Rebekah Barsotti

Case Information:

Rebekah Barsotti, a 33-year-old resident of Missoula, Montana, disappeared on the afternoon of July 20, 2021. She was last seen at approximately 2:15 p.m. at the Town Pump gas station in Superior, Montana, where she had traveled to retrieve personal belongings.

The search for Rebekah became one of the most extensive efforts in the history of Mineral County, spanning nearly eleven months. On May 17, 2022, a body was recovered from the Clark Fork River near Superior, which dental records confirmed to be the missing woman.

Case Details:

In the days following her disappearance, Rebekah’s vehicle and personal items were discovered at a rest stop near mile marker 71 on Interstate 90. The belongings were found in a manner that her family has consistently described as suspicious and inconsistent with an accidental drowning scenario.

Tragically, her beloved dog, Cerberus, was found deceased approximately ten miles downstream just six days after she vanished. While local authorities have leaned toward a theory of accidental drowning during a high-water event, her family continues to dispute the timeline and the circumstances leading up to her death.

Timeline of Events:

On July 20, 2021, Rebekah completed her errands in Superior and was captured on surveillance footage. By 3:15 p.m., a video recovered from her phone showed her training her dog by the river at the Alberton rest stop, which remains the last confirmed proof of life.

The 11-month gap between her disappearance and the recovery of her remains in May 2022 was marked by over 2,000 hours of volunteer and professional search time. Despite the recovery, the exact moment Rebekah entered the water remains a point of intense interest for her loved ones.

Investigation:

The Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, which also serves as the Coroner’s office, oversaw the initial search involving resources from multiple counties and Two Bear Air Rescue. While the initial official outlook favored an accidental drowning, the case has faced scrutiny regarding the “undetermined” manner of death.

Further forensic reviews were conducted by the Montana Department of Justice, but the length of time the remains were in the water made pinpointing a specific cause of death challenging. As a result, the investigation remains a subject of ongoing community awareness and advocacy.

Community Response:

The Superior and Missoula communities have rallied around Rebekah’s family, who have been tireless advocates for the truth. Vigils and community meetings have been held to keep the case active, emphasizing that beauty and kindness radiated from Rebekah’s spirit.

Local advocates have used Rebekah’s story to highlight the complexities of missing persons cases in Montana. The movement continues to serve as a hub for community members to share sightings or anomalies they may have noticed near the river in the summer of 2021.

Family Statements:

Rebekah’s mother has described her grief as a “tornado, tsunami, and a hurricane,” vowing never to stop seeking the full truth behind her daughter’s passing. The family maintains that Rebekah was a determined, compassionate woman who was in the process of starting a new life.

They believe the location of her belongings and the dog are clues that point toward a more complex set of circumstances than a simple accident. For her loved ones, closure is only possible when they fully understand why a capable outdoorswoman was unable to escape the waters.

Physical Appearance:

Rebekah was 33 years old, standing approximately 5’6″ tall with a slender build, blonde hair, and green eyes. She was known for her natural beauty and was rarely seen without her Belgian Malinois, Cerberus, by her side.

Because her remains were in the river for nearly a year, identification was made possible through specialized dental analysis. Her family asks that the public remember her as she lived—vibrant, hardworking, and deeply connected to her animals.

Current Status:

As of April 21, 2026, the death of Rebekah Barsotti is a resolved missing person case but remains an open topic of discussion regarding the circumstances of her death. Her remains were released to her family following identification by the Montana Department of Justice.

The family continues to work with private advocates to review the findings of the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office. They remain hopeful that someone who was at the mile marker 71 rest stop on that July afternoon will eventually provide the final piece of the puzzle.

Contact Information:

If you have any information regarding the events leading up to the death of Rebekah Barsotti, please contact the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office at 406-822-3555. You can also submit information to the Montana Department of Justice to assist in the pursuit of accountability and justice for her family.

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