On May 7, 2025, the body of 35-year-old Dixie Leigh Schroeder was found inside a residence on the 300 block of 14th Avenue in Havre, Montana. A house cleaner discovered the body and called 911 in the mid-afternoon; Havre Police described the circumstances as suspicious and asked the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation for assistance.

Investigators identified 35-year-old Cody Rencurel as a person of interest. Officers say Rencurel had been living in the basement of Schroeder’s townhouse and that the two were ending their relationship. Neighbor security footage reportedly shows Rencurel removing items from the home and later driving away in Schroeder’s vehicle. Tracking purchases made with Schroeder’s debit card led authorities to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where her vehicle was located and Rencurel was arrested without incident on May 9, 2025.

Searches of Rencurel’s property and a hotel room yielded evidence police say is connected to the killing and suggest additional violent crimes may have been planned. He was held on a deliberate homicide charge and pleaded not guilty at his initial Hill County court appearance. The investigation remains ongoing.

Did anyone in Havre or Coeur d’Alene see Dixie or her car in the days before May 7?