Incident at Big Sky: The Inside Story of the Search for Two Savage Killers in Montana

by Johnny France, Malcolm McConnell

Edgar Award The “exciting” true story of the abduction of biathlete Kari Swenson and the five-month manhunt to bring her tormentors to justice (The New York Times Book Review). Former rodeo cowboy Johnny France had been sheriff of Madison County, Montana, for three years when Kari Swenson, a Bozeman resident training for the World Biathlon Championship, went missing near Big Sky Resort in July 1984. Her friends feared that Kari had been attacked by a grizzly bear, but the truth was far She’d been kidnapped at gunpoint by father-and-son survivalists Don and Dan Nichols. The pair had been living in the wilderness off and on for years and hoped to make Kari a “mountain woman” and Dan’s bride. But the plan went horribly wrong from the start, and after a deadly firefight with rescuers, the kidnappers vanished into the rugged terrain of the Spanish Peaks.   As Montana’s summer froze into brutal winter blizzards, SWAT teams, forest rangers, and antiterrorist units searched the backcountry but sighted the mountain men only once. Then came the call about a strange campfire on a slope above the Madison River. Sheriff France decided to go into the forest to face the fugitives—alone. The resulting showdown made him “perhaps the most famous Western sheriff since Wyatt Earp . . . a modern legend” (Chicago Tribune).  Incident at Big Sky is an “amazing . . . exciting retelling of a modern crime” that made headlines around the world (The New York Times Book Review). In a voice as distinctive and compelling as the Montana landscape, France takes readers on a high-stakes adventure so bizarre and unforgettable it could only be true.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Westerns, Travel, Thriller

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 1986

Reviews

[DanielL · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t normally read true crime books, but I came across Incident at Big Sky: The Inside Story of the Search for Two Savage Killers in Montana. Other than the fact that Swenson was kidnapped and rescued, details of the incident were unknown to me so I decided to read the book.

Incident at Big Sky: The Inside Story of the Search for Two Savage Killers in Montana is a well-written true crime book. It’s a quick read, but engrossing. As with most true crime books, I find reading about a violent, anti-social psychopath somewhat depressing and alarming that people like Don and Dan Nichols are in our midst. On the other hand, it’s somewhat reassuring that someone like Sheriff Johnny Frances is also in our midst.

The manhunt for the Nichols is the primary storyline in Incident at Big Sky: The Inside Story of the Search for Two Savage Killers in Montana, but there are underlying stories in the book. There is the conflict between the different inhabitants of Montana, i.e., the Ted Turner / Jane Fonda liberals, the farmers and ranchers, survivalists, the militias, wannabe cowboys. There is the struggle of an elected sheriff with limited resources trying to deal with the news media. The struggle to find the money and manpower to conduct a search for two killers in the rugged and immense backcountry. The balancing act with overlapping jurisdictions. Etc.

The authors attempt to give a psychological understanding of how Don and Dan Nichols became who they are. The alarming thing is that Dan Nichols will eventually (if he hasn’t already) be released from prison. One wonders if someone like Dan Nichols has the life skills to survive and live peacefully in society. He’ll probably revert to living out in the backcountry or homeless in some city or town. Someone like Dan Nichols in our midst again should have everyone worried.

[Danny Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting Western True Crime

This story is remarkable on many fronts, the least of which being Johnny France's personal story. I know some of the people, and I've spent time at some of the places, so it was exceptionally interesting to me. I actually think I met France, if he was still the sheriff in 1992. Anyway, I highly recommend this book to any fan of true crime. Thank you for your service and story, Sheriff.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when this was in the news back in 1984. How can it be that long ago? I found the book interesting, especially since we seem to have more and more people 'living rough' off the grid 35 years later. The woods can be dangerous!

[Lori Leaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a crazy story from the kidnapping, to search & rescue to the long manhunt and eventual capture. Knowing this area well I can see how difficult it could be to find men who purposely are lost in the mountains.

[Bill reilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kari Swenson was abducted by Don and Dan Nichol's while on a run in training for the Olympics as a biathlete. The "mountain men" lived mostly off of the land in Big Sky, Montana. Unfortunately, most of the book entails the seemingly endless five month search by lawmen.
Don claimed to Kari that he wished for a wife for his son Dan. While chained to a tree, Kari was shot and a man with the unlikely name of Al Goldstein(my fellow NYers will understand the humor here) was killed when he came upon the threesome.
I was bored with the monotonous details of the choppers and planes and I wanted more background on the pair of misfits.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, an interesting and decently enjoyable read. I especially enjoyed getting a glimpse into the daily demands of life - and law enforcement - in such a rugged and remote area. However, I feel that the book's focus is a bit skewed, and this threw off my enjoyment of the story. Comparatively little time and description are devoted to the actual crime itself, as well as to the capture of the criminals and aftermath. The bulk of the book focuses on the "middle" section of the events, on the planning, chasing, and plotting stage of the manhunt, which grew to feel rather tedious rather quickly. But the story picks up well towards the end, and the final section - which covers the end of the manhunt - is largely the most well-written area of the book.

[Bertha Ivins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember watching this on the news, and I often wondered what happened to the girl that got kidnapped, this book didn’t have a lot about her, but it was interesting how the sheriff was always focused on catching her kidnappers.

[Dlmrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Ethan Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth a read, but it is a lil slow at times. It’s almost as if a manhunt deep in the mountains for two guys who have lived in the mountains for a while is probably a very difficult task. Johnny France is an absolute beast though.

[Jeff Elias · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible true story about a crime in the Montana wilderness. The book follows two stories, which are both page turners. Sheriff Johnny, France was relentless in his pursuit, and the Nichols mountain men were cunning and wily. It’s hard to believe that this actually happened.

[Kim Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when this happened. It was scary then and it was scary reading about it 30 some years later.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

A world-class athlete is kidnapped by mountain men who wound her and then flee into the wilds of Montana. The abduction sequence is quite brief, so most of the book concerns the hunt for the kidnappers--which would be fine if not for the fact that the local sheriff (and co-author) is a know-it-all with a huge chip on his shoulder. An interesting yarn, but be prepared to hear over and over again how the long-suffering sheriff is the only one around with any sense.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book went into too much detail of the search and capture of the Nichols trio. Yes that is what the story involved but every single detail was not necessary about infrared technology and other search means and all the details of every weapon. Unfortunately all of this was repetitive and boring and I almost gave up and didn't finish !! After awhile, you're reading & thinking - just capture those men already and let's just get this misery over with !!! I just wanted it to over with !!!

[Bruce Corder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaker of a story

Such a tale of tragedy and triumph. The tragedy is the kidnapping of Keri Swenson and the senseless murder of Al Goldstein. The pursuit of the criminals by a dedicated team of professional lawmen with all it’s inherent details gave me a front row seat in the tracking and eventual justice meted out by the trials. Sad for the families of the victims and the aftermath.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read about a really, really odd crime and the flabbergasting coincidence that finally made it possible to catch the lawbreakers. You won't read many stories like this one. The authors really take you into the landscape of the story, which is almost a character in itself. There are no flat characters or spare words in this story. Well worth a look.

[Dianeparente62gmail.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gripping Tale

This is a fine account of a terrifying kidnapping, a murder and the ensuing, relentless search for a father and son team in the mountainous forests of Montana. The sheriff, Johnny France, is the chief pursuer almost consumed by his desire to capture and bring to justice Donald Holmes and his son Danny. But this book is more than the story of a crime and a dogged six month pursuit.


The book's co-author is the sheriff himself who paints a dramatic account of the psychological makeup of two men who have chosen to live as skilled mountain men isolated from society. Sheriff Johnny in his prolonged musings on the whys and whereabouts of the Nichols men develops a somewhat sympathetic understanding of the harsh life experiences that shaped these two two outlaw/outcasts by choice.

We are also given a clear portrait 9f thekidnapping victim a young biathlon athlete training for the olympics whose jogging path intersects with the Nichols in a forest on a Montana summer dayana summer day. She suffers physically and psychologically during her overnight ordeal and is accidentally shot by the younger kidnapper as he runs from her rescuers. Her rescue from a near fatal wound is one of the most gripping incidents in the book.

The sheriff turned author shares openly his struggles growing up, his life as a rodeo rider, his family concerns, the difficulties of serving as sheriff for a large geographical area, and provides a painstaking account of the personal toll of six months seeking forest-wisw fugitives. We get an inside look at the logistical and personality diffiiculties that arose during the July- December (1984) manhunt. The step by step, single handed takedown of the fugitives by the sheriff is compelling drama.

A key player in the " incident" is the geoography, flora and fauna of the rugged Montana setting. The descriptions are so authentic that a little Googling was necessary. ( what, for example, does the word "draw" mean in a geographical setting.?]Giving further realism to the book are the sights, sounds, smells and temperature descriptions intertwined with the human actors.

Ut us easy to see why this book was an Edgar Award finalist, combining as it does a well -told tale peopled by real life characters living in a little known, tension filled geographical setting,

[Emilio III · Rating 5 out of 5]

A father and son, Don and Dan Nichols, spend a year in the mountains of Montana. They are survivalists. The twenty-year-old son is devoted to his father, but he also has desires and wants that only a female can provide. The solution. Kidnap a woman. What could possibly go wrong?

That is the hairbrain idea that sets things in motion for this well-written account of a months-long manhunt. The woman the two men decide to kidnap is a biathlon athlete out jogging along an isolated trail. Her name is Kari Swenson. Since there is no way that they could have known that Kari would be out jogging that day, this is a crime of opportunity. Had they spent even a few minutes discussing their plan, they might have seen how foolish it was. Instead, they decided that they needed a mountain woman to accompany them and Kari just happened to fit the bill.

There's no question that Kari was traumatized by the kidnapping. Were they going to rape her? Were they going to kill her if she didn't go along? Within hours of her disappearance, a search for Kari begins. There is a possibility of a bear attack. Maybe she fell and broke her ankle.

When two searchers stumble upon the Nichols and their captive, a man is shot and killed by Don Nichols. Kari is also shot by Danny, though this shooting was accidental. Don and Dan hightail it out of there and head for the high country. Once Kari is airlifted to a nearby hospital, the search for the two fugitives begins.

The bulk of the book concerns the manhunt. There are plenty of near misses and failed attempts to keep the suspense going. One of the authors is Sheriff Johnny France who led the search for the fugitives. So you get a firsthand account of what it took to finally bring these two to justice.

In the end, both men pay a hefty price for their actions. Can you think of any punishment more severe for someone who loves the outdoors than to be locked away in a tiny cell for decades?

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the manhunt in the Montana mountains near Big Sky Resort following the 1984 kidnapping of a woman and murder of her would-be rescuer.
It was an interesting story, particularly for me as I’ve been to Big Sky a couple of times (absolutely beautiful country), and it is told with a lot of tension and drama. But I have a couple of problems with the points of view.
First, the woman—biathlete Kari Swenson, who was running in the mountains as part of her training for the Winter Olympics—is not heard from after the first chapter, which chronicles her kidnapping by two mountain men who wanted to make her “their woman.” Her parents make an appearance later in the book, but not in a favorable light. It would have been nice to read at least something about the progress of Swenson’s recovery.
Second, the book is written (with a credited co-author) by France, who was the sheriff of the county heading up the manhunt. But it’s told in the third person, which is just a very odd way to go about it. I mean, I have no doubt he was a hero in the story, but boasting in third person seems so much worse than first-person boasting.
I’ll be generous and give the book four stars, but it cries out for 3-1/2.

[James O. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edge of Your Seat Suspense

Outstanding story telling. You feel like you're sitting right beside the sheriff the whole time! The description of everything from the landscape, the weather, and the conditions to the frustration of the dogged hunt for the fugitives is absolutely spot on and riveting. Definitely not a book you can put down easily.

I hope the family of the victim have found peace and I hope the beautiful young lady has found a happy life where she feels safe and secure knowing these two are behind bars.

The world can be an ugly place and we owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who man the thin blue line between those that would do us harm and the safety of ourselves and our loved ones. Thank you for your service!

[Mr. Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holy flurking schnit! I couldn't find a book about paint drying, but this was close enough. This was very much like a fifth grader writing for a third grader. Reminds me of SRA reading in grade school. Was this a Scholastic book? Did the physical book have pop-ups? Scratch-and-sniff? My dad is retired law enforcement. I bet I could get near blackout drunk and write about any single day of his career and call it Incident at ___ ___, and it would be as... "good" as this book. Seriously. This book is like if you put maybe three paraplegic monkeys in a room with two typewriters and one ink ribbon.

To sum up: I did not like this book.

THE END

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was living in Montana at the time of this event and thirty something years later reading about it again. I had forgotten most of the details but this brought it all back. Having lived in Montana I had a good idea about the snow and winter that ensued during the manhunt. Reading about the living conditions of the two men and also the conditions that Johnny France and the other officers that were prusuing them had to endure brought memories of how much snow there is in Montana in the winter and how cold it can get. I also did some reading on Google to follow up on what is going on in the lives of Johnny France, Kari Swenson, and Don and Dan Nichols.

[Theodore Raser · Rating 4 out of 5]

The events in this book occurred in 1984. Nevertheless it is an interesting true story. One of the coauthors is a hardscrabble lawman intimately involved with the events. A father and his adult son are living in the Montana wilderness. Their lawlessness hadn’t extended beyond the poaching of game and the occasional pilfering of food caches left by hunting and ranching outfits . This changes when they kidnap a young woman they encounter. Tragedy ensues. Much of the story is trying to find and apprehend them in the Montana wilderness. One interesting aspects to reading a story that occurred so many years ago is being able to add an addendum to the story by goggling some the participants.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true crime story about lawman Johnny France, on the trail of a murderer, in remote Montana. This title caught my eye because I was in Montana last summer, and fell in love with the wildness of it all. The authors were in depth about describing the personality of France and the two survivalists, who shot a young woman and killed the man coming to her rescue. Man vs. Nature, as swarms of officers spent 5 months tracking the suspects in the high country. I read a review wh said the man who pulled the trigger and put behind bars, is out on parole? How can that be possible?

[Linda Appelbaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intense, suspensful and gritty.

I live in the mountains so I know how dense, steep and almost impossible they can be and how searching for 2 men would be almost impossible. The two men were so much savage killers as just plain old crazy, demented mountain men. The sheriff was a dedicated no-nonsence guy who was determined to get the men who kidnapped a woman as she ran along a trail in Montana. I would have liked to learn more about the woman but the book really focused on hunting the men down.

[Geicodave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Law enforcement hunts two murderous survivalists

Interesting book regarding a father-son team of survivalists who attempted to kidnap a young woman and fatally shot one her would-be rescuers. After being tracked for months in the wilds of Montana by numerous law enforcement officers, including a determined county sheriff, they are finally brought to justice. A lot of the dialog is far too detailed to be other than fictional, but the sheriff comes across as an admirable and dedicated man.

[Too Many Toys · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a true crime story that reads like a novel without ridiculous embellishment. My guess is that this book is either the product of a great editor or co-writer, but regardless, it is well done. The book filled in the gaps between the documented facts with believable backstory. It provided enough detail and backstory without becoming tedious. I read quite a lot of true crime and this is one of my all-time best.

[Lizy Gaines · Rating 2 out of 5]

It just didn't grab me...I downloaded a sample and got the first chapter. That was a good read, but the rest of the book was very slow moving. There was way too much info a out helicopters, snowfall, cold and flashbacks.

I found my self skimming the pages, hoping for something interesting and beyond the first and possibly final chapter I didn't find anything.

[Myrna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

I remember when the two Nichols men abducted and shot Kari Swenson and murdered Al Goldstein. The audacity of these two men to think they could abduct a young woman for the purpose of making her their wife is incredulous! What a brave and able man is Johnny French to do what even the FBI couldn't do in capturing these elusive mountain men.

[Scott Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book

Bizarre story of a father and son separated from society to live the lives of mountain men. I can't help but think there were some serious mental health issues with these mountain men. Rimes they committed caused lawmen into very remote and primitive areas of Montana's high range mountain.

[Eric T. Bergeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scared to hell & back.

The story was perfect. I never had any idea of the thickness of the trees and brush. Nor did I ever have any idea of the hellish difficulties the law faced in those mountains. I am completely impressed with Johnny France and his deputies.
I would recommend this book to anyone.