BONNER COUNTY, Idaho – The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a suspect in a cold case homicide from 2004.
Christine Lott was reported missing by her then husband, Stephen Lott, on March 27, 2004. Lott, a mother of three from Priest River, was 34-years-old when she went missing.
During the investigation, detectives said Stephen became the primary person of interest in Christine’s disappearance. Multiple interviews were conducted with Stephen and other witnesses. Over the years, detectives continued to explore leads and searched suspected areas in the county for Christine’s remains.
On February 26, 2016, a shed hunter found what appeared to be human remains in the woods off Forest Service Road 499, in Kootenai County. The remains were later identified as Christine. Officials said continued investigation findings lead detectives toward Stephen being the primary person of interest.
In June 2018, detectives learned about a letter Stephen wrote to a family member saying Christine’s death happened in Bonner County and he tried to explain it away as a suicide. Officials said this contradicted what he had previously told detectives. This helped detectives secure a warrant for his arrest for first degree murder with a $1 million bond. Later, a grand jury was convened and found probable cause to charge him with first degree murder and failing to notify the coroner of a death.
On June 19, Stephen was arrested in Murfeesboro, Tennessee, on a warrant out of Bonner County. He was transported back to Bonner County on July 3. He made his first court appearance Thursday.