FILE 596 / 10 May 2025 / 73 MIN / express

Messy Methy Murder Conspiracy

Belle Fourche, South DakotaListen

The town

N ↑Town centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

We are going to Belfouche, South Dakota, in Butte County about 0:02:56

History, in brief

Town note

Belle Fourche is French for beautiful fork; French explorers named it for the confluence of what is now the Belle Fourche and Red Water rivers and Hay Creek.

about 0:04:55

Town note

Beaver trappers worked the rivers in the area.

about 0:05:12

1876

During the gold rush of 1876 farmers and ranchers settled in the valleys and grew food and meat for the miners.

about 0:05:28

Town note

Seth Bullock founded Belle Fourche as a place to load cattle onto freight cars for shipment to packing plants in the Midwest.

about 0:06:09
All 5 history facts

Town note

Belle Fourche is French for beautiful fork; French explorers named it for the confluence of what is now the Belle Fourche and Red Water rivers and Hay Creek.

about 0:04:55

Town note

Beaver trappers worked the rivers in the area.

about 0:05:12

1876

During the gold rush of 1876 farmers and ranchers settled in the valleys and grew food and meat for the miners.

about 0:05:28

Town note

Seth Bullock founded Belle Fourche as a place to load cattle onto freight cars for shipment to packing plants in the Midwest.

about 0:06:09

1876

Seth Bullock arrived in Deadwood on August 2nd, 1876 to sell supplies to the miners, the day Wild Bill Hickok was killed.

about 0:06:28

The figures, as told

Money

Median home value$263,100
Median household income$46,151
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2025

Population

"5,561 people"

No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:04:20

Median household income

"$46,151"

Comparison: "about $69,000 national average". No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:04:28

Median home cost

"$263,100"

No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:04:37

The reviews

3.3 / 5 · average of 4

5 stars

“One of the greatest small towns in the United States, full of loving people, with a nostalgia in every season; an amazing rodeo town.”
about 0:07:02

3 stars

“Mostly a very safe area of small towns where people help each other, but the police can be single-minded, always think they are right and would rather argue than listen.”
about 0:07:25

3 stars

“The seasons are very different from one another, with very hot summers and very cold winters.”
about 0:07:46

2 stars

“Very limited eating choices in town; better food and entertainment are 30 miles away in the gambling city of Deadwood.”
about 0:08:17

In South Dakota

Closest episodes

  1. Torture, Torment & TerrorSpearfish, South Dakota · 28 December 202319 km / 12 miShow on map
  2. Cheers To My KillerWhitewood, South Dakota · 6 May 202328 km / 17 miShow on map
  3. The Perfect CrimeHill City, South Dakota · 16 April 202285 km / 53 miShow on map
  4. Twin Marrying MadnessLemmon, South Dakota · 29 June 2024194 km / 121 miShow on map
  5. The Dismount Is The Problem...Sheridan, Wyoming · 7 December 2018246 km / 153 miShow on map

The story

In July 2004 Troy Jason Klug, 26, was living in the Belle Fourche area of South Dakota with his girlfriend, Dwana Beebe. He had been born in Rapid City on 27 May 1978 and had grown up playing sport before methamphetamine took over his life.

Klug meant to collect methamphetamine on credit, sell it and clear his debts. Beebe, recovering from surgery, was furious at being left; Klug rang and texted her and she refused to answer.

They went through his belongings, took his cologne and told Beebe he was no longer a problem. She ordered them out.

Klug was put in a large toolbox in the garage.

That Wednesday Beebe and Klug's mother, Joyce, reported him missing.

Brett Groomer of the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation led the search for Klug.

In May 2009 remains were found in the Sheep Mountain Range in eastern Montana with boxer shorts, a belt, shoes, a wallet, duct tape, barn lime and alkaline cleaner; DNA confirmed the identification.

The case

Murder of Troy Klug

Victims

Troy Jason Klug (26). Methamphetamine user who lived with his girlfriend Dwana Beebe; born in Rapid City on May 27th, 1978

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 10 May 2025.

Accused

Accused

Accused

Accused

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Dwana Beebe. Klug's girlfriend, recovering from surgery; reported him missing
Robert Highley. Beebe's brother and Klug's friend; left house in Klug's vehicle
Abby Dejong. best friend, who urged her to call the police
Eric Haar. friend, asked to check the toolbox
Ross Thomas. Man in North Dakota at whose house and stayed
Brett Groomer. Special agent for the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation
Ronald and Joyce Klug. Troy's parents

The timeline

  1. May 27th, 1978 Troy Jason Klug is born in Rapid City, South Dakotaabout 0:12:15
  2. July 12, 2004 Klug and Robert Highley drive to house in Rapid City to buy methamphetamine; Klug repeatedly calls and texts Beebe and she does not answer ( house)about 0:15:26
  3. July 12, 2004 Klug is told to leave house and Highley drives off in Klug's vehicle ( house)about 0:19:53
  4. July 12, 2004 returns to find has bound Klug with duct tape; they put him in the boot of her black Nissan and drive to Beebe's house ( house)about 0:20:46
  5. July 12, 2004 About 9 p.m. and search Klug's belongings at Beebe's house and take his cologne (Dwana Beebe house)about 0:21:15
  6. July 12, 2004 s Beebe that Klug is no longer a problem and Beebe orders them out (Dwana Beebe house)about 0:23:14
  7. July 13, 2004 About 6 to 7 a.m. arrives at house and puts the bound Klug in a large toolbox in the garage ( house)about 0:28:16
  8. July 13, 2004 and go to work leaving Klug in the toolbox; returns later, sees gone and locks the garage ( house)about 0:28:58
  9. July 13, 2004 That afternoon asks Eric Haar to check the toolbox and Haar finds Klug inside ( house)about 0:30:07
  10. July 13, 2004 About 6.30 p.m. Abby Dejong arrives and urges to call the police; refuses ( house)about 0:32:26
  11. July 13, 2004 That evening and bring methamphetamine; says Klug owes them between two and three hundred dollars ( house)about 0:33:44
  12. July 14, 2004 About 2 to 3 a.m. and arrive at house ( house)about 0:35:06
  13. July 14, 2004 and drive Klug to a gravel road, where punches and kicks him before they return him to the boot (gravel road)about 0:35:39
  14. July 14, 2004 leaves for work at about 5 a.m. ( house)about 0:37:25
  15. July 14, 2004 About 5.30 a.m. and return to house; says he has woken Klug and is leaving, and washes out the toolbox ( house)about 0:39:09
  16. July 14, 2004 That evening , , Dejong and Haar agree to keep silent, and says they need an alibi ( house)about 0:40:20
  17. July 14, 2004 Beebe and Klug's mother Joyce file a missing persons reportabout 0:41:01
  18. July 14, 2004 Just after midnight and climb through Beebe's living-room window and try to take her to a cabin; she refuses (Dwana Beebe house)about 0:41:32
  19. July 15, 2004 s he left Klug in the toolbox all day without water and beat him until he felt bones crush in his face ( house)about 0:43:24
  20. July 15, 2004 says Klug is dead and still in the boot, and she and leave saying they are going to Montana ( house)about 0:44:13

Places and phrases

N ↑Town centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode