W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M
85
32 blue sky lane
red lodge MT 59068
406-446-0186
www.blueskycabins.com
and facebook
Winter
Wonderland
Outside
Warm
&
Bubbly
Inside
Roman c
Lodging
For Couples
1.406.755.7900 • 1.800.HAMPTON
1140 Hwy. 2 West • Kalispell, MT 59901
HamptonInnKalispell.com
A getaway within reach!
DEATH ON THE BAD ROUTE
In 1985 Wisconsin man Dexter Stefonek, 67, was
driving cross-country on his way back from visiting
family in Oregon. His path took him on the perhaps
aptly named "Bad Route" road and rest area. All that
anyone knew was that Stefonek disappeared, his car
was found at the rest area, burned. en, a short while
later, his body was found at the dump, two bullets
through his head.
Months later, a tiny piece of graffiti was found in
the rest area. A little too profane to reprint here, the
grafitti, which seemed to be written in a bragging tone,
announced that someone named "Hot Jock" had shot
a Wisconsin man. It was therefore assumed that "Hot
Jock" was the killer. Police investigated whether "Hot
Jock" might be a trucker's CB handle, and asked for
information about men who might go by the moniker,
but it failed to produce a suspect. No one has ever
come forward with any information.
And yet, as the case is relatively recent at only 35
years old, there is a good chance that someone alive
knows what happened to Dexter Stefonek. If that's the
case, there's still a modicum of hope that Dexter and
his family will see justice yet.
If you happen to know anything, please call the Daw-
son County Sheriff Department at (406) 377-5291.
Montana has one of the lowest murder rates in the
Union. In 2015, there were only 36 murders and non-
negligent manslaughters in the entire state. Similarly,
Montana has one of the lowest rates of unsolved
murders as well.
In most of Montana's communities you can still
walk down the street at night without fear of harass-
ment or attack, and folks can sleep soundly in their
bed without their front door's deadlock—or maybe
even any lock at all—engaged.
Indeed, Montana's murders are few, and most of
them are, thankfully, solved relatively easily.
