Ep 3. Savage Country

In the third episode of Dead Silent season 3, entitled "Savage Country," viewers are taken to rural Montana. The episode explores the tragic story of a young woman named Donna Meagher, who was brutally murdered in her own home in the 1970s.

Donna Meagher was a 21-year-old woman who worked at a local casino in Missoula, Montana. On January 15th, 1976, Donna was closing up for the night when two men entered the casino, armed with guns. The men forced Donna to hand over all the cash from the casino and then forced her to drive them to her home, which was located in the nearby mountains.

Once they arrived at Donna's home, the men tied up Donna, her mother, and her stepfather. They demanded any other valuables in the house and eventually left with thousands of dollars in cash, guns, and ammunition. However, instead of leaving peacefully, the men decided to turn back and murder Donna and her parents.

The episode features interviews with Donna's sisters, friends, and law enforcement officials who were involved in solving the case. The interviews provide a picture of Donna and her life leading up to her brutal murder. The interviews also reveal the difficulties that investigators faced when trying to solve the case.

The investigation into Donna's murder was slow-moving and difficult. For years, law enforcement officials struggled to identify any suspects. This was largely due to the lack of forensic evidence and the remote location of Donna's home. Despite the lack of progress, Donna's sisters never gave up hope that her killers would be brought to justice.

In the end, it was a break in an unrelated case that led investigators to Donna's killers. In the early 2000s, a man named David Meirhofer was arrested for the murder of three young girls in Montana. During his interrogations, Meirhofer confessed to killing Donna and her parents, along with three others.

The episode also shows the impact that Donna's murder had on her family and the community. Donna's sisters discuss the difficulties of growing up without their older sister and the emotional toll that the case has taken on them. They also talk about the closure that they felt when Meirhofer finally confessed to the crime.

Overall, "Savage Country" is a gripping episode of Dead Silent that tells the tragic story of Donna Meagher's murder. It showcases the difficulties that investigators faced in solving the case and the emotional impact that Donna's murder had on her family and the community. Through interviews with those closest to the case, viewers gain a deeper understanding of Donna's life and the tragedy of her death.