Ever since a murderer walked into Harris' Hair Gallery one morning nearly seven years ago and slashed the throats of three women, longtime Bitterrooters say they view strangers and outsiders with a more skeptical eye.
And ever since Dorothy Harris, Brenda Patch and Cynthia Paulus were found dead in the beauty shop, their friends and neighbors in the valley have been waiting for closure, wondering when their murders would be solved.
They didn't forget. They were building their case, and Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Missoula, Brian Walter Weber, 31, and Lincoln Christopher Benavides, 33, were each charged with three counts of murder. Both men pleaded not guilty to the crimes.
The evidence prosecutors present must convince the court of the men's guilt, but that isn't all. Some say to help heal the wounds in the Bitterroot Valley, the case must also persuade people in Florence that the true murderers are charged and justice has finally been served. On Tuesday, no one here was calling for mercy, and harsh justice isn't something Bitterrooters fear.
“If they get the right guys, I hope they get the death penalty,” James said.
The slayings turned the community upside down then, though plenty of newcomers have arrived since 2001 who know nothing of them. Those who were here remember the aftermath, when the community no longer knew itself.
At times, neighbors looked at each other with suspicion. Some wondered if their local law enforcement officers bungled the investigation. For the first time, many people started locking doors, too.
Luci Burns said her husband was so worried he didn't let her go outside to get the mail for a while. He got it himself, and he availed himself of his Second Amendment rights, too.
“The first week, my husband would check the mail with his pistol on,” Burns said.
At the Wild River Grill and Casino, customers wouldn't let bartender Carrie Brown close up shop on her own. She said they waited until her shift ended around 10:30 p.m. to make sure she got in her car safely.
“It scared the daylights out of all of us,” said Debra Rice of Florence.
Rice said those close to the family members don't say much about the killings out of respect for them. To others, like children, it's a tale to tell after night falls because, after all, the slayer had never been caught.
“It's still kind of a ghost story,” she said.
The nightmare has faded for those not close to the families, and other problems in the Bitterroot are now at the forefront for many. It's growth in the valley that's troubling Bob Dunsmore now, and he joked that people should use the horrible story to keep newcomers out of Florence.
“There's a guy out here with a switchblade, waiting for you,” Dunsmore said.
Few laugh at his dark humor, though. Much of the community is ready to see someone finally held accountable for the deaths that until now haven't been answered for. People are still on edge, said Florence's George Windhorst.
“It will be a relief if it's solved,” Windhorst said.
Reporter Keila Szpaller can be reached at 523-5262 or at keila.szpaller@missoulian.com.
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