In mid-September 2025 a quiet Poplar, Montana, home became the scene of a triple killing. Sixty-five-year-old Earlene Jones was found shot at close range alongside two family members, 41-year-old Matthew Black Thunder and 35-year-old Winona Longee. Fort Peck Tribal Police entered the residence after a tip and discovered the three bodies on the scene.

Investigators say a tip to the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office on September 14 led to 73-year-old Poplar resident Michael J. Ackerman, also known as Michael J. Littlebull. Deputies interviewed Ackerman, who allegedly admitted he had been using methamphetamine with the victims, believed they were setting him up, and shot them with a 9mm pistol. Ackerman was taken into custody and later charged in federal court with three counts of second-degree murder.

Earlene Jones is described in the report as having deep roots in the Fort Peck community and was remembered by neighbors and relatives after the killings. Does anyone in the community have information about Earlene, Matthew, Winona, or events in early September that could help investigators?