Family receives jawbone of woman almost five years after her death

HARDIN – Nearly five years after Kaysera Stops Pretty Places was found in a Hardin backyard following what appeared to be the end of a brutal and suspicious death, the family held a vigil Friday afternoon to receive the only remaining part of her body, her jawbone.

Grace Bulltail, Kaysera’s aunt

For Geralyn Ruth Bulltail Stops Pretty Places, Kaysera’s mother, the last five years have been stressful and frustrating.

Mack Carmack, MTN News

“Now I have to bury my daughter again. Once is enough,” she says.

In August 2019, Kaysera was found in a backyard in Hardin at the corner of Range View Ave. and Mitchell.

Mack Carmack, MTN News

The 18-year-old’s body was completely unrecognizable. Authorities believe she had been lying there for five days.

Kaysera’s blood alcohol level was 0.149 at the time of her autopsy. Her death was classified as suspicious and the cause of death was recorded as undetermined.

“We always knew where Kaysera was. She told us where she was. At least she told her friends,” says Isabella Oldelk, one of Kaysera’s best friends.

Mack Carmack, MTN News

Kaysera’s family also believes that the Big Horn Sheriff’s Department did little to investigate the case. This claim is supported by former Big Horn District Attorney Jay Harris, who released a public report in August 2021 claiming that the Sheriff’s Office did not launch a full investigation until two months later.

His office then established a Missing and Murdered Persons Task Force to investigate all suspicious deaths in Big Horn County.

Kaysera was one of 27 indigenous women who disappeared in August 2019.

This section of the autopsy report is attached below.

Stops Pretty Places Family

But the family says it is little Despite it did.

Oldelk is one of many who advocate for more detective work.

“I know if it were the other way around and I were the one, she would be there,” says Oldelk.

Mack Carmack, MTN News

Kaysera was cremated in 2019, but on Thursday her family dug up her remains after receiving a disturbing call from the sheriff’s office.

“(Kaysera’s aunt) told me, ‘You still have Kaysera’s jawbone.’ I was like, ‘What?!'” Geralyn Ruth says.

The family is unsure why authorities kept Kaysera’s jawbone, but now hopes that she can finally be laid to rest peacefully and that justice will be done for her.

“(The coroner) made me cremate her. Now I have to lay to rest her bones that he didn’t even tell me were there,” Geralyn said.

Kaysera’s family continues to accept donations through their GoFundMe campaign and has created a petition on her behalf.

Harris’ 2019 autopsy report is below.