6 Stories of Notable Montana Prison Inmates

Montana’s prisons have seen their fair share of infamous, unforgettable, and sometimes downright strange characters over the years. From larger than life legends to chilling criminals, their stories are woven into the history of the state’s justice system.

The Inmate Who “Bought” Montana State Prison

Paul Eitner didn’t just serve time, he became a prison legend. Sentenced to life in 1918 for shooting and killing a man over a livestock dispute, Eitner was eventually declared insane and removed from the general population. Instead of fading into the background, he became a quirky, harmless fixture at Montana State Prison.

READ MORE:  U.S. Marshals Most Wanted Criminals In Montana 

Guards gave him “fake” money and made up responsibilities, letting him “buy” the prison and “run” it from his cell. He even “paid” the guards with his pretend cash. When he died in 1967, his funeral was held right there on prison grounds, and hundreds of inmates attended.

The Teenage Girl Sentenced to Life in Montana Prison

In 1912, 15 year old Muriel Murphy was convicted of robbing and assaulting a man in Great Falls. She was sentenced to life in prison, an unusually harsh punishment for someone so young, even for the early 20th century.

Murphy’s case sparked conversation about juvenile justice in Montana at a time when there were few protections for young offenders. While records on her later life are scarce, her story stands as a stark reminder that prison walls have also held the very young.

Duncan McKenzie: Montana’s Most Notorious Death Row Case

Duncan McKenzie was convicted of the brutal 1974 kidnapping and murder of a schoolteacher in Conrad, Montana. He maintained his innocence for years, but appeals failed, and he spent more than 20 years on death row.

Before his execution in 1995, investigators linked him to the earlier killing of a high school student, further darkening his legacy. McKenzie’s case remains one of the most notorious in Montana’s capital punishment history.

The Deadly 1991 Riot That Shook Montana State Prison

The 1991 riot at Montana State Prison was one of the bloodiest events in the prison’s history. In the chaos, inmates William Jay Gollehon and Douglas Duane Turner murdered five fellow prisoners. Both were already serving time for violent crimes, and the riot cemented their reputations as two of the most dangerous men ever held in the facility. Gollehon remains on death row, while Turner took his own life in 2003.

Terry Langford: The Killer Who Showed No Remorse

Terry Langford’s crimes shocked Montana. In 1988, he murdered Ned and Celene Blackwood in their rural home during a robbery. The brutality of the killings, coupled with Langford’s lack of remorse, led to a death sentence. He was executed by lethal injection in 1998.

Get our free mobile app

Barry Beach: Montana’s Most Controversial Murder Case

Barry Beach’s story is one of Montana’s most debated. Convicted in 1984 for the 1979 murder of teenager Kim Nees, Beach claimed his confession was coerced while he was in custody in Louisiana. Over the decades, his supporters, including journalists and activists, fought for his release, citing evidence that pointed to other suspects.

In 2015, after serving more than 30 years, Beach’s sentence was commuted to time served with probation. His case led to changes in how clemency petitions are handled in Montana.