MISSOULA — A change of plea hearing is set for October 14 for Treyson Sharp, who is expected to plead guilty in the shooting death of Jadie Butterfly in December 2024.
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Sharp, 21 years old, was arraigned on involuntary manslaughter and possession of an unlawful firearm charges in August.
The Montana Department of Justice alleges that Sharp fired a gun while pointing it at Butterfly, killing her.
Prosecutors will drop the gun charge as part of a plea deal, meaning Sharp would then only face the involuntary manslaughter charge.
Sharp would face a maximum of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3½ years of supervised release as part of the plea agreement.
"We are all disappointed by how the case is unfolding in the Federal Court System. The results we anticipated are not aligning with our expectations. Our goal was to take the case all the way to trial. However, the Federal Court System does not typically negotiate and often encourages defendants to plead guilty to avoid the costs of a trial," Jadie's father Chris Butterfly said in a statement.
MTN News has tried to contact Sharp's attorney for comment, but we have not yet received a response.
(MAY 5, 2025) Chris Butterfly did not know that the night of December 28, 2024, was the last time he would see his daughter Jadie Butterfly alive: "Her laugh was contagious, her smile was radiant, her personality was one of a kind."
Butterfly told MTN News that his daughter was shot by her boyfriend, and they believe it was intentional. What followed were weeks of silence from local law enforcement about Jadie's case.
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"Nothing was done," Butterfly said. "We received zero calls from law enforcement, that's what made me start advocating for my daughter."
MTN News tried to contact Tribal Law enforcement and the Glacier County Sheriff's Office for more information, but we have received no response from either agency.
In response to an inquiry, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it can not comment on ongoing cases.
This is a reality for families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Cases are often delayed, or never brought at all, and families are left in the dark to seek justice on their own.
In March, Jadie's family took their fight to social media, creating the "Justice for Jadie" Facebook page in hopes of finding answers.
"This is something we shouldn't have had to do, we want to shine light on how wrongfully she was done," Crystal Cole, Jadie's aunt, said.
Jadie's family hopes the page will bring attention and justice to her case.
"It's just the same story on every case," Butterfly said. "Whenever their family members crying out for help, just because the justice system failed them. I mean it's really disheartening."
Her childhood friend, Autumn Bremner, says she's never imagined a life without Jadie.
"She was my favorite person in my life," Bremner said, "I feel like that's what hurts the most is like the silence, not knowing, because I really wish we had that closure. I don't know if it would hurt any less, but at least we'd know."
Marlene Cobell met Jadie in their first year of college at the University of Montana.
"When she walked into a room, everything just went bright," Cobell said.
While their best friend is gone, they say she is with them in every moment. They still imagine conversations with her, they know what jokes she would make, and they keep her memory going. They are fighting for justice for their beloved friend.
Cobell plans to be a lawyer and work for justice throughout Indian Country. Meanwhile, her friends and family continue to move forward with the same message, to honor Jadie's life.
"Jadie was very loved and she deserved justice," Butterfly said.
