The vast, open landscapes of Wyoming hold many unsolved mysteries, and one of the state’s earliest cold cases may have resurfaced more than a century after it began, Cowboy State Daily reports.
In 1996, coyote hunters in the Seminoe dune field of Carbon County made a startling discovery—an exposed human skeleton buried beneath the shifting sands. The forensic analysis that followed would link the remains to a possible 19th-century execution-style murder, with evidence pointing toward a long-missing key witness in one of Wyoming’s most infamous lynchings.
The skeletal remains, analyzed by Wyoming State Crime Lab investigators and a forensic team from the University of Wyoming, belonged to a Caucasian male, approximately 40 years old at the time of death. Ballistics testing revealed he had been shot in the back of the head with a .44 caliber conical bullet, likely fired from a Smith & Wesson revolver, in a manner consistent with an execution. The estimated time of death—sometime around 1890—matched both the forensic evidence and the natural movement of the shifting sand dunes, which had gradually buried and later uncovered the body.
Further examination showed additional physical trauma. The man had a healed leg fracture, spinal bone growths indicating years on horseback, and muscle ridging in his shoulders, suggesting he may have been a teamster—a profession involving heavy wagon-driving and transport work. No clothing remnants were found, and DNA testing has yet to provide a conclusive match to any known relatives.
With limited physical evidence, investigators turned to historical records of missing persons from the late 19th century. One name stood out—B.F. (Frank) Buchanan, the only known eyewitness to the 1889 lynching of James Averell and Ella “Cattle Kate” Watson, two homesteaders accused of cattle rustling by powerful Wyoming ranchers.
Buchanan was last seen in late 1889 or early 1890, after he provided a firsthand account of the lynching. His testimony identified the men responsible, making him a critical witness in the case. However, when a grand jury convened in Rawlins in October 1889 to hear further evidence, Buchanan never arrived.
Given the dangers he faced, many speculated he had either fled or been silenced. His disappearance was never officially solved, and no known burial site was recorded.
The similarities between Buchanan’s known traits and the skeletal remains are striking. Both suggest a teamster’s lifestyle, share a similar age range, and place Buchanan on a direct path through the Seminoe dune area at the time of his disappearance.
But perhaps the most compelling evidence came not from forensic labs, but from an anonymous tribute at the scene. During a later visit to the site, researchers found a metal post, a rusted rifle barrel forming a cross, and two welded initials—“F” and “B”—matching Buchanan’s name.
While the identity of the Seminoe dune victim remains unconfirmed, the circumstantial evidence presents a compelling case for Buchanan’s fate. If proven, his death would not only solve one of Wyoming’s earliest cold cases, but also provide closure to a mystery spanning more than 130 years.
