New podcast "Missing Justice" examines the death of Christy Woodenthigh — and the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous people
The family of Christy Woodenthigh has been searching for justice since the Native American woman's death in 2020. A new CBS News investigative podcast traces the circumstances of her death outside of her home on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in southeast Montana — and explores the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples in the United States.
The first two episodes of the six-part original series premiere on Tuesday, Nov. 22, with a new episode released weekly. Co-hosts Cara Korte and Bo Erickson, who interviewed more than 150 people during the 19 months they spent reporting, will pull back the layers surrounding the 33-year-old's death and the federal law enforcement investigation that followed.
Christy Woodenthigh's family rushed to her home on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation when they got the shocking news that the 33-year-old mother was dead. They arrived to find no police officers, no approaching sirens, and no sign of Christy. Missing Justice takes you inside what really happened that night and the federal investigation that followed. Christy's family never trusted the law enforcement officers investigating her death, and bombshell testimony revealed their worst fears. CBS News reporters Cara Korte and Bo Erickson examine how the issues in Christy's case connect to the larger Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis.
Listeners will learn about how the federal criminal justice system works when the victims are Native Americans, and about mistakes investigators from the Bureau of Indian Affairs made in Woodenthigh's case.
The hurdles that Woodenthigh's family faced are not isolated incidents: In recent years, there have been at least a dozen missing people and unsolved deaths on Northern Cheyenne.
These cases are just some of the reasons why Northern Cheyenne leaders recently decided to sue the federal government, alleging that law enforcement in their community is inadequate. And, the CBS News investigation also details, these issues are widespread across Native American reservations.
Korte and Erickson both cover the federal government for CBS News and previously covered candidates in the 2020 presidential election. They joined CBS News in 2014 and 2016, respectively.