Town file
Geraldine, Montana
Geraldine, Montana (Choteau County, Montana) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 569, "A Stalker To Die For" (6 February 2025). Dr Brian Rein was born on Valentine's Day 1965 in Rocky Ford, Colorado, and grew up there and in Sugar City before his family moved to Scott City, Kansas, in 1975.
- Town
- Geraldine
- County
- Choteau County
- State
- Montana
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 569
- Approximate location
- 47.602, -110.267
Episode 569 / 6 February 2025 / 171 min / full
A Stalker To Die For
"We're going to Montana this week to Geraldine, Montana, in central Montana, about an hour and 10 minutes to Great Falls." about 0:04:13
The case: Murder of Dr Brian Rein (the night of July 12, 1996). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2025
- Population
- 202
- Median age
- 60
- Median household income
- $32,083
- Median home value
- $227,100
- Two-bedroom rent
- $860
- Cost of living
- 78.6
- Religious
- 86.3%
- Property crime
- ▼ about a quarter under the national average
- Violent crime
- ▼ just below the national average
History, in brief
- Geraldine was originally created as a stop on the Milwaukee Railroad. about 0:05:14
- Named for Almyra Geraldine Rockefeller, wife of William Rockefeller, a director of the railroad; James jokes they named it after his daughter to curry favour. about 0:05:25
- The county seat is Fort Benton. about 0:05:50
- Choteau County was established in 1865 as one of the original nine counties of Montana. about 0:05:52
- Named after Pierre Choteau Jr., a fur trader who established the trading post that became Fort Benton. about 0:05:58
- Choteau County is home to the Chippewa Cree Tribe and the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. about 0:06:10
- The area contains part of the Lewis and Clark National Forest. about 0:06:20
The reviews read out
5 stars
"Kimberly driving from Alaska to Iowa booked contactless check-in and found the room wonderful and cozy, the bed comfortable, coffee and popcorn available, with a microwave, fridge and coffee maker; she would recommend it to everyone."about 0:07:47
5 stars
"Caught in a snowstorm between Great Falls and Lewiston, the reviewer says it is the best and meets all survival needs, with a fantastic attitude and a care package of food that lasted three days."about 0:09:04
3 stars
"Jessica found it a bit pricey for off season; the room was standard and they were only allowed to use one bed for $5 more. The owner replied that they charge for the room, not what is used inside it."about 0:09:48
1 star
"John said there was no accountability from the manager, who plays nice but blames the guest when something is not working. The owner replied that his reviews are all negative and he has never stayed there, so it is probably a fake review."about 0:10:41
1 star
"Marvin's entire review: sucked."about 0:11:22
"A woman arrived late at night to find her room given away and texted the manager from outside the door; the manager told her there was nothing more he could do and to leave the property."about 0:11:30
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Stanford, Montana31 miles
- Manhattan, Montana131 miles
- Ovando, Montana142 miles
- Butte, Montana154 miles
- Fort Smith, Montana193 miles
- Hot Springs, Montana205 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.