Missoula man identified as suspect in Wednesday's fatal shooting in Bozeman
Oct 16, 2026
The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office has identified the man who is suspected of killing Shelli Waltemath, 50, on Wednesday as Steven Michael Dailey, 62, of Missoula.According to a release, Dailey's body was found in a field near
the 2000 block of West College St. Dailey appeared to have sustained a gunshot wound to the head.Waltemath was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds inside a Bozeman business on Oct. 14, 2026.Bozeman police responded shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday to a business near West Main Street and Professional Drive, where officers found Waltemath.The investigation closed off the area and continued into the evening. Hours after the shooting, police asked people to avoid the area in a social media post with no mention of a suspect being on the loose.On Thursday, Bozeman Police Chief Jim Veltkamp told MTN News that investigators are still working to determine a motive and the relationship between the suspect and the victim.We still don't have a motive, and detectives are still trying to figure out the connection between the suspect and the victim, Veltkamp said.Veltkamp said homicides are uncommon in Bozeman but emphasized the tragedy of the case.We are fortunate to live in a community that does not have this happen a lot, but at the same time it does not take away from what a tragic event this is, he said.
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