Lora Jean Dugan was 14 when she left home in Huntley, Montana after an argument on April 7, 1972. She caught the school bus that morning, but instead of attending classes she gave her books to a friend and walked toward Interstate 94, saying she planned to hitchhike possibly to Lame Deer or as far as St. Paul, Minnesota. That was the last time she was seen alive.

On April 30 a rancher found a body under a cedar tree about three miles southwest of Medora, North Dakota, roughly 250 miles from where Lora was last seen. The remains, found near a cattle path and clad only in a jacket, were identified by dental records in early May. A cross necklace Lora always wore was found dangling from a nearby branch. The autopsy recorded a stab wound to the abdomen and death by strangulation; wrist marks suggested her hands had been bound. Investigators placed the time of death between April 7 and April 21, leaving a large window of unknown movements.

No arrest was ever made and no suspect has been officially named. The Billings County Sheriff at the time later said he believed a convicted truck driver who killed hitchhikers fit the case, but investigators lacked enough evidence to charge anyone. Cold case detectives have revisited the file, but the murder remains unsolved.

If anyone knew Lora, saw her along Interstate 94 in April 1972, or has information about her movements that month, please share what is known.