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Jen Kocher

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Dental records identified Breanna Mitchell as the woman whose remains were found in rural Washakie County. Mitchell disappeared nearly two years ago. Her cause of death is not known.

Human Remains ID’d As Washakie County Woman Missing Since 2023

Dental records identified Breanna Mitchell on Monday as the woman whose remains were found Sunday in rural Washakie County. Mitchell disappeared nearly two years ago. Her cause of death is not known.

Jen KocherMarch 25, 2025

The Washakie County Sheriff’s Office is investigating human remains discovered by a Wyoming Game and Fish warden March 23, 2025. Officials are working to identify the remains, and so far there's no informtion about whether they could belong to any current missing people reported in the area or someone else.

Authorities Attempt To ID Human Skeletal Remains Found In Washakie County

The Washakie County Sheriff’s Office is investigating human remains discovered by a Wyoming Game and Fish warden Sunday. The warden had been tracking a deer collar in a remote area of the county when he came across the remains.

Jen KocherMarch 24, 2025

Kathy and Rob DeStefano with Sophie Sue, their adopted beagle.

How Rescued Lab Beagles Learn How To Be Dogs

These dogs are not easy, and admittedly, Rob Wadd and Sharon Giest had no idea what they were getting themselves into. To rehabilitate a former lab beagle requires love and patience as many have found out who've rescued dogs from the Kindness Ranch in Hartville, Wyoming.

Jen KocherMarch 22, 2025

Gillette Man Accused Of Pistol-Whipping, Trying To Shoot Sister’s Friend

A Gillette man has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly pistol-whipping and trying to shoot a friend of his sister’s Monday. “I tried to kill him,” he reportedly told police, but in court Tuesday told the judge, "I defended myself.”

Jen KocherMarch 19, 2025

The boyfriend of Irene Gakwa, a Gillette nursing student missing for three years, could be released from prison this month. Nathan Hightman drained her accounts after she disappeared and remains a “person of interest” in the case.

Boyfriend Of Missing Gillette Woman Irene Gakwa Set For Prison Release

The boyfriend of Irene Gakwa, a Gillette nursing student missing for three years, is set to be released from prison this month. Nathan Hightman drained her accounts after she disappeared and remains a “person of interest” in the case.

Jen KocherMarch 15, 2025

$1 Million Bond, Attempted Murder Charge For Gillette 18-Year-Old In Shooting

A Gillette judge Monday set bond at $1 million for an 18-year-old charged with shooting another teen before eluding arrest for four days. Kamren Crousore was caught Saturday evening and has been charged with attempted second-degree murder.

Jen Kocher & Clair McFarlandMarch 10, 2025

Jamie Kamai was 25 years old when he was shot and killed in south Cheyenne during his morning commute by an unknown driver who was tailgating him.

Who Killed Cheyenne Man Along Busy Street In Front Of 8-Year-Old Boy 24 Years Ago?

Jamie Kamai, a 25-year-old delivery driver with his life in front of him, was shot and killed in broad daylight along a busy Cheyenne street in 2001. Now 24 years later, there are still few answers about who killed him in front of 8-year-old stepson.

Jen KocherMarch 09, 2025

Amy Gale Weaver, as she appears on a missing person alert.

No Sign Of Casper Mother Of Six Missing For More Than Two Months

The oldest daughter of Amy Gale Weaver, a Casper mother of six, says she’s desperate to find her mother. Weaver has been missing for more than two months. The police told Cowboy State Daily they've exhausted all of their tips and leads.

Jen KocherMarch 08, 2025

The body of Brent Layman of Lander, Wyoming, missing for three months, was found March 5, 2025, in Utah.

Lander Man Missing For 3 Months Found Dead In Utah

The body of Brent Layman of Lander has been found after a three-month search. His body was found near where his car was abandoned along I-80 in Utah. No foul play is suspected.

Jen KocherMarch 07, 2025

Chance Englebert's family refuses to give up until they have answers of what happened to him nearly six years ago on the night he disappeared during a family trip to Nebraska. For her birthday, Englebert's grandmother, Linda Kluender, gifted herself a newly restored billboard along the two-lane road in western Nebraska.

Family of Missing Moorcroft Man Refuse To Give Up As They Revamp Billboard Again

It’s going on six years since Moorcroft's Chance Englebert vanished while visiting in-laws in Nebraska. His family remains desperate for any news of him, so every two years they repair a billboard to repair the faded image and peeling vinyl.

Jen KocherMarch 04, 2025

The disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito captured headlines around the globe. The young up-and-coming YouTuber was found dead in Bridger-Teton National Park in Wyoming in fall 2021. A new Netflix series about the murder is putting Wyoming in the spotlight again.

Netflix Docuseries On Gabby Petito Murder Puts Wyoming In Spotlight Again

The search for Gabby Petito in fall 2021 had the world watching northwest Wyoming. The missing YouTuber was ultimately found murdered in Bridger-Teton National Forest, and a new Netflix docuseries puts Teton County Coroner Brent Blue and the investigative team in the spotlight again.

Jen KocherMarch 02, 2025

The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center in Gillette, Wyoming. The parent organizaiton of the facility says it’s making changes even as police investigate two recent deaths there. But there are still more questions than answers about how one woman could freeze to death outside the center or another by overdose.

Beleaguered Assisted Living Center In Gillette Trying To Earn Back Public Trust

After making international headlines when an elderly female resident was found frozen in January, the Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center in Gillette announced Friday it will continue to not admit new patients until it’s fully staffed and has reduced the number of contracted staff.

Jen KocherMarch 01, 2025

Other Authors

Cowboy State Daily’s Wendy Corr Receives Major Western Award For Podcast

Cowboy State Daily News Director and podcast host Wendy Corr has been honored by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. John Wayne, George Strait, and Reba McEntire are among honorees.

Jen KocherFebruary 26, 2025

Wyoming veterans say they are hopeful new Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Trump administration will help return the U.S. military to its former levels of excellence, along with improve post-service support for veterans.

Wyoming Veterans Hopeful Hegseth Will Make U.S. Military Great Again

Wyoming veterans told Cowboy State Daily that years of social programs and diversity initiatives have weakened the military and they hope that’s over. They want to see the return of high standards, greater access to mental healthcare and more help transitioning veterans post-service.

Jen KocherFebruary 23, 2025

Jeff Ginter always knew he was a weird kid, but he learned to embrace his psychic powers throughout a career in law enforcement. Now he’s one of Wyoming’s top psychics, including helping solve cold cases around the world.

How A Former Law Enforcement Officer Became A Top Psychic Investigator

Jeff Ginter always knew he was a weird kid, but he learned to embrace his psychic powers throughout a career in law enforcement. Now he’s a top psychic, working to solve cold cases in Wyoming and around the world.

Jen KocherFebruary 22, 2025

Sheridan Kids Taken By Mom Still Not Home, But Believed Safe, Police Report

After a dayslong search for a pair of young children from Sheridan who were taken Sunday by their mother, local police Wednesday night called off an alert asking people to be on the lookout for them.

Jen KocherFebruary 20, 2025

Police in Sheridan, Wyoming, are asking the public’s help in locating 4-year-old Lindsey Fogli and her 3-year-old brother Colin, reported missing Sunday. They’re believed to have been taken by their mom.

Sheridan Police Ask For Help Finding 2 Young Kids Taken By Mom

Police in Sheridan, Wyoming, are asking the public’s help in locating a 4-year-old girl and her 3-year-old brother reported missing Sunday. They’re believed to have been taken by their mom.

Jen KocherFebruary 19, 2025

Ryan Schroder, center, of Casper went missing before finally being found murdered in 2021.

Family Of Murdered Casper Man Says Wyoming Needs Missing Person Law

The family of a Casper man who went missing before finally being found murdered says Wyoming needs better protocols to handle cases like his. That’s why they support a new law to do that moving through the Legislature.

Jen KocherFebruary 18, 2025

Nobody has seen or heard from Natasha Requejo since last July, leaving family and friends desperate for news of the missing mom of seven from Lusk, Wyoming. Her boyfriend at the time says she just walked off one day, leaving him and her kids behind.

Family, Friends Desperate For News Of Lusk Mother Of 7 Missing Since July

Nobody has seen or heard from Natasha Requejo since last July, leaving family and friends desperate for news of the missing mother of seven from Lusk. Her boyfriend says she just walked off one day, leaving him and her kids behind.

Jen KocherFebruary 15, 2025

Gillette Man Charged With Murder For Killing Half-Sister Pleads Not Guilty

The Gillette man accused of shooting his half-sister in the head and killing her last month pleaded not guilty Thursday. Vincent Hackett faces a second-degree murder charge.

Jen KocherFebruary 13, 2025

Wyoming: A State For Single Dudes

Wyoming ranks as the state with the third highest ratio of bachelors in the United States. For every 100 single women, 106 unmarried men are milling around. In the early 1900s, there were proposals considered that would tax bachelors to encourage them to get married.

Jen KocherFebruary 09, 2025

Shayna Ritthaler was 16 when she ran away with 17-year-old Michael Campbell, whom she'd met online. Within days, Campbell shot and killed her at his mother's home in Sturgis, South Dakota, in October 2019.

Grandparents Of Murdered Upton Teen Plead For Missing Persons Bill

By the time authorities were legally able to enter the home on Oct. 7, 2019, it was too late. Shayna Ritthaler was found dead in a closet covered with clothing. Wyoming is one of six states that don't have missing person reporting requirements.

Jen KocherFebruary 08, 2025

Gillette, Wyoming, police are investigating the death of an 88-year-old assisted living patient found dead outside in a courtyard of the Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center.

Coroner's Report: Senior Died Of Hypothermia At Gillette Assisted Living Center

A coroner's report released Tuesday revealed an ongoing investigation into two deaths at a Gillette assisted living center. In January, an 88-year-old resident was found dead of hypothermia outside while a 66-year-old resident died of an overdose in November. Five employees have been terminated.

Jen KocherFebruary 05, 2025

Amber Smith, a forensic analyst at the Wyoming State Crime Lab in Cheyenne, demonstrates how this Hamilton aparatus works in this file photo. It can process nearly 90 individual DNA samples at a time.

Bill Would Open Post-Conviction DNA Testing To More Wyoming Felons

A bill is moving through the Wyoming Legislature to give access to post-conviction DNA testing to more Wyoming felons. The measure was headed to the Senate floor Monday.

Jen KocherFebruary 03, 2025

Allen Thompson, executive director for Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, testifies in favor of Senate File 114, which would establish protocols for law enforcement in taking missing persons reports.

Wyoming One Of 6 States Without Missing Person Protocols; New Law Would Change That

Wyoming is one of six states without protocols for when people go missing. A bill that passed to the state Senate on Thursday would change that, requiring timely reporting and listing on national databases.

Jen KocherJanuary 31, 2025

Gillette Man Accused Of Shooting Half-Sister In The Face To Face Murder Trial

A Gillette man accused of killing his half-sister last week when he allegedly shot her in the face was in court Thursday, but not for long. He waived a preliminary hearing and will face a murder trial.

Jen KocherJanuary 30, 2025

Nearly 50 illegal immigrants were arrested in Denver on Sunday, January 26, 2025

Feds Raid Denver Party, Arrest 49 Illegal Immigrants; Investigations Ongoing In Wyoming

Federal agents on Sunday raided a private party in southeast Denver and arrested 49 illegal aliens including alleged members of Tren de Aragua. Agents say investigations are ongoing in Wyoming.

Jen KocherJanuary 27, 2025

Chris McDonald, 51, completed the elite FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia, as one of 1% of senior law enforcement officers throughout the country and world. His road to law enforcement began much earlier, however, when he joined the Marines as a teen.

How A Budding Gillette Baseball Star And Marine Became A Pedophile Hunter

Chris McDonald grew up in Gillette and planned on a career in baseball. Then duty called and he became a Marine in Operation Desert Strom. Now he’s a pedophile hunter, leading DCI’s Internet Crimes Against Children division.

Jen KocherJanuary 26, 2025

4 Fired In Wake Of 88-Year-Old Found Dead Outside Gillette Assisted Living Center

Four people working at a Gillette, Wyoming, assisted living center have been fired in the wake of an 88-year-old resident there being found dead in an outside courtyard Jan. 10. The terminations were announced Thursday.

Jen KocherJanuary 24, 2025

The Wyoming Senate unanimously passed a bill to the House that would close loopholes in the state's protection orders regulations.

Wyoming Legislators Unanimous On Closing Protection Order Loopholes

Protection orders are getting a makeover by the Wyoming Legislature this session. Sailing through are bills to close loopholes that can leave victims unprotected and allow for permanent protection orders.

Jen KocherJanuary 23, 2025