Bodies found of missing Deer Lodge people; person of interest arrested

Montana Department of Corrections David Wayne Nelson, 53, has been identified as a person of interest in the case.

Sheriff Scott Howard would not say how the Giannonattis were killed, pending an autopsy. Howard has said she retrieved the gold from the house.

On Sunday, their bodies were discovered on a private dump site in Powell County along with evidence from an undisclosed crime scene, per the Standard.

Nelson made an initial appearance late Monday in Justice Court on an unrelated probation violation charge out of Ravalli County, and was jailed without bail in Deer Lodge.

“It is our goal to prosecute to the fullest”, the sheriff said of the case, the Billings Gazette reported.

Howard also would not speculate on a motive, or if a 25-pound gold ingot – worth an estimated $480,000 – was recovered.

David Nelson’s trial in 1999 concluded with him being found guilty of robbery, aggravated kidnapping and felony assault.

Beverly was having her late husband’s home remodeled before moving back in.

Three days later friends reported Mrs Giannonatti missing but police did not enter her home because the doors were locked and they could hear dogs inside.

Gionnonatti’s white Camry was later found at his late father’s house, where police also searched but found nothing unusual. Because of the amount of time that has elapsed since they were last seen, I feel the outcome is not going to be good, ‘ Howard said.

When authorities went to her son’s home, hoping that he would have information on his mother’s whereabouts, he too was nowhere to be found, though both a TV and slow cooker had been left on.