Almost 30 years ago, Seeley Lake resident Clifford Lee Nelson was killed by gunfire in his home on Redwood Lane. The crime has still not been solved, and the Missoula County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit is seeking information.
Nelson, a teacher at Seeley Lake Elementary School who was named Montana "Teacher of the Year" in 1981, was killed in his home in the early morning hours of Sept. 30, 1996. He was found shot in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun after local residents heard three shots ring out in the area, according to past Missoulian reporting.
Shortly after the murder, a group of people who had been partying nearby fell under immediate suspicion, according to past Missoulian reporting. Two men, Rambo Hooser and Matt Livingston, were arrested and charged with Nelson's murder on circumstantial evidence. Hooser was found not guilty at trial seven months later, as no direct evidence was found linking him to the murder. The charges against Livingston were dropped shortly after due to Nelson's acquittal, as even then, County Attorney Robert Deschamps III admitted the evidence was thin.
According to a release from the sheriff's office, while the case is still being actively investigated, a review of 30 years' worth of evidence has turned up no additional leads.
"Investigators never give up hope that someday their cold case will be solved," the release states. "They believe that within the community where the crime occurred, there are people who could provide information needed to solve the case."
Anyone with information that could help solve the crime is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 406-721-4444. Tipsters are guaranteed anonymity. People who provide information could be eligible for cash reward from Five Valleys Crime Stoppers. To contact the Cold Case unit directly, call 406-258-3348.
Andy Tallman is the criminal justice reporter for the Missoulian.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
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