HELENA — The Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man who was found dead in October 2025 near Mount Helena, and provided the cause of death.
On October 24, 2025, deputies were dispatched to the west side of Mount Helena after a hiker found the body of a man at a makeshift campsite on state land.
Lewis & Clark County Sheriff/Coroner Leo Dutton this week identified the man as Stephen Finley-Zabriskie. He was 56 years old, according to an obituary.
The Sheriff’s Office initially investigated the death as “suspicious in nature," which is not uncommon for this type of situation.
Following an investigation, the manner of death was determined to be due to natural causes.
Sheriff Dutton said in a news release that the cause of death was determined to be arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
He noted, “These findings are consistent with established medical indicators and do not suggest the involvement of any external or suspicious factors."
Since the cause of death was determined to be natural, the Sheriff’s Office concluded no further investigation was necessary.
“We here at the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Zabriskie during this challenging time,” wrote Dutton.
No other details have been released.
(OCTOBER 24, 2025) The Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an area west of Mount Helena on state land after human remains were found.
According to Lieutenant Greg Holmlund, a hiker found the remains at a makeshift campsite on Friday.
He told MTN this is a developing investigation, but he noted there is no danger to the community.
Due to the remote nature of the location, people may see a continued law enforcement presence in the area in the coming week.
People are asked to avoid the area while law enforcement completes their investigation.
We will update you if we get more information.
