The coffin box for 14-year-old Henny Scott sits at the back of the high school gym, where she played on the basketball team, during her funeral service at Lame Deer High School in Lame Deer, Mont. on Saturday, January 5, 2019.

The coffin box for 14-year-old Henny Scott sits at the back of the high school gym, where she played on the basketball team, during her funeral service at Lame Deer High School in Lame Deer, Mont. on Saturday, January 5, 2019.

Missing and Murdered

Henny Scott, a 14-year-old girl from Montana’s Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, was missing 19 days before the FBI acted on her mother’s pleas and issued a public advisory. Scott’s snow-covered body was found on the reservation she called home two days later.

Scott’s story is not unique on Native American reservations. Indigenous women go missing and murdered at rates far greater than the overall population. Search parties often end in disappointment. And rarely are any of those murders ever prosecuted.

With little help from BIA or local law enforcement, desperate family members are often left with more questions than answers.

Two women support Paula Castro, middle, the mother of Henny Scott, as she walks to view her daughter in her casket for the final time during the funeral service at Lame Deer High School in Lame Deer, Mont. on Saturday, January 5, 2019.

Two women support Paula Castro, middle, the mother of Henny Scott, as she walks to view her daughter in her casket for the final time during the funeral service at Lame Deer High School in Lame Deer, Mont. on Saturday, January 5, 2019.

Community members walk past a fence adorned with the Morning Star, a Northern Cheyenne tribal symbol, as they march to the Chief Little Wolf Northern Cheyenne Capitol Building on Henny Scott's birthday to call for justice for the 14-year-old's death in Lame Deer, Mont. on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. “You can feel the love, it’s just overwhelming," Paula Castro said. "Just, to show up for her, it’s just like … she don’t even know how many lives she touched.”

Community members walk past a fence adorned with the Morning Star, a Northern Cheyenne tribal symbol, as they march to the Chief Little Wolf Northern Cheyenne Capitol Building on Henny Scott's birthday to call for justice for the 14-year-old's death in Lame Deer, Mont. on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. “You can feel the love, it’s just overwhelming," Paula Castro said. "Just, to show up for her, it’s just like … she don’t even know how many lives she touched.”

Paula Castro, center, mother of 14-year-old Henny Scott, leads a march to the Chief Little Wolf Capitol Building to call for justice for her daughter's death in Lame Deer, Mont. on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. “It’s just like, I’m still numb,” Castro said. “I want answers. There’s too many questions out there, and nobody’s giving us answers.”

Paula Castro, center, mother of 14-year-old Henny Scott, leads a march to the Chief Little Wolf Capitol Building to call for justice for her daughter's death in Lame Deer, Mont. on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. “It’s just like, I’m still numb,” Castro said. “I want answers. There’s too many questions out there, and nobody’s giving us answers.”

Mary Wilson looks out her window as she marks her first birthday without her 42-year-old daughter Harriet Wilson in her home in Billings, Mont. on Friday, March 1, 2019. Harriet Wilson's body was pulled from the Yellowstone River in Billings, Montana on April 22, 2018. “I just want justice for Harriet,” she says. “And all the other ones out there.”

Mary Wilson looks out her window as she marks her first birthday without her 42-year-old daughter Harriet Wilson in her home in Billings, Mont. on Friday, March 1, 2019. Harriet Wilson's body was pulled from the Yellowstone River in Billings, Montana on April 22, 2018. “I just want justice for Harriet,” she says. “And all the other ones out there.”

Mary Wilson, mother to Harriet Wilson, goes through old photos of her daughter nearly a year after her death in Billings, Mont. on Friday, March 1, 2019. “I feel like someone just locked me up. And I just feel like I’m in this cell and I can’t get out, and I’m wondering why I’m here. And it’s so hard. It’s just, it’s just so hard,” Wilson said.

Mary Wilson, mother to Harriet Wilson, goes through old photos of her daughter nearly a year after her death in Billings, Mont. on Friday, March 1, 2019. “I feel like someone just locked me up. And I just feel like I’m in this cell and I can’t get out, and I’m wondering why I’m here. And it’s so hard. It’s just, it’s just so hard,” Wilson said.

Mary Wilson, mother to Harriet Wilson, speaks to Yellowstone County Sheriff's Detective Frank Fritz, the man investigating her daughter's murder, nearly a year after her death in Billings, Mont. on Friday, March 1, 2019. “Today’s my birthday, and I wanted to talk about my girl,” Wilson says. “How many deaths is it going to take, unsolved crimes like this?” she asks.

Mary Wilson, mother to Harriet Wilson, speaks to Yellowstone County Sheriff's Detective Frank Fritz, the man investigating her daughter's murder, nearly a year after her death in Billings, Mont. on Friday, March 1, 2019. “Today’s my birthday, and I wanted to talk about my girl,” Wilson says. “How many deaths is it going to take, unsolved crimes like this?” she asks.

A card with the fingerprints and a photo of a young Harriet Wilson lays on a table beside a box of old photos in Mary Wilson's home in Billings, Mont. on Friday, March 1, 2019.

A card with the fingerprints and a photo of a young Harriet Wilson lays on a table beside a box of old photos in Mary Wilson's home in Billings, Mont. on Friday, March 1, 2019.

Dylan Wilson, Harriet Wilson's son, looks down as he speaks about the death of his mother in Billings, Mont. on Friday, March 1, 2019. “I just think of it sometimes that she’s just on an extended vacation, that she’ll come popping back up some time,” Wilson said.

Dylan Wilson, Harriet Wilson's son, looks down as he speaks about the death of his mother in Billings, Mont. on Friday, March 1, 2019. “I just think of it sometimes that she’s just on an extended vacation, that she’ll come popping back up some time,” Wilson said.

Supporters walk along Hwy. 93 as Marita Growing Thunder leads a group on an 80-mile annual trek across the Flathead Indian Reservation to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women north of Arlee, Mont. on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Supporters walk along Hwy. 93 as Marita Growing Thunder leads a group on an 80-mile annual trek across the Flathead Indian Reservation to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women north of Arlee, Mont. on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Two women carry a sign that reads 'Save our sisters' as they walk along Hwy. 93 during Marita Growing Thunder's annual 80-mile trek across the Flathead Indian Reservation to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women north of Arlee, Mont. on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Two women carry a sign that reads 'Save our sisters' as they walk along Hwy. 93 during Marita Growing Thunder's annual 80-mile trek across the Flathead Indian Reservation to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women north of Arlee, Mont. on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Marita Growing Thunder leads supporters on an 80-mile trek across the Flathead Indian Reservation to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women north of Arlee, Mont. on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Marita Growing Thunder leads supporters on an 80-mile trek across the Flathead Indian Reservation to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women north of Arlee, Mont. on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Marita Growing Thunder leads supporters to the end of an annual 80-mile trek across the Flathead Indian Reservation to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Evaro, Mont. on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Marita Growing Thunder leads supporters to the end of an annual 80-mile trek across the Flathead Indian Reservation to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Evaro, Mont. on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Participants gather around Rynalea Whiteman Pena, the president of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, as she speaks during the program following the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s March on the lawn of the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings, Mont. on Friday, April 5, 2019.

Participants gather around Rynalea Whiteman Pena, the president of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, as she speaks during the program following the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s March on the lawn of the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings, Mont. on Friday, April 5, 2019.

Emily Enick, left, and RoyAnn Enick, of the Crow Tribe, watch during the program following the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s March on the lawn of the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings, Mont. on Friday, April 5, 2019.

Emily Enick, left, and RoyAnn Enick, of the Crow Tribe, watch during the program following the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s March on the lawn of the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings, Mont. on Friday, April 5, 2019.

A marcher holds a sign during the program following the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s March on the lawn of the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings, Mont. on Friday, April 5, 2019.

A marcher holds a sign during the program following the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s March on the lawn of the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings, Mont. on Friday, April 5, 2019.

A girl holds a red balloon as she waits to march to the lawn of the Yellowstone County Courthouse for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s March in Billings, Mont. on Friday, April 5, 2019.

A girl holds a red balloon as she waits to march to the lawn of the Yellowstone County Courthouse for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s March in Billings, Mont. on Friday, April 5, 2019.

Supporters carry tribal flags as they walk across the Crow Reservation to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People near Crow Agency, Mont. on Saturday, May 27, 2018.

Supporters carry tribal flags as they walk across the Crow Reservation to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People near Crow Agency, Mont. on Saturday, May 27, 2018.

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