Why Wyoming Ranks Among the Top for Missing People

Wyoming doesn’t have many people, but it has a lot of missing-person cases. Despite its small population, the state sits in the top 15 nationwide—a sobering stat that’s pushed a grassroots effort into the spotlight: Missing People of Wyoming.

The project began as a Facebook page in July 2019 and became a nonprofit in May 2022. Its mission is straightforward and relentless—support families, raise awareness, share resources, and work with law enforcement so every missing person is found as quickly and safely as possible. At the center is founder Desiree Tinoco, who borrowed the idea from a group her sister started in Missouri. After watching Wyoming families struggle to get information or media coverage, she launched the page. It’s now a go-to resource in Big Horn County, across the state, and beyond.

The group’s timeline reaches back generations. Among the oldest cases they’ve featured is Olga Mauger, an experienced local outdoorswoman who vanished while hiking on her honeymoon near Dubois on September 17, 1934. More recent Big Horn County cases include two puzzling vehicle discoveries: Billie Bennett’s car was found at a rest area on U.S. 14A in July 2021 and remains an open case with the county sheriff; in July 2020, a car belonging to Washington, DC, resident Davante Richardson turned up outside Greybull—his case remains with the Metropolitan Police Department in DC.

Deputy Keri Angell, a Big Horn County board member for the nonprofit, joined in January after years on search and rescue and in law enforcement. She connected with Tinoco while working with Sheriff Ken Blackburn on missing-person legislation and now brings both on-the-ground experience and a close working relationship with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The group’s playbook is simple. Anyone can join the Facebook community and share flyers, news stories, and updates tied to Wyoming cases, plus cases from neighboring states if there’s a Wyoming connection. All Wyoming cases are verified within 24 hours. When someone is found, comments are closed, and after about a month the post is removed to protect privacy—though families are welcome to tell their stories anytime. The advice is to send tips straight to the investigating agency, or use the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation’s clearinghouse to submit anonymously.

A new state law is changing the first hours of a search. Senate File 0114 requires every Wyoming law enforcement agency to accept any credible missing-person report without delay—no more waiting 24 hours, and you don’t have to be immediate family to make the report. Tinoco says this creates a vital paper trail and a consistent standard across agencies; previously, an officer could decline to take a report at all. The statute, which took effect in July, mirrors parts of Montana and Colorado protocols and is similar in spirit to Patricia’s Law. Sen. Ed Cooper of Ten Sleep co-sponsored the bill, citing the crisis of missing Indigenous women and the need to take all disappearances seriously.

Wyoming typically sees 700 to 900 missing-person reports a year, most resolved in less than a day. In 2024, there were 783 cases logged; only four from this year are still listed as missing. The nonprofit doesn’t post every case because the system moves so quickly, but it still shares around 300 annually. Per capita, Wyoming looks high, Tinoco notes, largely due to runaways, the risks that come with the state’s outdoor culture, and cases on Native American lands.

The goal is always the same: advocate, amplify, and help law enforcement by keeping the public engaged. The group emphasizes equal treatment for every missing person—regardless of age, race, gender, life history, or mental health—and offers all services free. The approach works. In a recent example, a Basin native missing out of Colorado was featured on the page; friends and family across Wyoming shared the post, and he was found safe a little over a month later.

The original story by Barbara Anne Greene for Basin Republican Rustler.