Two runaway teens from Lander have been found, police say.
Quintin Wyrick and Otus Edlund, both about 16, ran away from Lander overnight Feb. 7-8 and were believed to have guns and a stolen 1969 Chevelle. Authorities suspected they were headed south, possibly toward Texas.
The boys are “in custody,” the Lander Police Department announced in a statement Friday afternoon, adding that the details about the allegedly stolen guns and car are still being investigated.
The news came as a welcome contrast to days of not knowing how the boys were doing, Lily St. Clair, Wyrick's family friend, told Cowboy State Daily.
"I felt a rush of relief for Amber (Wyrick) and the other parents to know he was OK, safe and warm," said St. Clair in a Friday message to Cowboy State Daily. "With all these crazy rumors out there, it just feels good to know that he was found safe and alive."
She added that she also is relieved that Edlund was found and is reportedly safe.
She said they were found in northeastern Colorado. Police from the area contacted Wyrick’s mother, Amber, about 9 a.m. Friday, St. Clair related.
'These Crazy Rumors'
Several people took to social media earlier this month after they disappeared to insist the boys were out to shoot up a preschool — but many police agencies said that wasn’t a real threat in their jurisdictions, and one police agency called it unfounded.
The fears stemmed from comment a youth made about six months ago, referencing a school shooting, Chief Cliff Woitena of the Texas-based League City Police Department announced in a press release last week.
“Too many people are taking small parts of this story and building a very intriguing storyline, but the tale has no credible source,” he said.
Crickets
The Lander Police Department thanked multiple agencies in its press release. Those were the League City Police Department, the Sterling (Colorado) Police Department and the Logan County (Colorado) Sheriff’s Department.
None of those agencies, including the LPD, responded by publication time to voicemails requesting additional comment.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
