GREAT FALLS — Michael J. Littlebull reportedly confessed to shooting and killing his wife, his stepson, and the stepson’s girlfriend at a residence in Poplar.
According to the Northern Plains Independent (link), the three victims have been identified as 65-year-old Earlene Jones, 41-year-old Matthew Black Thunder, and 35-year-old Winona Longee.
(1st REPORT, SEPTEMBER 14) Fort Peck Tribal Law Enforcement said in a news release on Sunday, September 14, 2025, that Michael J. Littlebull is in custody for three murders that happened in Poplar.
The agency said that the three victims are adults, but has not yet released their names.
The investigation is being conducted by Fort Peck Tribal Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office, and Roosevelt County Sheriff's Office.
No other details - including when, where, and how the homicides happened - have been released at this point.
The Fort Peck Journal reports that Littlebull, 73 years old, is in custody in the Yellowstone County Detention Center, and is being held on a federal hold without bond.
Littlebull is also known to go by the last name of Ackerman, which is the name he is booked under in the jail.
