Kaelyn Moore

So as that search was happening on Michael's property, Jermaine's tribe and family were putting up missing persons billboards for her with her face on them and Detective Baker's phone number on them.

The location of the billboards was a very strategic choice on their part.

They put it on Highway 93, right on a route a person would have to take to get from Ivaro Hill to Missoula.

Whenever Michael drove by with Jermaine's two sons in the vehicle, they would all see their mother's face and keep remembering her.

At that point, it was the only way Jermaine's family had to reach the boys since Michael still refused to arrange any visitation with them.

Meanwhile, time ticked on.

Their youngest son's third birthday, which was in December of 2018, passed and there was no progress on the case.

Then came the first anniversary of Jermaine's disappearance in June of 2019.

Her tribe marked the moment by offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in her case.

And by March of 2021, more than two years after Jermaine was last seen, her friends and family held a protest outside of the Missoula Police Department demanding justice for Jermaine.

On the third anniversary of her disappearance, still with no progress, the reward was upped to $15,000.

Jermaine would have been 26 years old if she was found alive.

At that point, prosecutors were still holding onto one card that they had to play, but it was a very risky one.

And the next month, July of 2021, they would decide to go for it.

On July 28th, 2021, federal prosecutors working for the U.S.

District Attorney's Office in Montana filed an indictment against 28-year-old Michael DeFrance for four gun crimes, one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm, and three counts of false statements during a firearm transaction.

He had falsely sworn that he had never been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence during the purchase of a gun.

On August 3rd, Michael appeared in federal court to plead not guilty.

He had to face a courtroom full of Jermaine's family members and supporters, and by this point, all of them believed that Michael was guilty.

On May 1st, 2023, not quite five years after Jermaine disappeared, Michael was found guilty on all charges.