Mega Edition: The Great Basin Serial Killer (10/1/25)

Amy Wroe Bechtel disappeared on July 24, 1997, in the small town of Lander, Wyoming. A 24-year-old newlywed and avid runner, Amy set out for a jog on a rural loop in the Wind River Mountains and never returned. Her car was found abandoned at a turnout along the road, and her keys, wallet, and other personal belongings were left inside. The search that followed was massive—hundreds of volunteers, search dogs, helicopters, and divers scoured the rugged terrain—but no trace of Amy was ever found. Her disappearance shook the close-knit community and quickly drew national attention.

Suspicion soon fell on her husband, Steve Bechtel, a climbing enthusiast, after investigators discovered a troubling journal entry where he had written about violence toward women. Though he denied involvement and has never been charged, the cloud of suspicion has followed him for decades. Other theories emerged, including the possibility that Amy was abducted by a stranger or fell victim to serial killer Dale Wayne Eaton, who was active in Wyoming at the time. Yet none of these leads ever produced answers. Nearly three decades later, Amy’s case remains unsolved, a haunting mystery that continues to weigh heavily on her family and on the town of Lander.

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Tonya Teske, a 16-year-old from Billings, Montana, vanished on October 11, 2001, after telling her parents she was going for a walk. She never returned home. Within days, her body was discovered in a wooded area on the outskirts of town, sparking an outpouring of grief and fear across the community. Investigators determined that Tonya had been strangled, and the brutality of the crime shocked her classmates and neighbors. For a time, her murder looked like it might be quickly solved, as authorities pursued leads and interviewed those closest to her.

But the case soon grew cold. Despite various theories and investigative efforts, no one has ever been charged with her killing. Over the years, her name has surfaced in discussions about unsolved crimes in Montana, with some speculating whether a serial predator could have been involved. Others point to missed opportunities in the early investigation that might have left crucial evidence unexplored. Today, more than two decades later, Tonya’s murder remains officially unsolved, an open wound for her family and a reminder of the fragility of justice in cases where answers never come.

“Lil Miss Murder” refers to the long-unsolved killing of Lisa Marie Kimmell, an 18-year-old from Billings, Montana, who vanished in March 1988 while driving to visit her boyfriend in Wyoming. Nicknamed “Lil Miss” because of her personalized black Honda CRX license plate, Lisa was last seen in Casper, Wyoming, after a routine traffic stop. A week later, her body was discovered in the North Platte River near Casper; she had been brutally assaulted and murdered. For years, the case baffled investigators and haunted both her family and the wider region, as no suspect was ever firmly identified despite widespread coverage and multiple leads.

The mystery stretched on for over a decade until advances in DNA testing finally provided a break. In 2002, authorities connected evidence from Lisa’s case to Dale Wayne Eaton, a drifter with a violent history, who was later convicted and sentenced to death for her murder. Eaton’s property even revealed a buried vehicle that some believed to be Lisa’s missing car. Though his death sentence was overturned in 2014 due to procedural issues, Eaton remains in prison, and many believe he may have been responsible for other disappearances in the region. Lisa’s case became one of the most notorious in Wyoming history, a chilling reminder of how long justice can be delayed, and why her haunting nickname—“Lil Miss Murder”—still echoes decades later.




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