Mystery Unfolds: Missing U-Haul Leads to Arrest in Missoula

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On April 8, 2025, a deputy with the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office spoke with a manager with U-Haul. The manager stated that on April 1, 2025, 47-year-old Danyell Lewis rented a 10-foot box truck from U-Haul at their Highway 10 location. Lewis was supposed to return the vehicle by 5:00 p.m. that day but failed to do so.  

The manager attempted to contact her multiple times by calling and texting the two phone numbers provided on the contract but received no response. The manager said the text messages he sent showed “read” receipts. The manager valued the U-Haul vehicle at approximately $35,000.  

Following this discussion, the deputy responded to the Arlee area after receiving information that a U-Haul vehicle was parked on some property off Doney Lane. Upon arrival, he located the U-Haul and confirmed it was the same one that was reported stolen. 

The deputy honked his horn a few times, and a neighbor came outside and spoke with him. The deputy told the neighbor about the stolen U-Haul, and she offered to notify the property owners. A short time later, the neighbor returned with Lewis.  

Lewis informed the deputy that she had not returned the U-Haul because she thought it would be ok to pay for additional days after the fact. When asked why she never contacted U-Haul about securing additional time on the rental, she had no answer.  

The deputy arrested Lewis and transported her to jail. In determining the appropriate charge for this matter, the State located another case referral for Lewis from March of 2024.  

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

On October 27, 2023, Lewis signed a rental agreement with Enterprise, set to expire on November 9, 2023. Lewis did not return the rental on that date. On December 1, 2023, the Enterprise manager called Lewis and spoke with her over the phone. He informed Lewis that she needed to return the vehicle as insurance was no longer paying for it and had set the rental expiration date as November 9. Lewis did not return the rental.  

A “Demand for Return of Overdue Vehicle” letter was sent to the address Lewis provided to Enterprise. On January 16, 2024, Enterprise reported the rental stolen. The rental was found abandoned the following day. 

This is now the second time a potential rental-vehicle theft involving Lewis has occurred in the past 18 months. According to court documents, the State believes the Enterprise incident provides important evidence of Lewis’s mental state with regard to the U-Haul incident. Lewis is currently being charged with felony theft. 

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.