(Sheriff’s Office Press Release – Received 5/27) On Friday May 23rd, 2025, at approximately 6:01 p.m. the Hill Conty Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call of a disturbance located at 301 2nd Street in Hingham, Montana. The female caller reported a male at the residence was threatening her with a gun, and that call was abruptly ended by the 911 caller. A second 911 call was received from the residence where another party reported a female had been shot and was deceased. The caller reported the male suspect had retreated to the basement with the weapon.
Medical services were dispatched and advised to stage in a safe location until law enforcement arrived. Upon arrival Hill County Deputies learned medical services had already been in the residence, and determined the female, identified as 39-year old Tiffiney Niehoff, was indeed deceased. Hill County Deputies established a perimeter and were able to safely remove the witnesses from the residence. Witnesses believed the suspect was still in the basement of the residence as they did not see him leave. Deputies made numerous attempts to contact the suspect and received no response. The Hill County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Great Falls/Cascade County tactical team and numerous other agencies who searched the area for the suspect and maintained a perimeter. A shelter in place notification was sent out to the Hingham community.
Negotiators eventually made contact with the suspect who surrendered peacefully and without incident. The suspect identified as 20-year old Deshawn Leeallen Chapman was arrested and charged with felony Deliberate Homicide. Chapman currently remains in the Hill County Detention Center on a 1,000,000.00 bond. The body of the decedent has been sent to the Montana Crime Lab for an autopsy, and the investigation is ongoing.
The Hill County Sheriff’s Office is still attempting to locate a pistol that may have been dropped or intentionally hidden in the town of Hingham by the suspect. The Hill County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to thoroughly search their property to ensure the pistol is recovered and is not endangering the public. If a pistol is located, do not touch it and please call the Hill County Sheriff’s Office immediately at 406-265-2521.
The Hill County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Hingham community and the following agencies and organizations who assisted during the investigation, The Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Great Falls Police Department High Risk Unit, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation’s Major Case and Narcotics Bureaus, the Havre Police Department, the Tri-Agency Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Fish and Game, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad and Railroad Police, the Hill County Attorney’s Office, Hill County Search and Rescue, Hill County Sheriff’s Office Patrol, Dispatch, and Detention Center staff, and the Hingham Our Lady Ranson Catholic Church.
