That’s according to emails among the millions of files the Department of Justice released late last month connected to Jeffrey Epstein, who in 2019 was arrested for trafficking and sexually assaulting dozens of underage girls.
John Robert Horner or “Jack” was born in Shelby in 1946 and served as professor and staff at Montana State University and the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman for over three decades. He drew local and national headlines for marrying a teenage paleontological student at MSU in 2012.
Emails show in August that same year, Horner visited Epstein’s “Zorro” ranch in New Mexico for a dinosaur and fossil dig at Epstein’s invitation. Following the August visit, Horner sends his best wishes to Epstein and “the girls.”
In the same email, he requests Epstein’s help to fund a seminar in Bozeman, which appears to have been granted, although Epstein did not attend. Later emails indicate Horner visited the ranch with a student for lunch in 2016, but Epstein was not present.
MSU and the Museum of the Rockies declined an interview. An MSU spokesperson said in a comment that the museum could not find a donation from Epstein.
YPR did not receive a response to emails sent to Horner.
