Arrested on Homicide Charge Months After Striking Native American Woman

author: FutureCar Staff    

A woman named Sunny K. White has been arrested for the murder of Mika Westwolf, a Native American woman, seven months after the incident occurred. White allegedly hit Westwolf with her Cadillac while driving along Highway 93 in Montana on March 31. The case caused controversy within the Indigenous community, leading to protests and accusations of a cover-up due to a mishandled police investigation.

After relentless campaigning from Westwolf's family, White was charged with five felonies, including vehicular homicide while under the influence. A search warrant on White's car revealed methamphetamine, syringes, and Narcan. Westwolf's blood sample tested positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Westwolf, 22, was walking on the shoulder of the highway when she was struck and killed. White, 28, is the suspected driver and has two children named Aryan and Nation. The news of White's arrest was described as 'bittersweet' by Westwolf's family, who had been campaigning for justice.

On the night of the incident, Westwolf and her brother were driving home from a bar when they stopped because Westwolf believed she had left her phone behind. She started walking back to the bar on foot and her body was later found on the side of the road along with vehicle debris.

An hour after the incident, a deputy spotted White next to a damaged Cadillac that matched the description provided by a tribal officer. White claimed to have hit a deer and not stopped. She mentioned that her children were in the car at the time and that she was passing a bottle to her baby, causing her to not see the deer.

White was initially arrested on child endangerment charges but they were dropped. Cellphone data placed her near the crash scene at the time of the incident. She now faces charges for accidents involving another person, child endangerment, and possession of dangerous drugs.

The investigation into Westwolf's death angered her family and community after it was revealed that crucial evidence had not been collected. The lead investigator admitted that Westwolf's clothing was not tested and had not been handled properly. He also failed to collect surveillance video from nearby businesses and the railroad. The possibility of the incident being a hate crime or White being a white supremacist was also dismissed.

The Indigenous community supported Westwolf's family and organized protests, highlighting systemic racism and a lack of commitment from prosecutors and investigators. Native Americans in Montana face a disproportionately high rate of missing persons cases and murder.

FutureCar Staff