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Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>You Still Here? Friday, February 16, 2024 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

You Still Here? Friday, February 16, 2024

 When rioting, teamwork is key. Before jumping off a car, for example, make sure your fellow rioter has no plan to open the door...

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Crime & Courts

Courts

A Washington man is facing 14 wildlife-related criminal charges in Campbell County after Wyoming investigators say years-old Instagram videos, voice messages and cellphone data uncovered evidence of alleged illegal hunting trips that stretched back more than a decade.

Court records filed in Campbell County allege Bobby Chuck Ephrem, 48, illegally killed antelope and mule deer in Wyoming in 2014, 2015 and 2020, sometimes from vehicles, sometimes without licenses and at least once using a .22-caliber pistol that investigators say was illegal for taking big game.

The charges stem from an Idaho wildlife investigation that eventually led Wyoming Game and Fish investigators to social media posts, archived videos and cellphone extractions that they say show hunting activity in Campbell County.

An arrest warrant was issued June 4, 2025. Ephrem later appeared in Campbell County Circuit Court for an initial appearance on Tuesday, where bond was set at $75,000. Court records show he posted a surety bond on Wednesday.

As a condition of release, Ephrem is not allowed to leave Campbell County and is barred from hunting, fishing, trapping, collecting shed antlers or accompanying anyone engaged in hunting or fishing activities while the case is pending.

A voicemail seeking comment from the Campbell County Attorney's Office was not returned before publication.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A Case Built From Phones And Social Media"}]

The investigation began in April 2024 when Idaho conservation officers shared information uncovered during an ongoing wildlife investigation, according to an affidavit filed by Wyoming Game and Fish Investigator Daniel Beach.

Investigators say Instagram videos, voice messages, and other evidence pointed them toward multiple incidents involving antelope and mule deer.

Beach wrote that he later traveled to Oregon in June 2024 to assist Oregon State Police while that agency executed a search warrant at Ephrem's home.

During the search and interview, investigators say Ephrem talked about several mounted animals displayed in his home and admitted to killing some of them in Wyoming.

The affidavit shows Wyoming investigators subsequently reviewed cellphone extraction data, Instagram videos and archived voice messages that they believe corroborated those admissions.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'No Permission, Just Shoot'"}]

Some of the most serious allegations center on an October 2020 antelope hunt in Campbell County.

Investigators discovered Instagram voice messages sent from Ephrem's account that referenced plans to hunt antelope in Wyoming.

One message cited in the charging documents read, "We're going antelope hunting today."

Another allegedly said, "No, just drive around and shoot shit. No permission, just shoot."

Investigators say they later identified the location shown in one of the videos as private property owned by Peabody Caballo Mining LLC south of Gillette.

Neither the company nor the rancher leasing the pasture granted permission for the hunting activity depicted in the videos, wrote Beach. 

In another video, investigators say Ephrem can be seen firing a rifle at antelope from inside a vehicle. 

Investigators also allege the video showed Ephrem handing the rifle to a younger passenger.

The charging documents include allegations of wanton destruction of antelope, taking big game from a vehicle, trespassing to hunt and accessory counts connected to those offenses.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The .22-Caliber Pistol Allegation"}]

A separate video described in the affidavit forms the basis for another series of charges.

Investigators say the recording showed Ephrem driving a Dodge Ram pickup while firing a pistol at multiple antelope from the roadway and adjacent ditch.

Beach wrote they later determined the firearm appeared to be a GSG 1911-style .22-caliber pistol, and that Ephrem fired 10 rounds at several antelope from close range.

During a June 2024 interview, Ephrem said, "I remember shooting, yes, got it.'" 

The case includes charges alleging illegal use of a firearm for taking big game, wanton destruction and taking big game from a vehicle.

Investigators also allege another man, who they say appeared in some of the videos, later confirmed witnessing portions of the hunt during a recorded interview.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Allegations Reach Back To 2014"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The investigation didn't stop with the 2020 videos."}]

Cellphone data allegedly connected Ephrem to an antelope killed in 2015 and a mule deer killed in 2014.

Beach wrote that Ephrem admitted during a 2024 interview to those killings. 

Wyoming licensing records showed Ephrem did not possess licenses for those species during the years in question, says investigators, and that Ephrem improperly used or transferred hunting licenses connected to his son during some of the incidents.

Cellphone photographs, taxidermy records and statements made during interviews were used to support those allegations.

The charges remain allegations. Ephrem has not been convicted, and the case will proceed through Wyoming's court system. His next expected appearance will be held within about 10 days for a preliminary hearing. 

Campell county pronghorn 4 5 26

<title>'No Permission, Just Shoot': Instagram Videos Lead To Wyoming Poaching Charges | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Washington man faces 14 Wyoming poaching-related charges after Game and Fish investigators say Instagram videos and phone data exposed illegal hunts over more than 10 years. “No permission, just shoot,” the man messaged, Game and Fish says.

'No Permission, Just Shoot': Instagram Videos Lead To Wyoming Poaching Charges

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's managing editor, Greg Johnson.

Greg Johnson

Government & Politics

Politics

CHEYENNE — Data centers and Wyoming’s role in hosting them are greater than a local issue for communities debating whether they want that development or not; they represent a national security issue the state’s next governor needs to address.

That’s one of the main takeaways from a crowded Republican gubernatorial candidate forum Friday afternoon.

“We are in an AI arms race with China, and President Trump has been very bullish on data center development,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder. “We have some resources here in the state of Wyoming to keep them going.”

She said she shares the concerns people in Cheyenne, Evanston, Casper and Laramie have already expressed about water usage and how data centers could impact power rates.

The answer isn’t banning data centers, she said, it’s “ensuring there is not water usage pulling from our resources … and making sure that we do not have utility rate (increases) that are on the backs of Wyoming people.”

She was on stage in the Grand Ballroom at Little America in Cheyenne with Republican primary opponents Brent Bien and Eric Barlow for a forum hosted by the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce.

Bien said that as he’s been traveling around Wyoming, “the vast majority of the folks are opposed to these, and I mean, they’re popping up all over the place.”

A career military man who spent 28 years in the Marines, and ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for governor in 2022, said people are afraid of data centers because they don’t understand or trust them.

“I think what’s going on here is that the people have been left out of the loop,” Bien said. “And ultimately, it does comes down to the people.”

“If people are brought into the equation early and they understand what’s going on, then I do believe they’ll be far more receptive.”

State Sen. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, echoed some of what Bien said about people’s fear of data centers.

A lot of those concerns are being addressed by the rapidly evolving technology that’s being built into data centers, Barlow said, referencing how directional drilling revolutionized the oil and gas industry.

[{"type":"text","text":"He also said that AI isn’t coming, it’s here."}]

“You have to think about what’s driving the demand” for data centers, said Barlow, a veterinarian who also served in the Marine Corps. “We’re part of the demand. Consumerism is part of the demand.

“Those rectangular devices some of you are looking at right now? That’s part of the demand, whether you’re asking it to do something artificially and intelligent — and I don’t know if those two words should go together.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Follow The Money"}]

Moderated by chamber chairman and Cheyenne Regional Medical Center President and CEO Tim Thornell, Friday’s forum featured three of the four registered Republicans on the primary ballot.

More than 300 people were packed into the ballroom to listen to the candidates address questions prepared by the chamber of commerce. Each had up to three minutes to respond.

When asked what Thornell admitted was a “loaded question” about how Wyoming should spend its money, all three expressed a need to be careful and frugal.

“We need to make sure we fund those essential services of government,” said Bien, who also said he drove the ballot initiative on this year’s ballot that, if passed, will allow people to claim up to 50% of their property tax bills as exempt.

“The largest budget in our state history just recently passed, you know, and we got to figure out where’s all this money actually going,” he said. “Is it really being spent on those essential services that we have out there?

“We know that there’s a lot of nonessential things that are out there.”

He claimed that residential property taxes are up 73% in Wyoming over the last six years, making it impossible for people to keep their homes or buy homes.

“The bottom line is that I’m more concerned about people staying in their homes than I am some of these frivolous things that we end up talking about across the state,” Bien said.

Barlow reminded the crowd that some of what Wyoming spends is constitutionally required, like education and public safety.

He also pointed out that minerals like coal, oil and natural gas “are paying 50% of (the state’s) bills on a daily basis.”

The Legislature also put money in savings this past session, and that money and the interest off it “is actually paying for 30% of our bills for the state of Wyoming,” Barlow said. “Think about that.”

Degenfelder, who was endorsed by President Trump in her bid to become governor before she announced her candidacy, also said she’s concerned about property taxes.

“People are being pushed out of their homes, they can’t stay in their homes because they can’t afford their property taxes,” she said. “That’s a problem.”

At the same time, “I’m not willing to compromise on basic services,” Degenfelder added. “I’m not willing to compromise on health and safety. If my house is on fire, I want a fire truck to show up right now.”

Being able to provide basic services is “why we keep a lean government,” she said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Stop Talking About It And Do Something"}]

Another issue all three agree on is that there needs to be more action after decades of officials and state leaders saying something needs to be done to keep young people from leaving Wyoming.

The issue isn’t money, said Bien. He said Wyoming spends about $22,000 per K-12 student, which jumps to about $35,000 including capital construction investments.

“I don’t think it’s a money issue. I think what this is is a coordination issue,” he said.

There’s a disconnect between education and industry when businesses say they need certain skills and Wyoming students aren’t learning them.

“Right now in this community, I know that the demand is for trades, for an electrician, for someone who knows heating and air conditioning controls,” Barlow said. “That is a pretty dang good job.

“In fact, it probably pays better than being a veterinarian — even if I was a good veterinarian.”

[{"type":"text","text":"That last jab at himself drew laughter from the crowd."}]

He pointed out there is some work being done to reverse that outward migration, like teaching certified nursing assistant (CNA) courses in high schools.

“Someday I’m going to be in a nursing home and that CNA is going to be looking after me, right?” Barlow said

Wyoming’s young talent leaving the state “is a problem we’ve all experienced,” Degenfelder said. “It may be your son or daughter, someone that you worked with, your friends leaving the state of Wyoming.

“We can’t just keep talking about it,” she continued. “We have to solve this problem.”

One way to do that is to stop putting a focus on training and educating people for jobs they can’t find in Wyoming.

“Moving away from trying to prepare kids for jobs that don’t even exist in Wyoming,” she said. “(Then) you talk to our businesses, like all of you in this room, and we can’t fill our jobs. There’s a disconnect there.”

Gov forum IMG 6542 6 5 26 6 5 26

<title>GOP Gov. Candidates Say Data Centers A National Security Issue For Wyoming And US | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Data centers are important to national security and for Wyoming, said the top GOP candidates for governor during a Friday forum. “We are in an AI arms race with China,” Megan Degenfelder said, with all agreeing it will be a priority for the next governor.

GOP Gov. Candidates Say Data Centers A National Security Issue For Wyoming And US

Mac Watson

Daily Video News

It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Friday, June 5th.  I’m Mac Watson

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon joined President Trump in Washington, D.C., on Thursday as the president invoked a national security law to send $700 million to the coal industry. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that includes $75 million to boost construction of a coal export terminal in Oakland.

“They're going to fast track construction of the Oakland, California coal port, which is a huge deal, because Governor Gordon has been courting these industry people in Japan, Taiwan, saying, "Look at this clean coal we have in the Powder River Basin, and it is comparably clean, and so without port you can have all the clean coal in the world, but then be kind of stuck when it comes to Asian markets, so actually that's the huge thing is that this gives that outlet.”

While calling Gordon a “great guy,” the president invoked a Cold War-era law designed to boost energy production in the face of national security threats to allocate $700 million in public money for the coal industry.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"–"}]

Speaking of coal…The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it is proposing a rule to change an Obama-era 2014 Wyoming regional haze plan that would have shuttered the Dave Johnston Unit 3 power plant in Converse County. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports EPA Region 8 administrator and former Wyoming legislator Cyrus Western called Thursday's announcement a win for Wyoming.

“That plant was due to close by the end of 2027 and they're proposing it's just a start of the process, they're proposing a rule to reverse that, so that it continues its what they say is a lifespan that goes into the 2040s and of course Wyoming jobs, Wyoming production revenue goes along with that.” 

Gov. Mark Gordon in an EPA statement Thursday called the maneuver proof “that environmental stewardship and energy production can go hand in hand

and said the proposal reflects a science-driven, sensible approach that relies on real-world data and measurable outcomes rather than predetermined anti-fossil fuel agendas.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"–  "}]

President Trump’s lifting of restrictions on motorized use of federal lands dating back to the 1970s has some Wyoming motorsports enthusiasts cheering. But, Outdoors Reporter Mark Heinz reports that others worry that it will cause a wildlands disaster.

“Trump just pretty much wiped the slate clean, and you know, got some mixed reaction today. Of course, I talked to some motor sports enthusiasts, and they said, ‘Hey, this is great, this is cool, that gives us more access for the public. This is what public lands are for.’ Other people are like, ‘motorized users are maybe a small percentage that has a huge impact on the wildlife and all of the users.’ So maybe they, from their perspective, it's maybe a little bit unfair that everywhere we go now there's going to be dirt bikes or ATVs ripping around, like where are we going to go to have quiet spots.”

The Trump administration rescinded Executive Order 11644, issued in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, along with President Jimmy Carter’s 1977 EO 11989, which amended and strengthened Nixon’s order.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"– "}]

Wyoming State Sen. Cheri Steinmetz on Thursday said she’s calling for a poll among legislators to see if there is enough support for a special session to address data center concerns, like water use. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that both the governor and Senate President called such a move premature.

“She dispatched a poll to the full legislature, saying, 'Hey, you know, I'm looking at Governor Gordon's order, and I think that the legislature should be addressing this. So, how about a poll to see who's interested? Let's talk about water. Let's talk about some of these controversies surrounding data centers and the Senate President and the Governor were both like the legislative committees, lots of them are working on this. It is a dedicated topic in multiple legislative committees, so let's let them research this and see what happens.”

Steinmetz sent the request in an email to state House Speaker Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, Senate President Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, all legislators, and Legislative Service Office Director Matt Obrecht.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"– "}]

I’ll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this.

Cowboy State Daily News continues now….

Wyoming ranchers rallied at the state Capitol on Thursday demanding action against what they call a “wind wall” of turbines across the state. Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that one rancher says wind power is threatening Wyoming’s rural future.

“It’s the sheer scale of it that’s riling these folks up. These are people who understand private property rights. They're not against that, and they're not saying wind the clock back, you know, and they're not saying we don't ever want any more wind farms ever. But what they are saying is, look at the map, look at how big of a swath this is cutting, and think about how is that going to affect wildlife? How does that affect agriculture and farming? You know, what is the legacy we're leaving to future generations?”

Ranching family members came to the Capitol in Cheyenne to speak out against a “wind wall” in southeastern Wyoming that stretches from Casper to Cheyenne and beyond.

A Laramie couple was bound over to felony-level court this week after a meth-filled syringe was found in their baby's crib. Cowboy State Daily’s Kolby Fedore reports that the couple claimed the syringe belonged to the other, while the baby’s mother admitted using meth, according to court documents.

“A probation officer was doing a routine check when she knocked on the door of Alicia Edwards, when Edwards didn't answer the door, law enforcement went around behind the building, and they found Edwards and her husband and her partner, Edward Miller, hiding in a shed. They ordered them out. Edwards admitted to using meth. They also found various paraphernalia and methamphetamine inside the shed. At that point, law enforcement was called to the scene, and when they searched the home, they found a hypodermic needle inside the baby's crib.”

Alyisha Edwards and Edward Miller are each charged with one count of a child being present where meth or fentanyl is possessed, a felony that could put them in prison for up to 10 years each. 

A Cheyenne man is suing Secretary of State Chuck Gray after Gray denied his bid to get on the Republican primary ballot to elect a virtual intelligence personality to the U.S. Senate. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that Gray says, “I won’t tolerate a mockery of our electoral system.”

“Victor Miller is saying, "Oh no, I'm a real human and qualified to be on this ballot. I'm gonna hand over my spot to this bot once I get it, but I'm a real human and have a right to be on this ballot, whereas Secretary of Just Gray is more casting that as a veneer and saying, "No, no bots on the ballot, so we're not going to make a mockery of the elections.”

Victor Miller is a human being. But he’s promised to give his spot, if he can get one, on the Wyoming Republican primary election ballot to “Virtual Integrated Citizen” (VIC). That's an artificial intelligence bot that Miller says is part of a long plan to replace politicians.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"—"}]

Scientists are excited about the possibility of colorful aurora shows on Thursday and Friday nights and Wyoming is in the target zone. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that conditions for this event are being compared to May, 2024, which provided some of the most colorful shows in decades.

“It's a g3 Geomagnetic Storm that's three coronal mass ejections combining together over Earth's atmosphere, and now recent report I saw said that there were up to four, so it's possible that there was a spectacular aurora over the skies of Wyoming on Thursday night, and if it was strong enough, it's possible that we could see more color and more aurora as we get into Friday evening.”

Wyoming aurora enthusiasts are already anticipating a good show, as experts say there might not be another one this good for another 10 years or more.

And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on 

 - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our 

 channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app.  Thanks for watching - I’m Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

News image v2 6 5 26

<title>Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Friday, June 5, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Friday's headlines include:
* Trump Gives $700M For Coal
* More Federal Land Open For ATVs
* Great Night Ahead For Northern Lights

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Friday, June 5, 2026

Jen kocher

Jen Kocher

Law Enforcement

For more than 30 years, the body of an unidentified woman discovered in the remote desert along Interstate 80 in rural Nevada has kept her secrets hidden.

The woman, known colloquially as “Shafter Jane Doe,” had been beaten and shot in the chest and back.

Her nude body was posed on the ground, arms extended to either side in the shape of a cross with legs slightly parted.

Less than a week after her death on Nov. 16, 1993, a geologist who had pulled off at the remote Shafter exit off I-80 to stretch his legs discovered her body, according to news reports from the time.

Later investigation in 2010 revealed that the woman had spent seven months in Afton, Wyoming, which was determined through the isotope testing. 

For years, her donated headstone has read, “Who Am I?”

Now more than 32 years after the gruesome discovery, authorities finally have an answer.  

Her name is Marion Hertha Alexander, who was a German immigrant who moved to California with her family in 1972.

After a decades-long investigation, members of the Elko County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement partners told the Elko County Commissioners on Thursday afternoon that they identified her through the use of advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy.

The decades-long investigation also revealed the woman was in Afton, Wyoming, for about seven months before she was murdered. 

Alexander left home around age 18, and her family told investigators that Alexander was a free spirit who liked to drift around.

Her family questioned where she had gone, but given her lifestyle, they did not report her missing to law enforcement.

Her living family members were notified of the identification in January of this year, Elko County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Douglas Fisher stated, and continue to be in touch with law enforcement.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"No Justice"}]

Her suspected murderer, however, will not see justice.

Authorities were closing in on Roger Lee Durkee of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who was identified through semen found on a vaginal swab that yielded a full DNA profile, authorities said.

The profile was run through the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) but did not result in a match, so the Elko County Sheriff’s Office contracted a private group to perform forensic genetic genealogy analysis in February 2022 that led to Durkee as a potential suspect.

Further investigation indicated that Durkee was likely the murderer, but as detectives began planning their trip to Wisconsin to make an arrest, they learned that Durkee had died on Nov. 13, 2025.

He died within 14 days of detectives learning Alexander’s identity.

Now, however, Alexander will be properly laid to rest.

The Elko Sheriff’s Office asked the commission — and were granted — money to buy a proper headstone to finally put her to rest.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Piecing Together Mystery"}]

Authorities worked for decades to identify Alexander through the use of several forensic tools.

Initially when she was discovered, Alexander’s face was beaten beyond recognition, so the FBI created a computer-generated image of her likeness to help local authorities attempt to identify her, according to a 1993 article by the Elko Daily Free Press.

Along with her image, authorities had little else to go on.

They were able to extract a partial print from her right thumb, which did not find a match in any federal databases.

The only other identifying characteristics were what appeared to be a burn scar or birth mark on her right calf, pink fingernails that looked to be professionally done and a tooth that had undergone a partial root canal, according to the same article.

A portion of her skull was sent to the Minnesota State Crime Lab, according to reporting from the Casper-Star Tribune, where her DNA was extracted and run through databases with no match.

They turned to the media and a national crime show, but no viable leads to her identity were forthcoming.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Human Time Capsule"}]

A big break came nearly two decades later with the advancement of using stable isotopes that tracked Alexander to Afton, Wyoming.

This discovery came in 2010 when scientists at Utah State University were able to determine she had spent the past seven months in Afton by analyzing isotopes in her hair that traced her to the area.

Though not new science, this application of stable isotope analysis has transformed how law enforcement solves cold cases, said Christy Mancuso, an assistant research professor at the University of New Mexico and sales representative for Thermo Fisher Scientific.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Mancuso knows the science well."}]

She got her doctorate degree in biology from the University of Utah and was affiliated with the stable isotope lab, where her thesis advisor, Jim Ehleringer, started the now-shuttered IsoForensics lab.

She wasn’t familiar with Alexander’s case, but said that stable isotope analysis is an excellent tool for helping to identify remains.

Essentially, humans are like time capsules of chemical information that are stored within one’s bones, teeth and hair, Mancuso said, which helps trace that person to a generalized location.

Humans living in these various regions incorporate the stable isotope signal from their drinking water and food that correlate to particular regions.

When forensic scientists analyze human remains, they examine the various stable isotopes — carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen — that act as chemical signatures reflecting what a person consumed and where they lived during their lifetime, both recent and past.

Every geographical location has a unique chemical composition evident in its local water and food sources, soil composition and climate, Mancuso explained.

Researchers can then track these predictable geographical patterns using isotope maps called “isoscapes” to identify likely regions where that person lived or traveled.

Hair in particular, which was used to trace Alexander to the Afton area, serves as an excellent linear time recorder of isotope information because it grows at a predictable rate of about one centimeter per month and provides a chronological record in its keratin protein structure, Mancuso said.

In this case, isotopes in Alexander’s hair matched those in drinking water that suggested she’d lived in the that particular area of Wyoming for the past seven months.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Great Basin Murders"}]

Alexander is thought to be one of about nine victims killed between 1983 and 1997 across four states in the Great Basin geographical area that includes Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and Idaho, and dumped along interstates in the remote arid watershed.

Many had been sexually abused or assaulted and either strangled, shot or stabbed.

Some were posed like Alexander, including another Jane Doe found in rural Elko County in July 1972 who also had been shot twice with her body posed to resemble a cross.

Initially, it was thought that one serial killer might be responsible for all the deaths, but it was quickly determined that most the murders were committed by different people.

The first victim was thought to be 23-year-old Janelle Johnson, who was hitchhiking from Denver to Riverton in February 1983 and was last seen at a truck stop in Sinclair, Wyoming.

The aspiring model was found less than a month later in a shallow grave near Shoshoni, Wyoming, according to the national nonprofit Parents of Murdered Children.

 in March 1988, was also among the young women killed.

More than 32 years after her body was found along I-80, the woman known as “Shafter Jane Doe” has been identified, officials announced Thursday. Her nude body was posed on the ground, arms extended to either side in the shape of a cross.

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