EBS STAFF
On July 10, a man was arrested and charged with the 2021 murder of 79-year-old Bozeman resident Steven Kilwein.
The Gallatin County Attorney’s Office announced in a press release July 11 that Austin John Clowes was charged with deliberate homicide and held on $1 million bond after appearing in Gallatin County Justice Court.
On June 13, 2021, the Bozeman Police Department responded to a welfare check at Kilwein’s home and discovered his body—an autopsy revealed multiple chop-style wounds and ruled his death a homicide. The case remained unsolved for four years, with detectives from the Bozeman Police Department continuing to pursue leads. Advances in forensic DNA testing ultimately led to the charges being filed.
“This was an extremely violent and senseless killing of a vulnerable elder in our community,” Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell stated in the release. “I am deeply grateful to law enforcement that Mr. Clowes has been apprehended and charged. Most importantly, I want to commend the Kilwein family for their extraordinary grace, patience and steadfast commitment to justice during the long wait for answers in this tragic case.”
Evidence recovered at the scene included a cell phone belonging to Clowes, which placed him at the scene during the early morning hours of the murder, the release explained. Additional DNA evidence recovered from the victim’s pajama bottoms and hands was later matched to DNA from a water bottle taken from Clowes’ trash.
The release noted that Clowes is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and the case will proceed through the pretrial process in Gallatin County District Court.
If Clowes posts bond, he will be subject to “strict conditions”: he must comply with pre-trial services and wear a GPS monitor, surrender his passport and is prohibited from consuming alcohol or entering establishments where alcohol is the primary item sold. He is also barred from possessing weapons and from contacting any witnesses or members of the Kilwein family, according to the release.
The Gallatin County Attorney’s Office thanked the Bozeman Police Department, detectives from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, the Montana State Crime Lab, Pure Gold Forensics and its victim advocacy team “for their dedication to solving this case and supporting the Kilwein family.”
