gas, kill Dexter, dump the body, and then return back to the rest stop. The police theorized that he planned on dumping Dexter's body into the Yellowstone River, but saw that the area was populated, so he went in the opposite direction and spotted the landfill.

The biggest oddity in this case was what could have transpired in that small time frame for the guy to go from zero to 180 and murder Dexter. Robbery was not the motive. The homosexual angle, IMO, does not hold any water. So if the guy did indeed run out of gas and asked Dexter for help, and Dexter refused, why not commandeer the vehicle at gunpoint and get the gas and then return to the vehicle, fill it, and then leave the area? He could have dropped Dexter off virtually anywhere on that route to and from the gas station and still had the time to make it back to his truck unnoticed. It just doesn't make sense to murder him, unless at some point Dexter decided to fight back. IIRC, there were defensive wounds on his hands and he had blunt force trauma to the head. The ultimate irony is that had the killer waited an hour he could have asked the custodian for help. That is the other wrinkle in the "thrill kill" theory. Why didn't this guy attempt to do harm to the custodian if that was his motivation to kill Dexter?

The police theorized that Dexter pulled into the rest stop shortly after 7:00 a.m. The custodian of the rest area pulled in between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and only saw the killer's vehicle. At around 9:00 a.m. is when the killer returned to the rest stop with Dexter's vehicle. This (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/2111+W+Towne+St,+Glendive,+MT+59330/47.0075189,-104.8690007/Yellowstone+River+Historical+Marker/@47.0083868,-104.9367835,29007m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!4m14!1m5!1m1!1s0x5325270b9e2b8c21:0x68ecaec6e624f53d!2m2!1d-104.7477933!2d47.1022667!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x533acdd7145739cd:0xe180dce998c39496!2m2!1d-105.0195253!2d46.8984781!3e0) map shows the direction from the nearest gas station in Glendive, to the road where Dexter's body was dumped, back to the rest stop. It would have taken the killer 30-45 minutes to get the gas, kill Dexter, dump the body, and then return back to the rest stop. The police theorized that he planned on dumping Dexter's body into the Yellowstone River, but saw that the area was populated, so he went in the opposite direction and spotted the landfill.

The biggest oddity in this case was what could have transpired in that small time frame for the guy to go from zero to 180 and murder Dexter. Robbery was not the motive. The homosexual angle, IMO, does not hold any water. So if the guy did indeed run out of gas and asked Dexter for help, and Dexter refused, why not commandeer the vehicle at gunpoint and get the gas and then return to the vehicle, fill it, and then leave the area? He could have dropped Dexter off virtually anywhere on that route to and from the gas station and still had the time to make it back to his truck unnoticed. It just doesn't make sense to murder him, unless at some point Dexter decided to fight back. IIRC, there were defensive wounds on his hands and he had blunt force trauma to the head. The ultimate irony is that had the killer waited an hour he could have asked the custodian for help. That is the other wrinkle in the "thrill kill" theory. Why didn't this guy attempt to do harm to the custodian if that was his motivation to kill Dexter?
I’ve wondered all that myself. IIRC, I don’t think I ever fully bought into the hot jock graffiti being related. UM always had a way of adding that final twist to end a segment. Ive always wondered how such a distinct vehicle got away without being spotted or having someone who recognized the description come forward to the authorities. I wonder if it was a situation where a guy needed money and maybe he spooked dexter and it escalated to a violent altercation. Then the guy panicked and dumped dexter’s body and burned the car.

Regarding Latka grava’s post, I still wonder if the killer was local or at least knew the area, given the Arizona plates. If it was an unplanned murder I don’t think being local makes a difference in how you react in regards to dumping a body in a short amount of time. Panic can cause you to do things that don’t make sense. If it was premeditated maybe he had more time to think about it. With that said he knew the area well enough to find a landfill? Not saying your wrong, what you said makes sense.

Wasn’t there some talks of dexter being involved with a younger woman/women? Is it possible that there’s another angle in that regard?

Regarding Latka grava’s post, I still wonder if the killer was local or at least knew the area, given the Arizona plates. If it was an unplanned murder I don’t think being local makes a difference in how you react in regards to dumping a body in a short amount of time. Panic can cause you to do things that don’t make sense. If it was premeditated maybe he had more time to think about it. With that said he knew the area well enough to find a landfill? Not saying your wrong, what you said makes sense.

I have never really thought the killer was local. For one, if he was a local who ran out of gas while stopping off at a rest area, why wait in his car with no heat? He made no effort to leave the rest area or even call anyone. The homosexual pickup angle would not make sense since Dexter pulled into the rest stop shortly after 7:00 a.m. on a weekday, which would hardly be a time for a quick consensual encounter. I did look up the temperature for the biggest city I could find that (Billings) that was closest to the area where Dexter was murdered and the high temperature for that day was 9 degrees. IMO, a local would have been more prepared in that environment...be it to actually make sure to not run out of gas or to have clothing packed to the point where they could hike to the nearest gas station if need be.

Wasn’t there some talks of dexter being involved with a younger woman/women? Is it possible that there’s another angle in that regard?

I think it was revealed that Dexter was trying to become romantically involved with a younger woman, and that was the reason as to why he didn't spend the winter with his son. I don't think that had anything to do with his murder. Dexter was murdered, IMO, for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I have never really thought the killer was local. For one, if he was a local who ran out of gas while stopping off at a rest area, why wait in his car with no heat? He made no effort to leave the rest area or even call anyone. The homosexual pickup angle would not make sense since Dexter pulled into the rest stop shortly after 7:00 a.m. on a weekday, which would hardly be a time for a quick consensual encounter. I did look up the temperature for the biggest city I could find that (Billings) that was closest to the area where Dexter was murdered and the high temperature for that day was 9 degrees. IMO, a local would have been more prepared in that environment...be it to actually make sure to not run out of gas or to have clothing packed to the point where they could hike to the nearest gas station if need be. I wonder if there were any documented tips from eyewitnesses after the airing?



I think it was revealed that Dexter was trying to become romantically involved with a younger woman, and that was the reason as to why he didn't spend the winter with his son. I don't think that had anything to do with his murder. Dexter was murdered, IMO, for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Good points, all the while it makes me wonder how no one anywhere else in the United States, particularly in that region, didn’t come forward after the broadcast. Someone had to of seen the vehicle before or after the incident at bad route. Perhaps asking for help or money to get to where they were going.

Just sticking my head in here to say again that I ABSOLUTELY think the killer was a local.

Just sticking my head in here to say again that I ABSOLUTELY think the killer was a local.

What's your theory, CRicci?

Just sticking my head in here to say again that I ABSOLUTELY think the killer was a local.

The reason I don't think the killer was local was not only the Arizona license plates, but this (https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/crime-and-courts/long-ago-bad-route-rest-stop-murder-still-puzzles-dawson-county-law-enforcement/article_a8136b42-7109-5695-be17-0181840a0e53.html) article says that the truck had clothes and bedding in the bed of the killer's pickup truck, suggesting that he was driving and sleeping in it as he traveled across the country.

This (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/966-montana-murder-mysteries-50235122/episode/bad-route-50242651/) podcast episode interviews the current Sheriff who is overseeing the re-opened investigation. He scoffs at the homosexual angle, and it actually names a potential suspect in Dexter's murder, Douglas Turner. The only problem is that Douglas Turner would only have been 14 years old in 1985, and would absolutely not fit the description given of the killer, who was described in his mid 30's to early 40's. The Sheriff all but ruled Turner out, because there was an interview done with a parole officer who seemed to remember that Turner was in an alcohol treatment program at the time of Dexter's murder. The other theory thrown out is involving the younger woman who Dexter wanted to marry, and potential involvement of her ex-husband at the time, but the Sheriff at the time (interviewed on UM) ruled him out and the theory out altogether. There wasn't much more information than that in the episode.

The biggest oddity in this case was what could have transpired in that small time frame for the guy to go from zero to 180 and murder Dexter. Robbery was not the motive. The homosexual angle, IMO, does not hold any water. So if the guy did indeed run out of gas and asked Dexter for help, and Dexter refused, why not commandeer the vehicle at gunpoint and get the gas and then return to the vehicle, fill it, and then leave the area? He could have dropped Dexter off virtually anywhere on that route to and from the gas station and still had the time to make it back to his truck unnoticed. It just doesn't make sense to murder him, unless at some point Dexter decided to fight back. IIRC, there were defensive wounds on his hands and he had blunt force trauma to the head. The ultimate irony is that had the killer waited an hour he could have asked the custodian for help. That is the other wrinkle in the "thrill kill" theory. Why didn't this guy attempt to do harm to the custodian if that was his motivation to kill Dexter?

This is exactly what I think happened. IMO the guy was a transient who couldn't/was incapable of thinking beyond what it took to get to his next destination (or get his next high etc etc). Along came Dexter and when he didn't want to cooperate, the guy commandeered his car and when Dexter fought back, the guy killed him (either because he was desperate, a general POS or likely, both).

Kind of like the Don Smith/Larry Monroe case.

I find it hard to believe that the 'Murderer' of Dexter actually did what the actor portrayed in the segment. Just because Dexter apparently doesn't hear him asking for help he says 'Get out the car, get out the car' and pulls him out. Some of the UM segments are so cringe worthy.

I agree. I really don't think that the real person who was driving the pick up truck did what the actor portrayed. It just seems like such a big jump to go from "hey...I am out of gas, you think I could get a lift to a filling station?" to brandishing a weapon and screaming "get out of the car". If he was going to do that, why waste the time even asking? Why not just go ahead and pull the gun and order Dexter out of the vehicle? I think that Dexter exited the vehicle to do something, (like go inside for a cup of coffee, hit the restroom one more time, etc) and that's when the guy struck him.

Although not terribly likely, I have wondered if this and the Blind River Rest stop case were connected. Same guy, maybe? Montana does border Canada, after all

I was thinking about this case a lot today. The license plate from Arizona coupled with the fact that where Dexter's body was dumped was a site known only to locals means one of two things: his killer got lucky and found this site by happenstance, or he was frequently in the Montana area. But from Arizona?! That makes no sense. I'm assuming that the witnesses who saw the pickup truck saw the red license plate and assumed it was from Arizona. I've searched all morning to try and find a license plate from the US in the 60s-80s that could have been mistaken for Arizona and the only two I could find was Missouri (which also wouldn't make sense) and Wyoming (https://i.etsystatic.com/24938719/r/il/c821b1/3672259206/il_570xN.3672259206_teim.jpg). Wyoming would make sense if the guy was continually traveling to and from Montana for business. I then checked Providences in Canada. I found two plates that maybe could be mistaken for Arizona. Alberta (https://live.staticflickr.com/1134/1337134092_48c1444c4d_b.jpg) and Ontario (https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-9bd046e7665c2597b9bbdfcdc96a600d-lq). I guess what I'm getting at is, just like in the Angela Hammond case with the green truck, is it possible that the witnesses got the wrong State when describing the license plate? IIRC, both witnesses who saw the truck remembered the numbers "147", and law enforcement was able to narrow that down to 60 trucks in Arizona that matched the description and color scheme described by the witnesses. But that lead ultimately went nowhere.

On the other hand, if the killer actually was from Arizona, what if the guy just got lucky? According to this (https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-rest-stop-murder-still-puzzles-law-enforcement/article_8a265b7e-916a-5280-85c9-052334f2fbe2.html?mode=nowapp) article:

The backseat of the car and the trunk burned the hottest, which Canen takes as a clue about where Stefonek was in the car when the killing took place.

“I think he shot him in the backseat, my theory. Then he took Stefonek’s vehicle because his was out of gas and drove to Glendive and on the way, ‘uuuh, I got the river on my side.' He takes the Whoop Up exit. If he takes a right to the river, there’s a lot more houses here, but if you take a left of the interchange you go up on the flat and it’s all gravel and farming, not many vehicles there.”

From the gravel bench, you can see the landfill, 150 feet off the road, where Stefonek was found.

As you can see from this (https://www.google.com/maps/search/gas+station/@47.0386745,-104.8318395,1016m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m8!2m7!3m6!1sgas+station!2sRest+Area,+Montana+State+Department+of+Transportation+Rest+Area:+Bad+Route+(Glendive)-Eastbound,+94+Bad+Rte+Rd,+Glendive,+MT+59330!3s0x533acd52dca98f05:0x8fd424d8d5708c95!4m2!1d-105.0195525!2d46.8987344) Google image, the Sheriff's description of how this was easy to see from the road if you made a left turn at the exit the killer presumably took, the landfill was essentially right there and visible from the road.

Ontario plates were white during this time, as most still are. Car plates have blue letters and some pickup and commercial plates have black letters. Accounting for very minor, short-lived experiments which only represented a very small number of issued plates, this hasn't changed for around 50 years. We've also had plates with various logos on them, but these weren't first issued until the latter part of the 1990's.

I've never even seen a red Ontario plate like the one in your photo, and I've lived here most of my life. I can tell you that the style of lettering on the plate you found is indicative that it was manufactured long after the Stefonek case.

And as you can see, that Alberta plate is a quarter century older than the Stefonek case. Things change, as had Alberta plates by the mid-1980's.

Can't recall if the plate that was spotted was on the front or rear of the vehicle. If it was on the front, than that's another strike against Alberta. Like most U.S. states, Albertans only have to display plates on the backs of their cars. Ontario has to have them on front and back.

It could very well have been an Arizona plate if the man had an association with that area and was back to visit from Arizona. It wouldn't matter if the guy had a bunch of clothes or stuff in his truck, as he could have been traveling that way, sleeping out of his truck, during the journey.

I think it is very possible the perpetrator was from Arizona and had local knowledge of the area.

I think it is very possible the perpetrator was from Arizona and had local knowledge of the area.

I think it's equally probable that he wasn't from the area and just got lucky in finding the dump.

I was watching the Prime/FilmRise Stack version of this case, and I thought it was odd that they completely edited out the ending of the segment which showed a sketch of the suspect's vehicle and had Stack giving a physical description of the suspect himself. I actually had to go back to an old VHS and watch the Lifetime version of the segment and my memory was correct; there was a sketch of the vehicle. I then went and watched the Prime/FilmRise Farina version and it too had the vehicle sketch.

Granted, it's highly unlikely the suspect would still be driving that same vehicle after all these years, but still.

I was watching the Prime/FilmRise Stack version of this case, and I thought it was odd that they completely edited out the ending of the segment which showed a sketch of the suspect's vehicle and had Stack giving a physical description of the suspect himself. I actually had to go back to an old VHS and watch the Lifetime version of the segment and my memory was correct; there was a sketch of the vehicle. I then went and watched the Prime/FilmRise Farina version and it too had the vehicle sketch.

Granted, it's highly unlikely the suspect would still be driving that same vehicle after all these years, but still.

Its stuff like this that infuriates me about the so called "original episodes" , there is nothing original about them and a significant amount of information has been removed that would lead to solving cases.
Sure, I doubt he is still driving that vehicle, but someone may see this and say "wait, didn't evil cousin Eddy drive one of those back in the 80's" and crack the case wide open. Removing this kind of information is a public disservice.

I was watching the Prime/FilmRise Stack version of this case, and I thought it was odd that they completely edited out the ending of the segment which showed a sketch of the suspect's vehicle and had Stack giving a physical description of the suspect himself. I actually had to go back to an old VHS and watch the Lifetime version of the segment and my memory was correct; there was a sketch of the vehicle. I then went and watched the Prime/FilmRise Farina version and it too had the vehicle sketch.

Granted, it's highly unlikely the suspect would still be driving that same vehicle after all these years, but still.

Yeah disappointing they edited out stuff like that. Thankfully people still have the old VHS tapes.

Yeah disappointing they edited out stuff like that. Thankfully people still have the old VHS tapes.

Yes thankfully. And those tapes need to be preserved as well, VHS is a dying medium and too many people toss their collection of recordings when their VCR dies.

I was watching the Prime/FilmRise Stack version of this case, and I thought it was odd that they completely edited out the ending of the segment which showed a sketch of the suspect's vehicle and had Stack giving a physical description of the suspect himself. I actually had to go back to an old VHS and watch the Lifetime version of the segment and my memory was correct; there was a sketch of the vehicle. I then went and watched the Prime/FilmRise Farina version and it too had the vehicle sketch.

Granted, it's highly unlikely the suspect would still be driving that same vehicle after all these years, but still.

They end the segment with Stack saying "there are only two clues: the description of the suspect's vehicle and a description of the suspect himself" and then it ends. Such a poor decision to edit that out.

Its stuff like this that infuriates me about the so called "original episodes" , there is nothing original about them and a significant amount of information has been removed that would lead to solving cases.
Sure, I doubt he is still driving that vehicle, but someone may see this and say "wait, didn't evil cousin Eddy drive one of those back in the 80's" and crack the case wide open. Removing this kind of information is a public disservice.

Filmrise shows us much more of the original segments than Lifetime ever did.

Lifetime, being a cable network, did what all cable networks do with syndicated shows and cut footage to make room for more stupid commercials. It's also why they chose to cut the UM intro in half...because it's required that viewers be bombarded with endless commercials. Go back to the thread where we discuss all the segments that Lifetime edited to make shorter. Your mind will be blown with how long that thread is. Even classic cases like Judith Hyams, Cindy James, Shane Stewart/Sally McNelly had significant chunks of footage removed.

I'm not sure why Filmrise has some segments end abruptly but they're much better than what we got on Lifetime.

Filmrise shows us much more of the original segments than Lifetime ever did.

Lifetime, being a cable network, did what all cable networks do with syndicated shows and cut footage to make room for more stupid commercials. It's also why they chose to cut the UM intro in half...because it's required that viewers be bombarded with endless commercials. Go back to the thread where we discuss all the segments that Lifetime edited to make shorter. Your mind will be blown with how long that thread is. Even classic cases like Judith Hyams, Cindy James, Shane Stewart/Sally McNelly had significant chunks of footage removed.

I'm not sure why Filmrise has some segments end abruptly but they're much better than what we got on Lifetime.

Both can be/are bad. Film rise is also missing a significant number of segments that did get some airtime on Lifetime of course.
And as you say, Lifetime had to fit the cable model, but there really is no excuse for the Filmrise versions since those could run long or short as needed.

I assume they end abruptly due to minimal effort editing that was not necessary in the first place. :rolleyes:

Tremendously sad case. It might have been more believable as a botched robbery- assault and stealing his wallet, or the attacker stealing Derek's car. But this involved kidnapping, killing, dumping the body and then returning to rest stop to set the car on fire.

One thing that is a bit of a head scratcher, why would this guy be seen in broad daylight driving Dexter's car with Dexter nowhere in sight? Plus, if I was Fred Siegle, the rest stop caretaker, I would have immediately thought something was up because here is one guy who has run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, and yet he somehow has two vehicles. There is NO good explanation for such. If someone let him borrow a vehicle to remedy his situation, where is that person at this point? And why would a person drive out to help someone and then just say "here" and hand over their vehicle? Wouldn't they just pick the person up and drive them to fill up the containers? And if for some odd reason that is what they did, again, where is this other person? Maybe there could be a plausible explanation that he walked somewhere and borrowed a car, but if that was the case, again, why wouldn't someone just help him out by driving him to get fuel? If he walked somewhere and borrowed a vehicle, that means that the vehicle would then need to be picked up from the rest stop by the person who let him borrow it, thus creating more issues when simply driving him to fill up his containers would have been far simpler. This dude could NOT have had ANY good explanation for how he had two vehicles.

One thing that is a bit of a head scratcher, why would this guy be seen in broad daylight driving Dexter's car with Dexter nowhere in sight? Plus, if I was Fred Siegle, the rest stop caretaker, I would have immediately thought something was up because here is one guy who has run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, and yet he somehow has two vehicles. There is NO good explanation for such. If someone let him borrow a vehicle to remedy his situation, where is that person at this point? And why would a person drive out to help someone and then just say "here" and hand over their vehicle? Wouldn't they just pick the person up and drive them to fill up the containers? And if for some odd reason that is what they did, again, where is this other person? Maybe there could be a plausible explanation that he walked somewhere and borrowed a car, but if that was the case, again, why wouldn't someone just help him out by driving him to get fuel? If he walked somewhere and borrowed a vehicle, that means that the vehicle would then need to be picked up from the rest stop by the person who let him borrow it, thus creating more issues when simply driving him to fill up his containers would have been far simpler. This dude could NOT have had ANY good explanation for how he had two vehicles.

If I were the maintenance guy, I would have simply assumed that another person was in the restroom while the guy was filling up his car with gas. It wouldn't be that suspicious, IMO.

If I were the maintenance guy, I would have simply assumed that another person was in the restroom while the guy was filling up his car with gas. It wouldn't be that suspicious, IMO.

That's a good point. The only thing that would have seemed slightly off to me is why he was driving the other vehicle. Not unless a friend came to his aid and just said "here, you take my car and fill up your containers. I am going to hang back here". As cold as it was, perhaps it's plausible that the friend was only willing to drive to the rest stop and then say "here, you do the rest".

Mozart, you raised a very interesting point that I had never considered before or even thought of but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. As far as we know, no one actually saw Dexter Stefonek at the rest stop right? The killer pulled up there in his car presumebly after he had beaten and murdered Dexter. Your theory Mozart, raises the interesting possibility that Dexter did not just suddenly meet up at the rest area and have his fatal rendevous with the killer.


This is a VERY interesting point. Nobody actually put eyes on Dexter being at the rest stop. Only his car. It's possible that the killer and Dexter met up before that. However, then that raises the question of how the killer got from his truck at the rest stop to where ever he would have met up with Dexter.

That would seem to indicate that Dexter knew his killer, right? With him being from Wisconsin and traveling through Montana, especially in those days before the Internet, him meeting this other person anywhere but the rest stop would indicate some level of planning. Just running into someone at a rest stop, that would be a different story then and now.
I don't put much into no one actually seeing Dexter at such an isolated rest stop at that hour of the day. I'm sure many travelers could get in and out there to use the restroom, stretch, whatever without seeing anyone else.

Just watched this one again. I am convinced that the man that killed Dexter is a serial killer. I think the authorities should have searched for the truck. They should have checked the registration database in Arizona. I am surprised that didnt happen. Or maybe it did and they just didnt say it. I am originally from Dickinson, North Dakota before I moved to Minnesota so Dawson County and Glendive isnt an extremely long way away from Dickinson. I would say Dickinson is probably two and a half to three hours away from Glendive. Dexter I think pulled into the rest stop. This was before the caretaker arrived so sometime before 8 in the morning. The guy was probably there when Dexter got there. I dont know if the guy was out of gas or just looking for someone to kill or what. I am thinking the guy might have been a traveling salesman or had to travel for his job. What is really bizarre is how he not only killed Dexter and burned the car but also how he didnt dump Dexters other possessions until months later and how he took them to the same location the body was to dump them. That also tells me he was familiar with the area to dump them there. Also how he taunted the cops with the message in the rest stop. Clearly he wanted all this stuff to be found. He enjoyed taunting the cops and he was basically saying catch me if you can. I am convinced the guy that killed Dexter is a serial killer. I am trying to think of who it might be. I just think the guy was familiar with rural Montana because of his knowledge of the very remote dump site. I dont know if maybe he worked in the oil fields out there or what. Because of the Arizona plates that is what makes me think that he maybe was a traveling salesman or obviously had some kind of required travel for his job. It does tell me he goes to Montana or through Montana several times a year if he came back to dump Dexter's stuff.

I read somewhere in 2021 or so that a local person thinks this killer is a local guy.!! But i picture a long distance traveler (trucker or salesman or a guy moving) being stupid and running out of gas.
Many think the detectives idea that dexter ignored the killer was not ideal. But some murders of strangers comes down to road rage! This is like frozen road rage off the hwy.. maybe dexter simply didn't want to help this guy as he was a scary stranger & in the middle of nowhere. The guy got mad as he really needed help aka gasoline and snapped and killed Dexter. This was his 1st murder. (Ever watch Dexter on showtime TV?)

On crack witout taking the money ?..no way
To me it sound more like a overkill than a rage kill. I dont think a rage kill could have been so planned. Hiding the body and set the car on fire.
To me it sounds like the person who did it had the gasoline with him to set the car on fire. He new what to do before the killing. I cant see the serial killer connection either.. even though it has happen that serial killers kill with out a pattern.

Yes, I never thought of that! The killer simply lied to Fred. He didn't run out of gas (in the very cold nowhere?!). Maybe he killed Dex, took him to the landfill, then took his own vehicle to get gas in the gas Jug and came back to set Dexter's car on fire. However, Fred was there so he had to stall and pretend he was filling up his tank. After Fred left, the killer set the car on fire and took off like there's no tomorrow.

I watched this case again today, and I have to agree that there is something very strange about it. I think the oddest fact is that Dexter was severely beaten before he was shot. It just seems so unnecessary to me. We know the killer had a gun that he could have used to control Dexter. If he just wanted to kill him, he could have easily shot him right off the bat. I also tend to doubt Dexter's wounds were defensive in nature because, again, the killer had a gun, and also I can't exactly see Dexter fighting back at his age. This suggests that something triggered the killer to go the extra step to beat Dexter, but why?

This is so clearly a rage killing, but if we assume that Dexter didn't know the killer, what could the motive have been?

Someone suggested road rage. I think this is a possibility. However, I also find it suspect that Dexter would have pulled in to an abandoned rest stop with no witnesses around if he realized that someone was following him. If this were a spur of the moment road rage type killing, I could see the killer attempting to cover his tracks by disposing of the body, moving and burning the car etc. but then why would he return to the landfill months after dumping the body there to return Dexter's missing wallet, suitcase, shaving kit and other belongings? Also, what was the point of the graffiti?

I wonder how certain the police are that the graffiti was even written by the killer. I presume the entire message was not read on UM, but what they did disclose sounded kind of vague. The graffiti could have been written by some sicko who read about Dexter's case in the newspaper, as I'm sure it was widely reported at the time.

There are just too many loose ends here...

If dexter refused to help the man perhaps the man snapped, beat him up first and shot him to finish him off?? A person commented that he may be local.... perhaps he stole an AZ plate or got one at a salvage yard, put it on his truck, and pretended just that day as if he was out of state.

As much as I like this case as a UM segment, at this point this case will never have any kind of resolution.

As much as I like this case as a UM segment, at this point this case will never have any kind of resolution.

Yes, short of a confession, there is nothing more that can be done about this one.

I am starting to think that maybe this guy is the same guy who murdered Dick Hansen. Didn't that guy, (the one who was following Dick's friend "Jean") also have Arizona plates?

Dexter's case file writeup has been removed from Unsolved.com, which I find bizarre.

Dexter's case file writeup has been removed from Unsolved.com, which I find bizarre.


Only reason I can think for that is if the authorities asked for it (but even then, it would still be bizarre).

His entry on the UM Wiki mentions two possibilities though that I've never heard of (Link (https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Dexter_Stefonek?so=search))

1) Supposedly, there's someone in Nevada serving a life sentence who started running his mouth to his cellmates about what happened to Dexter. His identity though is still a mystery and no one has looked into the veracity of his comments.

2) "The Missoula Mauler" - Wayne Nathan Nance - was considered a suspect, as he is known to committed a number of murders across MT from 1974-86. He was killed though during a 1986 home invasion and was never formally charged for any of his crimes

Supposedly, there's someone in Nevada serving a life sentence who started running his mouth to his cellmates about what happened to Dexter. His identity though is still a mystery and no one has looked into the veracity of his comments.

Would love to see a source on this one. Seems the most promising lead yet. Nance seemed to primarily target women for sexual deviant motivations, and used a knife.

Wisconsin man murdered on way back from OregonVery sad........

Dexter's case file writeup has been removed from Unsolved.com, which I find bizarre.

Bizarre yes, and also disturbing.

Break in the case:

https://www.rangerreview.com/news/person-of-interest-in-1985-bad-route-rest-area-murder-identified-case-has-been-closed/article_05d3afcc-b6e0-11ee-a184-03b2858d9648.html

Break in the case:

https://www.rangerreview.com/news/person-of-interest-in-1985-bad-route-rest-area-murder-identified-case-has-been-closed/article_05d3afcc-b6e0-11ee-a184-03b2858d9648.html
Wow, that’s good to hear. Given how old this is and the random nature of the crime, I just assumed this one would never be solved. It’s a bummer there isn’t enough to actually charge the guy for this murder, but hopefully given his age he dies in prison anyways

Wow, that’s good to hear. Given how old this is and the random nature of the crime, I just assumed this one would never be solved. It’s a bummer there isn’t enough to actually charge the guy for this murder, but hopefully given his age he dies in prison anyways

79 and just started a 15 year sentence? Yeah, he's dying in prison.

It's one thing to not have evidence to prosecute, but another, entirely infuriating matter to simply close the case. Incredibly unfair to Mr. Stefonek's memory and to his family.

It's one thing to not have evidence to prosecute, but another, entirely infuriating matter to simply close the case. Incredibly unfair to Mr. Stefonek's memory and to his family.

The article indicates the family is OK with how law enforcement handled the recent developments in the case. It is likely most of the people who could have provided information to convict a suspect (eg, the rest stop employee, the couple that found his body) are either dead or are no longer able to remember enough information to provide enough information to convict. For the family, perhaps some answers are better than none at all.

Only reason I can think for that is if the authorities asked for it (but even then, it would still be bizarre).

His entry on the UM Wiki mentions two possibilities though that I've never heard of (Link (https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Dexter_Stefonek?so=search))

1) Supposedly, there's someone in Nevada serving a life sentence who started running his mouth to his cellmates about what happened to Dexter. His identity though is still a mystery and no one has looked into the veracity of his comments.


Looks like No. 1 was the correct theory according to the article.
I am glad there is some closure here. I'm among the many who thought this would never be solved.
Also hope this dispels the theory that Dexter was killed after a random hook-up at or near the rest area. I always thought that particular scenario was really disrespectful to his memory.

Looks like No. 1 was the correct theory according to the article.
I am glad there is some closure here. I'm among the many who thought this would never be solved.
Also hope this dispels the theory that Dexter was killed after a random hook-up at or near the rest area. I always thought that particular scenario was really disrespectful to his memory.

I always held out hope that it could be solved because of the distinct vehicle that had Arizona plates. Thankfully the witness at the rest stop was there to see it. I wonder if that was the key to solving the case.

It's one thing to not have evidence to prosecute, but another, entirely infuriating matter to simply close the case. Incredibly unfair to Mr. Stefonek's memory and to his family.

Agreed, calling this "solved" is ridiculous. It fits a common pattern that has been seen in other cases though, where LE points a finger at someone dead or already incarcerated as the "person of interest" and closes the case. Conveniently that person is never someone with the means to challenge such an accusation (because they are either dead or incarcerated). It serves to get a case that is likely unsolvable off the books and gives the (dubious) impression that the system has done its job.

The fact that whatever surviving relations Dexter had acquiesced to this is immaterial, the crime is against the state, not the family, and it is the prerogative of the state to solve it.

I am curious what this had to do with the removal of the case from the website, is it normally the practice to remove cases that are ostensibly "solved"?

Break in the caseVery good to know!!

I wonder if we'll ever know what motive Charles Sullivan would have had to kill Dexter? It does bolster my belief that Dexter's killer had to have killed prior, given that his car was set ablaze to destroy any physical evidence (blood, fingerprints, etc). Was Charles Sullivan in the system before 1985?

Hope it's true! Never thought I'd see it solved.

In an online article it said he killed prior to Dexter. Charles killed a young lady in a town/city north of Reno. The article also stated detectives think he killed 2 other women. Seems kind of odd that this killer is recently sentenced to only 15 years for a murder of a woman long ago, then they find out he is connected to Dexter's murder! Well, this is better than nothing. I wonder if UM will update their YT video segment at the end of Dexter's old segment?


I wonder if we'll ever know what motive Charles Sullivan would have had to kill Dexter? It does bolster my belief that Dexter's killer had to have killed prior, given that his car was set ablaze to destroy any physical evidence (blood, fingerprints, etc). Was Charles Sullivan in the system before 1985?

In an online article it said he killed prior to Dexter. Charles killed a young lady in a town/city north of Reno. The article also stated detectives think he killed 2 other women. Seems kind of odd that this killer is recently sentenced to only 15 years for a murder of a woman long ago, then they find out he is connected to Dexter's murder! Well, this is better than nothing. I wonder if UM will update their YT video segment at the end of Dexter's old segment?

It's his age. If he was younger the sentence would be longer, but since he's 79, a 15 year sentence pretty much guarantees he dies in prison.

good point. i hope he dont get out early for "good behavior" or gets a life threatening disease and can go home for his remaining months.


It's his age. If he was younger the sentence would be longer, but since he's 79, a 15 year sentence pretty much guarantees he dies in prison.

It's his age. If he was younger the sentence would be longer, but since he's 79, a 15 year sentence pretty much guarantees he dies in prison.

Its not age, its how lenient the system is. There are several examples of people on UM, Forensic Files, etc. who received 25 years or less for murder, none of whom were old.

A different state might have thrown the book at him.

Looks like the guy pleaded the 5th, after there were allegedly other inmates who reported that he bragged about killing Stefonek.

so if he did not open his mouth and boast about Dexter the case would still be unsolved??!!


Looks like the guy pleaded the 5th, after there were allegedly other inmates who reported that he bragged about killing Stefonek.

Yes, short of a confession, there is nothing more that can be done about this one.

Well, this post aged well :lol:

funny! he did confess huh???!!

Well, this post aged well :lol:

I wonder if we'll ever know what motive Charles Sullivan would have had to kill Dexter? It does bolster my belief that Dexter's killer had to have killed prior, given that his car was set ablaze to destroy any physical evidence (blood, fingerprints, etc). Was Charles Sullivan in the system before 1985?

Well the first ever DNA conviction was over here in the UK was in 1988 & it wasn't even a remote thing until 1986-certainly no killer would have been interested about semen, blood, hair etc back then, only prints & of course a pair of gloves would solve that problem for anybody planning a crime.

But it seems this was a crime of opportunity rather than thought out-so maybe that is why the killer torched the car if he had left prints.

Seems out of character for the guy-he certainly sexually assaulted & murdered one woman & is suspected of doing the same to three other women at least. There were no signs of a sexual assault on Dexter, robbery wasn't a motive as the car was destroyed & his money was found by his body.

So really we are left with two scenarios-one the guy thought he could get away with a murder, which is odd seeing as there was an attendant & others coming & going, plus he made himself seen with the cans, why didn't he just drive off rather than setting a fire & drawing attention to himself? Or most likely he & Dexter had some kind of argument over something & he snapped.

Looks like the guy pleaded the 5th, after there were allegedly other inmates who reported that he bragged about killing Stefonek.

Really weird-a lot of guys mouth off about crimes they are suspected of, or inmates allege/lie they did to get their own sentence reduced. But this is so random-I doubt any inmate could dream up him murdering an old dude in another state to where he lived nearly 40 years later. Guy is either a blithering idiot, or maybe he figured he was likely going to die in jail anyway, so why care?

Really weird-a lot of guys mouth off about crimes they are suspected of, or inmates allege/lie they did to get their own sentence reduced. But this is so random-I doubt any inmate could dream up him murdering an old dude in another state to where he lived nearly 40 years later. Guy is either a blithering idiot, or maybe he figured he was likely going to die in jail anyway, so why care?

Probably the latter.

Agreed, calling this "solved" is ridiculous. It fits a common pattern that has been seen in other cases though, where LE points a finger at someone dead or already incarcerated as the "person of interest" and closes the case. Conveniently that person is never someone with the means to challenge such an accusation (because they are either dead or incarcerated). It serves to get a case that is likely unsolvable off the books and gives the (dubious) impression that the system has done its job.



Agreed with all of this. It very may well be him but this murder isn't definitively solved at all.

Really weird-a lot of guys mouth off about crimes they are suspected of, or inmates allege/lie they did to get their own sentence reduced. But this is so random-I doubt any inmate could dream up him murdering an old dude in another state to where he lived nearly 40 years later. Guy is either a blithering idiot, or maybe he figured he was likely going to die in jail anyway, so why care?

30 years ago I would have agreed with that. Now...its more complicated.

This has come up in other UM contexts. Mysteries that would never be believable today due to the internet but where very reasonable 30-40 years ago.

An inmate would not necessarily have to dream it up, the case is well publicized on the internet, they could have found out about it in various ways. This is an issue with many "confessions" in this era.

Welp. I was wrong on this one. I was CONVINCED that it was someone local.

From the prosecution standpoint, I understand why Dawson County is not bringing charges. Even if the guy confessed, Montana law requires more than just a confession to support a conviction (which makes sense and is ultimately a good thing, right?) So, assuming he DID confess, what evidence do we have? We have a sighting of a car with Arizona plates and various things that may or may not link the accused to the crime scene. It's completely circumstantial. Under Montana law, circumstantial and direct evidence are given the same weight, but it's still a BIG ask of a jury to make the leap to deliberate homicide on the facts that were left behind.

I genuinely hope the statements that the family was okay with the resolution are true and they are doing okay.

I wonder if we'll ever know what motive Charles Sullivan would have had to kill Dexter? It does bolster my belief that Dexter's killer had to have killed prior, given that his car was set ablaze to destroy any physical evidence (blood, fingerprints, etc). Was Charles Sullivan in the system before 1985?

I think Charles Sullivan had either killed someone there, or was raping a child, or even cleaning himself up. Dexter either walked in the rest room to pee or pulled up as CS was dragging a body into his truck. Charles freaked and knew he had to get rid of Dexter, so he killed him, got the gas, and burned the car. Somewhere along the way, if he killed someone, he got rid of that body as well. He could very well have been just cleaning himself up after killing a rape victim. Dexter was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I think Charles Sullivan had either killed someone there, or was raping a child, or even cleaning himself up. Dexter either walked in the rest room to pee or pulled up as CS was dragging a body into his truck. Charles freaked and knew he had to get rid of Dexter, so he killed him, got the gas, and burned the gas. Somewhere along the way, if he killed someone, he got rid of that body as well. He could very well have been just cleaning himself up after killing a rape victim. Dexter was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Honestly, that's the best theory put forth so far. After reading about Sullivan's usual m.o., Dexter was such an atypical target for him. This would perfectly answer my nagging question as to why Dexter.

Heterosexual, sexually-motivated criminals don't usually kill other heterosexual people of their own gender unless they get in the way of their sex crimes.

Very good call. I commend you.

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Welp. I was wrong on this one. I was CONVINCED that it was someone local.

From the prosecution standpoint, I understand why Dawson County is not bringing charges. Even if the guy confessed, Montana law requires more than just a confession to support a conviction (which makes sense and is ultimately a good thing, right?) So, assuming he DID confess, what evidence do we have? We have a sighting of a car with Arizona plates and various things that may or may not link the accused to the crime scene. It's completely circumstantial. Under Montana law, circumstantial and direct evidence are given the same weight, but it's still a BIG ask of a jury to make the leap to deliberate homicide on the facts that were left behind.

I genuinely hope the statements that the family was okay with the resolution are true and they are doing okay.
I thought it was a local as well, or someone who spent a fair amount of time there and knew the area well.

I'm from Wisconsin so this was always one of my pet cases to come back to. I'm not sure I heard this update before tonight!