Registered Nurse, Rachel Lea Smith Bonham, born in
Birmingham, Alabama on December 21, 1957 to Myra C. Smith 
was found in the floor of her living room at 925 Gordon
Avenue, Miles City, Montana on November 3, 1992. She was
strangled. Medical help was not called. The undersheriff 
became the medic, the jury, and the judge.

THERE WAS A COVER-UP!

Instantly, the Custer County Under-Sheriff, Don Neese, 
created a scenario. He filled out the report stating both 
manner and cause of death prior to any investigation at 
all. No pathologist had examined the body, no witnesses 
had been interviewed, no forensics work had been done on 
the gun, body, or house. Thereafter he studiously avoided 
any evidence that contradicted his suicide scenario (also 
the only Suspect's scenario) and did verbal and logical 
gymnastics to explain away evidence he could not avoid. 
Neese stuck to his scenario in spite of mounting
physical and testimonial evidence that he was wrong. His 
motives are known only to him and perhaps his peers at 
Custer County Sheriffs Department, Miles City Police 
Department and the present DA Gary Bunke.
 
Police Chief Wade Schmidt told us Rachel was murdered. 
His only Suspect was Ronnie Bonham of Alabama. Evidence 
was contaminated, hid, and destroyed; but we still 
believe after more than 6 years that someone has the 
small piece of evidence that when linked with other 
pieces will somehow, someday bring an arrest for this 
murder. Help us by emailing us what you know about this 
case. Our lives are changed forever while this man walks 
free.
 
You might have knowledge that would bring the murderer/
murderers to justice, and not have thought it would 
help. If you knew my daughter, Ronnie Bonham, Gary Lee 
Smith of Alabama, Rachel's father, or about this case 
please contact me.

What did our beloved daughter, our dean's list honor 
student who cared for the the handicapped while a 
freshman in college, learned and taught sign language
for the deaf, cared for the aged and dying, who rescued 
homeless people and abandoned pets, who dreamed of a 
cure for AIDS in her lifetime, who was an early organ 
donor, who while in high school marched in protest of 
descrimination, and who until her death had faith in 
and saw good in all humanity get herself into with
Ronnie Loyal Bonham, Joseph N. Letourneau, and Charles 
Ray "Chuck" Boatman that ended her dreams at the age of 
34?

YOUR INFORMATION WILL BE KEPT IN STRICT CONFIDENCE.

"Justice will only be achieved when those who are not 
injured by crime feel as indignant as those who are."
A quote from King Solomon, 635-577 B.C.


mlowry@uab.campus.mci.net

Quilt square by Christina Auch