A man wanted on a probation violation out of Ravalli County has confessed to the murders of a Deer Lodge woman and her adult son. 

Ravalli County Attorney Bill Fulbright told KGVO News that 53 year-old David Wayne Nelson not only confessed to the murders of 79 year-old Beverly Giannonatti and her 57 year-old son Gregory, but also to selling several bars of stolen silver to a Missoula business.

"We received an affidavit from the Powell County Sheriff's Office about how David Wayne Nelson had confessed to killing the two missing persons from Powell County, and ultimately described where he had disposed of the bodies," Fulbright said. "He then took Sheriff Howard to those bodies."

Fulbright related one of the facts that led to Nelson being a person of interest in the murders.

"Part of the evidence that made Mr. Nelson a person of interest and a suspect, was the pawning or selling of 17 100 ounce bars of silver to a business in Missoula County that were apparently the property of the victims," he said.

Nelson was on probation for kidnapping and robbery from 1999. Fulbright said Nelson will be returned to Ravalli County to deal with his probation violation, and then be returned to Powell County to face charges of kidnapping, murder and armed robbery.

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