858: How to Tell a Dumb American Story
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Who was Micah Westwolf and what happened to her?
They were very strategic and did some extraordinary things other families had not tried to make sure Micah's case was one that the authorities could not ignore. That story and how it unfolded and what it's like to be a couple making that happen, that's going to be our whole show today. From WBEZ Chicago, Since American Life, I'm Ira Glass. And with that, I hand it over to Ciara.
Micah's family lives on the Flathead Indian Reservation. It's in a valley, surrounded by big, toothy mountains. Micah was 22 years old the night she was killed. She'd been out with her younger brother. They'd gone to a bar to buy cigarettes. On their way home, Micah couldn't find her phone and thought she'd left it at the bar. She told her brother to let her out of the car. She'd go back to the bar to get it, and then she'd walk home. Hours later, around 4 a.m., a tribal police officer found her body on the side of the road, Highway 93. The officer, a friend of Kevin's, drove to his house and woke him up.
You know, they told us my kid was deceased. And then right away I was like, well, did you guys get him? And they were like, yeah, it was some tweaker from Butte. And in my mind, I was like, just like happy that they apprehend, you know. So and I just, you know, I gave the cops a hug and I was like, thank you guys or whatever. You know, I'm glad that you guys were there.
Later that day, Kevin and his wife, Carissa Heavy Runner, Micah's mother, took a cross and a teddy bear to the roadside where she'd been found. When they got there, investigators from Montana Highway Patrol were flying a drone, photographing the scene. One of them was named Wayne Bieber. He asked Kevin and Carissa if they had Micah's phone. It had actually been in her brother's car that night, slipped between her seat and the console. Bieber said he needed it. Carissa couldn't understand why.
He was adamant about following us home to get it. And, you know, I repeated, she did not have her phone on her. It was in her brother's car. Why do you need it? What's it going to... you know, show or whatever. And then he said, we need to look at all aspects. I was torn, fought with myself, and I thought I was helping. And so I gave him the phone up here at our house.
When you're handing it to him, I was like, oh, Micah's just freaking just pissed off right now. Like she would not like this at all. And I like said that out loud. Shouldn't have done it, but in a joking manner, I guess. But I really did feel that way. Like Micah was like, no, no, don't give it to him.
Yeah, well, you tell me more about that.
Like if you knew Micah, probably the most stubborn person I know, like she would just fight tooth and nail over the dumbest thing to the bitter end.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who was Micah Westwolf and what happened to her?
1:31–7:10
2
Why did Micah's parents distrust the investigation?
7:10–16:21
3
How have other Native families been affected by similar cases?
16:21
4
What challenges do Native communities face with law enforcement?
14:04–29:39
5
What strategy did Carissa and Kevin develop to seek justice?
29:39–32:39
6
How did public attention influence the case?
32:39–41:49
7
What reasons did the county prosecutor give for not charging the driver?
41:49
8
What does this case reveal about systemic issues with prosecuting hit-and-run cases involving Native victims?
31:26–1:06:28
Speakers
17 identified
Sarah Crane Murdoch (Reporter) 29 min
Kevin Howard 9 min
Carissa Heavy Runner 7 min
Ira Glass 3 min
Judge 2 min
James Lepotka (Prosecutor) 2 min
Wayne Bieber (phone conversation) 2 min
Lily's Family Member 1 min
Trisha's mother Georgie or Trisha's representative 1 min
Unidentified 1 min
Backup Singer 1 min
Bonnie Asensio 1 min
Sunny White's defense attorney
Micah Westwolf (recording/video)
Sunny White
Thorne Geist (Prosecutor)
Interviewer