Eight Years Later, Susie Wood’s Death in Missoula Remains a Mystery

MISSOULA, Mont. — This month marks eight years since Susan “Susie” Wood was found unconscious on Coal Mine Road on March 3, 2018, in a case that remains unsolved.

According to a Facebook post from the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, investigators originally thought Susie had been hit by a car. Later, they determined her injuries were caused by blunt force trauma that didn’t match a vehicle collision. She was taken to St. Patrick’s Medical Center, where she never regained consciousness and died on March 16, 2018, at 45 years old.

Earlier this year, the case was handed over to the Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit. Detectives are reviewing all the evidence, looking into advances in forensic technology, conducting new interviews, and re-examining CCTV footage.

On the night of March 3, Susie, who worked as a night cleaner at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, left home and took public transportation to Reserve Street. Security cameras captured her at several locations, with the last sighting at 7:00 p.m. on the Reserve Street bridge.

Investigators believe she may have accepted a ride near Reserve Street and Stockyard Road. They suspect she tried to escape from a moving vehicle on Coal Mine Road, which likely caused the injuries that led to her death.

At the time, Susie was wearing a pink jacket and carrying a red or maroon backpack, which was never found. Her cell phone, believed to be an LG Extravert 2, is also missing.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about Susie or her missing belongings to call 406-258-3348 or dial 911. More details are available on their website.