Following months of searching for a missing Crow Agency family, the community laid to rest Teddy Little Light and Juliet Toineeta Little Light on Saturday in Lodge Grass.
Teddy, 30 and Juliet, 25, along with their three-month old baby have been missing since late December. Teddy was last seen on December 23rd at his mother's house in Crow Agency and the couple's pickup truck was found on January 5th in Fort Smith.
Earlier this week their remains were found Monday about three miles away from their truck. Big Horn County Coroner Terry Bullis says the couple died from exposure to the elements. Meanwhile, the remains of baby Wyatt have not been identified.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and tribal law enforcement are still investigating this case.
(from May 15, 2009)
Big Horn County officials have positively identified human remains found earlier this week in Fort Smith as those of a missing Crow Agency couple.
Teddy, Juliet Toineeta Little Light and their infant son Wyatt have not been seen since late December.
Big Horn County Coroner Terry Bullis says they identified the couple using dental records and that the pair died because of exposure to the elements. However, Bullis offered no news about 3-month old baby Wyatt, whose remains have not been found.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and tribal law enforcement were back in the Fort Smith area investigating on Wednesday and authorities say they will continue to search that area to try to determine what happened to the Little Lights.
A Crow Fish and Game official who helped in the search described his reaction earlier this week when he heard that human remains had been found near Fort Smith.
"I said to myself it's over with, but it's not I guess. It's not going to be over for awhile" commented Larry Tobacco.
As many as 20 family members gathered to plan a memorial and funeral service for the Little Lights.
(from May 13, 2009)
Big Horn County officials identified human remains found earlier this week in Fort Smith on Wednesday afternoon. The remains are those of Teddy and Juliet Toineeta Little Light. The couple has been missing since late last December.
Big Horn County Coroner Terry Bullis confirmed his findings just after 4:15 this afternoon. Coroner Bullis says the couple died due to exposure to the elements. He identified Teddy and Juliet, but when asked about their three-month-old baby Wyatt, he focused only on the two adult bodies.
Coroner Bullis and a pathologist, a deputy state medical examiner, have examined these bodies since Monday. They were able identify the couple with dental records.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and tribal law enforcement were back in Fort Smith area again on Wednesday. Investigators will continue to search in this area to piece together what happened and why. Law enforcement agencies have been searching by foot and plane in that area since January.
Larry Tobacco, who works for the Crow Fish and Wildlife, and a relative of the couple, has been a part of the search effort since January. He says the family needs closure, but there are many unanswered questions.
"This is the start right here, the funeral," said Tobacco, standing outside Bullis Mortuary in Hardin. "And they have questions of why are they, where they were found, why? Can't really answer those right now," said Tobacco, shrugging shoulders.
As many as 20 family members gathered today to plan a memorial and funeral service for the Little lights. Meanwhile, more details about the investigation will be released to the family in coming weeks.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says they are close to identifying the results of an autopsy done on the two human remains found in Fort Smith yesterday. Agent Eric Barnhart says the results from the Big Horn County coroner's office may be released within the hour or Wednesday.
The bodies are believed to be those of Teddy Little light and Juliet Toineeta Little Light. The Bureau of Indian Affairs confirmed they found two adult bodies about three miles away from where the Little Light's pickup was found in January. The remains of baby Wyatt are unknown.
April Toineeta, Juliet's aunt, says at this time the family is remembering the couple and their baby by putting a memorial together and video. They have started to begin funeral planning and hope to bury the family together.
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Bureau of Indian Affairs officials say that the human remains which were found on Monday near Fort Smith appear to be those of Julieta Toineeta Little Light and Teddy Little Light.
The Little Lights and their three-month old son Wyatt have been missing since December 23rd. The bodies of two adults were found about three miles from where the Little light's truck was located back in January.
The BIA reports that they found the two adult remains in a fielded area off of Grapevine Road. Officials also found adult and baby clothing, but the remains of baby Wyatt are unknown.
Big Horn County officials got a call Monday morning after a ranch hand in Fort Smith found human remains. While the FBI, BIA and the Big Horn County Sheriff's Department have searching the area since January, rugged terrain and weather have hampered their efforts.
Julieta's aunt told us that the family wants closure, but not this kind of news. The Little Lights left behind their 3-year-old son, whose now being raised by his grandmother.
Teddy was last seen at his mother's home in Crow Agency on December 23rd and said he had plans to go to Wyola. Family members reported the Little Lights missing when they didn't show up for a funeral a week later.
Authorities are investigating the causes of death and foul play has not been ruled out. The FBI Evidence Recovery Team worked Monday to process the scene and the evidence they found will be sent off to a lab for positive identification on the remains.
(from May 11, 2009)
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has confirmed that human remains have been found in the Fort Smith area, about three miles from where a missing Crow Agency's family's truck was found in January.
The remains could be that of Teddy Little light's, Julieta Toineeta Little light's and their three-month old son Wyatt, who went missing in late December.
Little light's family members were notified on Monday morning that the remains were found and are comforting each other.
Big Horn County law enforcement was notified Monday morning after a ranch hand found the remains on Grapevine Ranch. The BIA says they have confirmed the remains are those of two adults. Adult clothing and baby clothing was also found in the area.
The FBI, BIA and tribal law enforcement have searching the area since January, but rugged terrain and weather have hampered efforts. Julia's aunt says the family wants closure but not this kind of news.
The Little lights also have a three year old son who is now being raised by family members.
The couple was last seen at teddy Little lights mother's home in crow agency on December 23rd with plans to go to Wyola. They were reported missing when they didn't show up for a funeral a week later.
Officials were still on the scene Friday evening and the remains are being sent to either Hardin or Billings for identification.
(from May 7, 2009)
The family of a missing Crow Agency family is putting together a reward fund in hopes of finding out information about the disappearance of their loved ones.
Teddy Little light's, Juliet Toineeta Little light's and baby Wyatt were last seen December 23rd in Crow Agency.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs says it will resume a full grid search next week where the family's pickup was found on Grapevine Road near Fort Smith.
"I know that they may be something that will give the extra nudge for some people to come forward" said April Toineeta of Hardin, Juliet's aunt. "It's been really difficult and all the holidays that have come and gone and you know them not being there with us. You know every day us wondering where they're at."
Anyone with information regarding the Little lights is asked to contact the B.I.A. at (406) 638-2631.
(from the archives)
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is hoping that some national media exposure will help find a Crow Agency family who have been missing for more than a month.
The family was featured on Nancy Grace's program on Headline News earlier this week.
Teddy Little light's, his wife Juliette and their 3 month old son Wyatt were last seen on December 23rd in Crow Agency.
BIA officials say that they have alerted the National center of Missing and Exploited Children, as well as Indian Reservations across the country.
Anyone with information regarding the Little lights is asked to contact the BIA at (406) 638-2631.
(from January 24, 2009)
The Little light's family has been missing since last month and authorities haven't found a trace of them. But family and community members remain hopeful that they'll find the family.
The Little light's disappearance has really jolted this community, with a lot of people asking how three people can vanish without anyone seeing them. Even a month later, community members are continuing their own investigation efforts and say they wouldn't wish this feeling on anyone.
For 31 days now, Crow Agency family and community members have gathered at a rented office space, the headquarters of their own investigation.
April Toineeta, Juliet's aunt, continues to keep track of the progress -- a map displays where the family's pickup was found near Fort Smith. Authorities have combed through the area by air and ground.
"It's pretty hilly and mountainous, it's pretty rugged," said Larry Tobacco with Crow Tribe Fish and Game.
People involved in the efforts say it's been an emotional roller coaster.
"We haven't stopped, I mean it's from early in the morning to late in the evening and we have so many people that have come forward from the tribe," said Toineeta.
Toineeta said everyone considers Juliet like a daughter and that feeling is what drives her everyday.
"I won't stop with her and her family with Teddy and baby Wyatt."
But as each day passes, a part of them fears the worst.
"I mean we've cried, but and then we have to pick ourselves up and keep looking and I think that's the hard thing is those are our down points is when we realize it's a month , but then we have to grab our strength," Toineeta said.
Teddy's mother Latonna was the last person who saw him alive on December 23rd.
"They told me not to lose faith, so I'm hanging on," Latonna said.
They've also been caring for their 3-year-old grandson Teddy Junior everyday. They said looking at him reminds them not to give up.
(From Jan. 21, 2009)
Federal and tribal authorities are still searching for a missing Crow Agency family last seen on December 23rd.
Bureau of Indian Affairs Special Agent in charge, Matthew Pryor, says for the last three days, authorities have focused their search on a 12 mile radius of where the Little light's pickup was found on Grapevine Road near Fort Smith.
The BIA and FBI have brought in Fort Peck and Roosevelt County officers to assist in the investigation.
Authorities have done an aerial search of the area, and are using ATV's for the ground search.
Pryor says they continue to move forward and are concerned about Teddy and Juliet Toineeta- Little light's and three month old Wyatt.
If you have any information, call the BIA at 638-2631.
