Authorities say human remains found Monday afternoon on the grounds of the Sheridan County Airport by an airport employee are thought to be those of a local man who has been missing for more than eight months.
James Blu “Bo” Galloway, 53, was reported missing by his family in late April.
He was last seen by his daughter, Madelyn Galloway, on his sprawling rental property behind Westview Health Care Center along the Big Goose Creek and abutting the airport grounds where the remains were discovered.
That’s also where witnesses had earlier reported seeing a man who matched Galloway’s description.
Though his identity has yet to be confirmed by a DNA test, items found near him — such as clothing, wallet, and other personal belongings — suggest that it is Galloway, according to a Wednesday statement from the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office.
At this time, authorities do not suspect foul play in the death, according to the sheriff’s office, though it still remains an active investigation.
Last Sightings
The area in which Galloway was thought to be located had been previously searched by authorities.
This entailed a two-day search in early June that included five specialized K-9 teams and several Sheridan-area search and rescue members doing a grid search of a roughly 600-acre expanse surrounding the rental property, according to the sheriff’s office.
Difficulties with terrain, however, impeded those efforts.
“While Galloway was not found, the area could not be 100% ruled out due to the challenging search area including tall, overgrown, thick grass and brush,” says the Wednesday statement.
The rental property was further searched by Galloway’s family and volunteers with WyoFind, a Gillette-based missing person nonprofit, that also found no trace of Galloway.
The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office thanked its partners that assisted in search efforts while passing on condolences to the family.
“While this was not the outcome our community wanted, our office hopes this brings closure to Galloway’s family, his friends, and our community,” says the statement.
James Galloway of Sheridan, Wyoming, and his daughter, Madelyn. (Courtesy Photo) 
A group of volunteers — including James Galloway's daughter and step-daughter — walk through Big Goose Creek looking for his clues as to what happened to him. (Courtesy Stacy Koester) 
Dozens of volunteers scoured the property in Sheridan that James "Bo" Galloway had been renting prior to his disappearance. (Courtesy Stacy Koester) 
The search for James "Bo" Galloway on July 18 turned up plenty of junk along Big Goose Creek, but no sign of the man who has been missing for more than three months. (Courtesy Stacy Koester)
Family Devastated
Galloway’s ex-wife, Jaime Banks, told Cowboy State Daily in a Wednesday morning phone call that she was called into the sheriff’s office Tuesday night, where she was told the news.
She said that though divorced, the pair remained best friends and shared a daughter, Madelyn, together.
She said authorities told her that Galloway was found burrowed in a culvert and had stripped off his clothing, likely due to the effects of hypothermia.
The official cause of death is still pending, and a sample of his DNA has been sent to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation crime lab for positive confirmation.
Banks always believed he would be found somewhere on that property, she said.
After he disappeared, she and Madelyn searched his property and found several mysterious and worrying clues such as his broken cellphone, a tent post bag, and his vehicle still parked outside the home.
Little Relief
Most concerning, Banks said, was that he’d left his three dogs behind without food or water.
He would have never gone anywhere on foot without those dogs, she said, let alone leave them in harm’s way.
At that point, she knew something was terribly wrong.
This fear was intensified when Galloway failed to show up for his daughter’s high school graduation in May, which again, was something he would have never done.
Still, the fact that he’s more than likely finally been found brings little relief for the family.
She was audibly emotional Wednesday morning as she continued to process the news.
Speaking on behalf of both Madelyn and Galloway’s stepdaughter, Kiara Coen, Banks said it was a bittersweet discovery, but that the family appreciates finally having answers and the ability to bring him home and give him a proper burial.
All along, Banks said she knew that something was wrong because Galloway would never have gone this long without contacting his daughter, including missing her high school graduation in May.
She also had an intuitive feeling that he was somewhere on the property where he ultimately was discovered.
It also puts to rest all the unconfirmed sightings of him — including reports of his being seen buying a taco in Cody or possibly being in Denver — and activity on his Facebook page the family now believes was hacked.
“The only relief is we know these things weren’t true now,” she said.
Good Man
Banks spoke of the impact Galloway’s death has on the “trio of women in his life.”
“He was a man of integrity and a good man of his word,” she said. “Though he may not have made good choices at the end, he was a man who believed in Jesus and who loved his daughters will all his heart.”
Galloway wasn’t just a father, but the very definition of a father, she added.
He was also a good son, Banks said, often going to shovel his mother’s driveway or to take out her trash without being asked prior to her passing.
“He would just do it,” Banks said, referring to Galloway as a “hard-working man.”
“He was also a teacher who took the time to teach us girls how to survive in the wilderness,” she said.
She lamented all of the events in his daughters’ lives that he will no longer be present to witness and be part of.
The one consolation, she said, is that they can now bring him home and give him a proper goodbye.
She also expressed her appreciation to the sheriff’s office and all the searchers, including the employee who discovered the remains.
“We are grateful as a family, this trio of girls that meant the world to Bo,” Banks said. “He will forever live in our hearts and in our thoughts daily, and we will strive to make him proud.”
Banks thanked Stacy Koester of WyoFind, and said she’s been with her every step of the way and that she couldn’t have gotten through it without her.
“I am thankful for closure for Jamie, Madelyn and Kiara,” Koester said. "I’m thankful we have been able to provide love and support to the family of Bo Galloway and we will continue to provide the same support as they navigate the next steps in life."
Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com.
