Posters seeking information about missing University of Wyoming professor Nash Quinn cover bus stops, storefront windows in downtown Laramie and on trailheads throughout Albany County.
Yet despite a massive multi-day search that’s had law enforcement, search and rescue groups and volunteers covering nearly 70,000 acres of private and public land, Quinn and his white mountain bike remain missing.
The 39-year-old fine arts professor, avid cyclist and disc golf player is believed to have gone for a bike ride sometime between July 8 and July 21, and never returned.
Since then, his family and friends — along with strangers — spent the past week scouring the area on foot, horseback, bike and ATV, along with aerial searches by helicopters and drones.
With no trace of Quinn found so far, the official search has wound down, according to search and rescue professional Paul Middendorf, who was called in by Quinn’s family from his home in Houston, Texas.
Middendorf told Cowboy State Daily he returned Monday with a heavy heart.
“...There are more questions than answers,” he wrote on Facebook Tuesday. “I flew out yesterday, and it was one of the hardest trips home I have ever had.”
He also told Cowboy State Daily that there are no new updates or leads as the Laramie Police Department continues its investigation.
Albany County Sheriff Aaron Appelhans, whose office took over search efforts within the county, said the case remains open but efforts have been ramped down to deputies only who continue to follow up on any leads.
"The case remains open until we get any other new information or some other reason to close it," he said. "But, we don't have any information to pinpoint a search area."
Timeline Clarified
The Laramie Police Department clarified the timeline regarding Quinn’s disappearance to explain why search efforts only began July 22, despite being reported last seen July 8.
Quinn was not officially reported missing by a friend until July 21, said Ryan Thompson, community services lieutenant for the LPD. He was last physically seen by family during an online chat July 8, which is the date he was reported last seen.
Quinn’s close friend, Jon Cicarelli, had been out of town for work the week that Quinn disappeared. When he returned home July 21, he sent his buddy a text that went unanswered.
The two have been close friends for nearly two decades after meeting at the University of Wyoming as undergraduates. They’ve since remained close and often go biking together.
Quinn frequently goes on rides both with others and by himself, Cicarelli said.
Because Quinn’s white Ridley steel-frame bicycle is also missing, searches have been focused in the Pilot Hill and Happy Jack areas outside of Laramie, where he frequently rides.
Quinn’s car keys, wallet and cellphone were left in his Laramie apartment, which is not unusual, his friends say, because he’s a minimalist and likes to travel light. On short rides, he’ll even go riding with no water, Cicarelli said.
Visiting University of Wyoming arts professor, Nash Quinn, 39, has not been seen or heard from since July 8 when he’s believed to have gone for a bike ride. (Courtesy Photo) 
Authorities are asking people to be on the lookout for Nash Quinn's white Ridley steel-framed bike white with a brown leather seat and 29-inch wheels. (Courtesy Photo)
Some Still Looking
Cicarelli has been active in the ground searches and continues to do so as organized efforts ramp down.
“People are still out looking. I'm still out looking,” he said. “We haven't found anything, and a lot of folks have had to go home.”
On his own, Cicarelli estimates he’s put in hundreds of miles.
Last week, he and a friend bushwhacked through the wildlife habitat management area on Pilot Hill, trekking about a dozen miles for nearly seven hours. He also drove more than 120 miles of two-track roads on private ranch land with permission, but so far no clues have been recovered.
He’s optimistic that the police will be able to access contents on Quinn’s Android cellphone and computer, which are in their possession, though so far they haven’t been able to get in.
The Laramie police did not respond to a request for comment to verify they have the have the equipment and whether they’ve been able to access anything within or an update on the investigation.
Cicarelli and other volunteers have also been asking anyone who might have security camera footage within the vicinity of Quinn’s apartment on North 11th Street near Slade Elementary School for the period between July 8-21 to turn it over to police.
Quinn liked to go biking in the early morning hours, Cicarelli said, when he was biking solo.
Huge Outpouring Of Support
For Cicarelli, the only bright spot has been the massive outpouring of support from friends and complete strangers.
“It’s been really good to see how people rally together, how the community has really turned out,” he said, including hanging posters, dropping off water and snacks for searchers and driving for hundreds of miles in some cases to help search.
Jera Lodge, who identified herself on Facebook as Quinn’s former girlfriend of nine years, wrote in a post that the turnout to find Quinn was “so huge.”
Lodge said in the post that she and Quinn’s mother and sister have returned home “to grieve and process” his disappearance, while many other local friends and volunteer searchers remain on site to continue looking for Quinn and his bike.
Neither Lodge nor Quinn’s sister, Tess, responded to Cowboy State Daily.
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.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Laramie Police Department at 307-721-2526.
Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com.
