Montana Murders, Notorious and Unsolved

Writer Brian D’Ambrosio walks on the dark side in new book

Books & Writers
Montana Murders offers riveting details about the murderers, their motives and methods, and their unfortunate victims.
Montana Murders offers riveting details about the murderers, their motives and methods, and their unfortunate victims.

In his latest book, Montana Murders, award-winning Montana author Brian D’Ambrosio examines 30 of the most notorious murders in the state’s history, from the Vigilantes to today. Some are historical accounts from the unruly days of the Wild West, but most are contemporary cases that shocked communities, investigators and families. Many remain unsolved.

Some cases have captured the attention of national media, such as the famous and inexplicable murders of the parents of television’s Patrick Duffy (Dallas) and the serial murders by the hermitic Unabomber. But D’Ambrosio also unearths gruesome, little known cold cases that haunt surviving families and friends to this day.

Drawing on official investigative reports and numerous personal interviews with law enforcement officials, witnesses and survivors, each murder reads like an engrossing detective story. Readers will find riveting details about the murderers, their motives and methods, and their unfortunate victims. The book also includes 20 black and white photos.

Brian D’Ambrosio is a prolific writer of nonfiction books and articles. He specializes in histories, biographies and profiles of actors and musicians. One of his previous books for Riverbend, Warrior in the Ring, a biography of Native American world champion boxer Marvin Camel, was a finalist for the High Plains Book Award. He also wrote Shot in Montana: A History of Cinema in Montana for Riverbend. The Helena resident has written for The History Press and contributes to several newspapers and magazines. He lives in Helena.