FBI offers $5,000 reward for information on Montana teen missing for 8 months

GARRYOWEN, Montana (ABC4) — The FBI Salt Lake City Field Office is now offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of a missing 13-year-old from Montana. A new tipline phone number has been established solely for her case: 801-579-6195.

Sa’Wade Birdinground was last seen at her family’s residence in Garryowen, Montana, on October 6, 2024. She is 13 years old, roughly 5’4″ to 5’5″ tall, 130-140 pounds, and has brown eyes and curly brown hair.

According to the FBI, Birdinground was last seen wearing a black hoodie with mushrooms on it, an anime t-shirt, basketball shorts, and purple slip-on Skechers. She may have been wearing a black and purple Adidas backpack and an elk tooth necklace.

In a press conference today, Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed from the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office held a press conference on the search for Birdinground. The SLC Field Office covers Montana, Utah, and Idaho.

“Eight months ago today, on October 6, 2024, Sa’Wade disappeared from her family home in Garryowen. This was the last time those of you who know and love Sa’Wade saw her,” Syed stated. “Eight months is an incomprehensible amount of time for any family to be without their child.”

Syed reiterated the FBI’s commitment to finding Birdinground. She said that they are working closely with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Crow Tribe Executive Branch, the Tribe’s Search and Rescue, and the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office to bring the 13-year-old home.

According to Syed, the FBI and local law enforcement have “conducted dozens of interviews, searched hundreds of acres of land, and brought every technical resource to bear.” She said that the FBI is “fully committed” to this investigation and bringing Birdinground home.

“I’ve never met Sa’Wade, but I’ve learned a lot about what kind of teen she is,” she said. “Quiet with strangers but outgoing with family and friends, kind, artistic … She is well-liked by her friends and teachers, many of whom talked about her sense of humor and how Sa’Wade makes them laugh … Sa’Wade enjoyed spending time with her siblings, and they miss her dearly.”

This year, the FBI has “doubled the number of special agents” who are working Indian Country cases in the Billings Resident Agency. These agents will assist with Birdinground’s case and other investigations in the area. This effort is part of the FBI’s Operation Not Forgotten, which launched in 2023.

“We want our Native American communities to know, you are not forgotten. We hear you; you matter. Sa’Wade is not forgotten, she matters, and we are doing everything in our power to bring her home,” Syed stated.

Anyone with information on Birdinground’s disappearance should contact the tip line established for her case, 801-579-6195, or their local FBI field office.