Jermain Charlo case on Cold Justice - A complete timeline of events

After a night out in Missoula, 23-year-old Jermain Charlo, an active Indigenous mother from Montana's Flathead Indian Reservation, disappeared early on June 16, 2018. On surveillance footage, Charlo was last seen walking through a downtown alley with her ex-boyfriend, Michael DeFrance.

Charlo's whereabouts remain unknown despite numerous searches and investigations. Inconsistencies in DeFrance's story and his history of domestic abuse against Jermain Charlo are central to the case, which authorities are treating as a homicide.

In its season 8, episode 10, Missing in Montana, which aired on November 15, 2025, Oxygen's Cold Justice, starring prosecutor Kelly Siegler and investigator Steve Spingola, revisited the seven-year-old mystery.

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Cold Justice: Background and pre-disappearance of Jermain Charlo

Jermain was last seen on June 16, 2018 (Image via Unsplash/@Max Fleischmann)

Jermain Charlo, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, lived on the Flathead Indian Reservation and worked several jobs while raising her two boys, aged 2 and 4. She had an on-again, off-again relationship with her sons' father, Michael DeFrance. That relationship was complicated by his controlling behavior and two arrests for domestic violence against her, one in 2013 and earlier incidents.

DeFrance gained full custody of the children, which family members say strained their interactions. By early 2018, Jermain Charlo had started seeing a new boyfriend, Jacob, and applied for a firefighting position with her tribe, feeling optimistic about her new chapter.

Outgoing and resilient, witnesses describe her as someone who enjoyed hiking, fishing, and social outings. Despite their history, she had agreed to meet DeFrance for drinks on June 15, with plans to stay at Jacob's apartment later that night, CBS News reported.

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The night of disappearance: June 15-16, 2018

Jermain Charlo and DeFrance visited several bars in downtown Missoula on June 15, including the Badlander Bar. Around midnight, surveillance footage showed them in the alley behind the bar. Charlo briefly talked with friends Nick Rheault and Eddie Woodcock, which seemed to upset DeFrance. The two then walked east out of view.

DeFrance later said he drove Charlo home in his truck and dropped her off near 3rd and Orange Streets, close to a friend's house. However, texts to Charlo's aunt, Valenda Morigeau, stated the drop-off was at the Orange Street Food Farm, eight blocks away. Jermain Charlo's phone went silent after 1 am, when Jacob called, and the phone rang before going to voicemail. No further contact was made, according to CBS News.

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Initial investigation: June 2018

Charlo's mother called tribal police to report her missing on June 17. Since the investigation was in the Missoula area, the case was transferred to the Missoula Police Department. On June 20, her aunt, Valenda Morigeau, filed the official report.

By June 26, Detective Guy Baker took over the case. On June 27, cell data showed Jermain Charlo's phone pinged near DeFrance's home in Evaro Hill between 2 and 10 am on June 16, contradicting his story.

DeFrance stated he kept the phone but discarded it in Idaho on June 18, where it was never recovered. His mother told officers that Charlo had never visited their home and that DeFrance wanted reconciliation. Early leads, including the possibility of human trafficking, were later dismissed, as CBS News reported.

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Searches and developments: Late 2018-2021

In late June 2018, volunteers from The Lifeguard Group started ground and aerial searches. On August 2, a warrant permitted thermal imaging of DeFrance's property; nothing was found. On October 2, firearms were seized from his home because of his 2013 assault conviction against Jermain Charlo.

In October 2018, the family and tribes put up a billboard on Highway 93, which stayed up for years to gather tips. Detective Baker followed hundreds of leads through 2021, including witness interviews and phone records.

DeFrance faced federal gun charges in 2019 and was convicted in 2020, but he is currently appealing. Community vigils marked anniversaries to highlight the MMIP crisis, as Larson stated.

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Continued efforts: 2022-2024

Jermain has been missing for seven years (Image via Unsplash/@shraga kopstein)

Investigations persisted with no major breaks. In 2022, Baker re-interviewed witnesses, focusing on DeFrance's jealousy, as noted by bartenders. The family held annual events, including a 2023 five-year vigil, encouraging tips. DeFrance's gun conviction was overturned by the 9th Circuit Court in December 2024, vacating his sentence.

Searches expanded to rivers and remote areas with the help of drones. Police released alley footage publicly in June 2025 to mark the seven-year anniversary. Baker remained committed, stating that the case was active, not cold, according to NBC News.

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Cold Justice Involvement: November 2025

The Cold Justice team arrived in Missoula in late 2025, reviewing files and re-canvassing bars. They confirmed cell pings near DeFrance's home and interviewed family, friends, and the Badlander bartender, who recalled Jermain Charlo's disinterest in DeFrance. Spingola revisited the alley site.

The episode presented findings to Baker and the prosecutor, who agreed to refile charges. Baker told his family he was very confident in an imminent resolution. No arrest followed immediately, but tips increased, as per Oxygen.

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Watch Cold Justice season 8, episode 10, available on Oxygen True Crime.