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The disappearance of Jermain Charlo: Details explored ahead of 48 Hours on CBS

Modified Jun 08, 2025 00:08 GMT

48 Hours airs an encore on Jermain Charlo this Saturday, June 7, at 10 pm ET / 9 pm CT on CBS and Paramount+. The episode, titled Where is Jermain Charlo?, condenses six years of investigation into the disappearance of the 23-year-old Confederated Salish & Kootenai woman. She was last seen during a late-night visit to Missoula’s Badlander bar.

Surveillance footage shows Jermain Charlo entering an alley with her ex-partner, Michael DeFrance, moments before she disappeared, as per a CBS News report dated June 4, 2025. However, witness accounts conflict over her route.

Soon after, her phone pinged from Evaro Hill, land tied to DeFrance, and he later admitted to discarding the handset in Idaho. It has never been found. He subsequently faced gun charges tied to those searches and received a 21-month sentence in 2023. The sentence, however, was overturned by the Ninth Circuit on December 30, 2024, as per NBC Montana's report dated January 3, 2025.

Justice.gov's report dated August 2, 2021, confirms he remains free under supervision while prosecutors consider a retrial, leaving Jermain’s family still searching for answers.

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From assault to gun seizure: How DeFrance’s 2013 conviction caught up with him in 2018

During a 2018 sweep of Michael DeFrance’s Evaro Hill property, officers removed several firearms. He could not legally hold these weapons because of a 2013 Partner-or-Family-Member-Assault conviction tied to Jermain Charlo, as per the CBS News report dated June 4, 2025.

That earlier case file notes DeFrance hit Charlo with an open hand, followed by two closed-fist blows. He later pushed her onto his van’s hood, struck her ear, temple, and cheek, spat on her, and shouted insults.

He pleaded guilty in May 2013, and the court stripped him of his firearm rights, making any future possession a federal offense. When detectives later found guns on his land in 2018, the weapons were logged as evidence of a prohibited-person violation, directly connecting the old domestic violence plea to the new gun possession investigation.

A night out turns into a disappearance

48 Hours footage shows DeFrance trailing Jermain Charlo out of Missoula’s Badlander bar just before midnight on June 15, 2018. He later told the police he dropped her at Orange Street Food Farm at her friend Cassidy's place but then revised the location to a residential block eight streets west. Detectives never found the “Cassidy” he claimed Charlo planned to visit.

Cell tower logs placed Jermain Charlo’s phone on Evaro Hill, a property tied to DeFrance, between 2 am and 10 am on June 16. As cited in a CBS News report dated June 4, 2025, speaking to 48 Hours, Missoula County Deputy Attorney Brittany Williams said:

"In a subsequent interview, [DeFrance] provided a statement that she left her cellphone and he attempted to go through her cellphone and he was unable to get into her cellphone."

DeFrance admitted discarding the phone beside Idaho’s Highway 12, but searches found nothing and the phone was never recovered. Lead detective Guy Baker told 48 Hours:

“I'm very much committed to finding her,...I wanna bring justice to Jermain and hold accountable who's responsible.”

Community volunteers, tribal members, and cadaver dogs have combed Evaro Hill and the Flathead Reservation repeatedly. However, no trace of Jermain Charlo has surfaced.

Firearms indictment, conviction, and reversal

Guns seized from DeFrance’s land in October 2018 triggered a federal prohibited-person indictment three years later. He pleaded not guilty in August 2021 but remained on bond.

After a 2-day bench trial in April 2023, Judge Dana Christensen found him guilty on four firearm counts. Sentenced to 21 months that September, DeFrance filed an immediate appeal and stayed free pending review.

On December 30, 2024, the Ninth Circuit vacated the conviction, ruling that Montana’s misdemeanor assault statute did not match the federal definition that drives the gun ban. The matter is back in district court, and prosecutors have not announced whether they will retry. DeFrance still lives under pre-trial supervision in western Montana.

48 Hours returns to the case with an encore presentation of Where Is Jermain Charlo? on Saturday, June 7, at 10 pm ET / 9 pm CT, streaming on Paramount+. Detectives now treat the case as a no-body homicide and urge anyone who saw Jermain Charlo after she left the Badlander, or who knows about the events on Evaro Hill, to come forward.

Stay tuned for more updates.

About the author

Santanu Das is an Entertainment writer at Sportskeeda. He honed his innate talent for storytelling and cultural analysis while pursuing a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Growing up captivated by Hollywood films such as Forrest Gump, The Pursuit of Happyness, Dead Poets Society, and more, Santanu developed a deep appreciation for cinema and enjoys looking beyond the surface of entertainment.

With a keen eye for detail and an 'early mover mindset,' Santanu actively navigates the popular culture landscape, often spotting trends before they gain traction. This proactive approach enables him to craft timely and relevant content that resonates with readers, bridging the gap between contemporary trends and their societal impact.

Santanu admires celebrities like Christian Bale and Freddie Mercury for their dedication to their craft and their ability to push boundaries with each project. Additionally, IShowSpeed has caught his attention as an influential figure who embodies Gen Z humor.

To unwind, Santanu enjoys listening to podcasts, pushing through a workout at the gym, and exploring the outdoors.

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