Search Underway for Missing University of Wyoming Professor

A massive ground search is underway for a visiting University of Wyoming professor who has been missing for more than two weeks.

Nash Quinn, a 39-year-old fine arts professor, avid cyclist and disc golf player, has not been seen or heard from since July 8. He is believed to have gone for a bike ride on that day, according to police. He is an alum of the university and had returned to Laramie just this year as a visiting professor.

A volunteer search and rescue veteran from the Houston area, who knows Quinn and is organizing search parties in Laramie, said Quinn’s missing bike in his apartment is the only significant clue that they have.

Quinn’s wallet and cell phone were found at his apartment, according to his close friend, Jon Cicarelli, who has known him for more than 15 years dating back to when they were both underclassmen at the university.

Cicarelli said Quinn, who is not married and does not have children, is independent and it’s common for him to go off the radar at times, though Cicarelli said he’d never miss a work obligation. 

It’s not clear when Quinn was reported missing, but Cicarelli said he learned about it earlier this week when Quinn’s colleague posted on Facebook that he was missing after he failed to show up to teach a class.  

Ryan Thompson, community services lieutenant for the Laramie Police Department, said there are no updates to report on Quinn’s disappearance. The Albany County Sheriff’s Office were out on four-wheelers early Tuesday searching the Pilot Hill area, he said.

Quinn is described as a white man with a thin build with dark blonde hair and blue eyes and a moustache who wears glasses. His Ridley bike is white with a brown leather seat and 29-inch wheels.

Quinn’s family and friends arrived in Laramie on Tuesday in preparation for a massive ground search set to start on Wednesday.

Leading the search is Quinn’s friend and search and rescue professional, Paul Middendorf, who flew in from Houston last night. Middendorf has been involved in search and rescues since 2017, and is best known for his specialty in high-water search and rescues in the aftermath of Hurricanes Ida, Ian and Harvey in Texas, as well as other efforts involving missing people.

Middendorf told Cowboy State Daily that he met Quinn while Quinn was a visiting professor in Houston, where Quinn taught for about 18 months before returning to the University of Wyoming, his alma mater, to teach this year.  Middendorf learned about Quinn’s disappearance on Monday after being contacted by his family.

Middendorf said he will be meeting with law enforcement and Quinn’s family Wednesday morning to put together a search plan.

“The outpouring of support has been amazing,” Middendorf said, noting that he expects several hundred volunteers to participate in the search including many from the university, cycling and disc golf communities.

Anyone interested in assisting in the search could find out how to help on Middendorf’s Facebook page, he told Cowboy State Daily. Quinn’s still-forming search party is particularly in need of pilots and air support as well as geologists and surveyors to map the area, a post said on the page.

Piecing Together The Mystery

Given what they know at this point, Middendorf said, searchers are focused on Quinn’s usual cycling routes in the Pilot Hill and Happy Jack areas outside of Laramie as Middendorf believes he left on his white Ridley steel-frame bicycle, which was missing from his apartment.

Middendorf called for Laramie area residents and business owners to be on the lookout for the bike, not just Quinn. He also asked people to check their business and personal security cameras for any signs of the missing professor. 

Middendorf said that authorities have not been able to get into his laptop or cell phone but are optimistic that his family can help with those efforts. 

It was a shock for Cicarelli to return home to realize his close friend was missing for more than two weeks, and he said he’s been working closely with Quinn’s sister, Tess Quinn, helping to organize the search.

Tess Quinn did not respond to a request for comment.

Friends Worried

Cicarelli described Quinn as a “minimalist” and wasn’t surprised to find his phone and wallet at home, as he frequently goes on long rides without taking water or other provisions.

“He’s always been very minimalist,” Cicarelli said, “even when he goes mountain biking.”

Quinn’s other close friend, Erick Potter, who lives in Casper, described Quinn, Cicarelli and himself as part of a tight friend group known as the “three amigos.” He said he’d just been visiting with Quinn and Cicarelli days before Quinn disappeared. 

Quinn was an enigma in some ways, Potter said. He didn’t talk about his life or feelings and described him as a “really easygoing” guy who is well regarded in both his professional and social circles. He is also a gifted artist, Potter said. 

He, too, wasn’t surprised to hear that the bike was the only thing missing from Quinn’s apartment and said Quinn frequently goes out on long solo rides, sometimes up to 40 miles.

“His range is enormous,” Potter said. “He could be anywhere between Laramie and Cheyenne.”

He also said that Quinn had served in the military and would have been able to hold his own if he’d have gotten lost in the outdoors.

Potter’s fear is that his friend got into an accident or attacked by a mountain lion or other wild animal.

Both friends said that Quinn was in sound mental health, and they feel certain that he would not harm himself nor would he have blown off a work commitment. 

Possible John Doe? 

Middendorf said there’s a possibility that Quinn may have had an accident and could have been life flighted or is recovering in a hospital somewhere in southwest Wyoming. Without identification, he might have been classified as a John Doe.

Privacy laws make it difficult to check records of those admitted, Middendorf said.

He expressed confidence in the Laramie Police Department and Albany County Sheriff’s Office, which have been tracking down leads and searching various areas of interest.

“They’re doing as much as they are able,” he said, “but this is where you rely heavily on nonprofits, church organizations, university and local to help with search and rescue efforts.”

As for the volunteers, Middendorf cautioned that searchers needed to be in adequate physical condition given the difficulty of some of the terrain being scoured. 

Already, people have been out searching since Sunday, he said, and their goal is to continue those efforts over several days.

“We’re hoping for the best and staying positive,” he said, “and remain optimistic.  

Outpouring Of Support

Already, people are coming out in droves to support the search for Quinn. A GoFundMe fundraiser set up by Quinn’s sister to assist in the effort has already raised more than $31,000 of its $35,000 goal.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Laramie Police Department at 307-721-2526.

Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com.