It has been over two years since Jessie Guardipee was fatally stabbed on the south side of Billings.
Just two days after the incident, police mentioned they had a suspect in mind, but no arrests or charges have been made.
Guardipee resided in a house on South 27th Street in the summer of 2022 when the tragic incident occurred.
Her family regularly sets up a memorial in her honor and is worried about the lack of progress in the case.
“He does this little skip hop lunge thing,” Ashley Renya recalled witnessing the night Guardipee was killed. “And I see something shiny as he gets her, from what I understand, right in the heart because she turned around and said, ‘Ashley, he stabbed me.’”
Guardipee was only 24 years old at the time of her death, a memory that will forever haunt her cousin, Ashley Renya, who tried to save her life.
“I kept reassuring her that God is with us, and she made it to the car before collapsing between the car and the porch,” Renya shared about Guardipee.
Renya was okay with Q2 mentioning her name but preferred not to be on camera.
She explained that the altercation began over a parking spot and shortly after, a family member was performing CPR on Jessie while they awaited the ambulance.
“I prayed so intensely until we received the call from my auntie,” Renya said. “They asked us to go to the hospital, where we were informed that she had passed away.”
“The family is devastated,” said Todd Odapal, a close family friend. “They are seeking answers and solutions.”
Odapal is voicing the family’s frustration, stating that even under the best circumstances, delays are unbearable for the family.
The fatal stabbing occurred on the evening of July 3, 2022. Yet, over two years later, no suspect has been charged despite several witnesses coming forward from the start.
Police suggested it might be a case of self-defense, though the family claims the individual is in custody on unrelated charges.
“The person identified as Jessie Guardipee’s assailant was taken into custody on the night of the incident but later released,” Odapal mentioned.
County Attorney Scott Twito, R-Yellowstone County, cannot confirm this but hinted at possible developments in the upcoming weeks.
“When will there be a trial?” Odapal questioned. “All the family wants is justice served.”
