Search Intensifies, But Still No Sign Of Missing Gillette Woman

A 55-year-old Gillette, Wyoming, woman remains missing after a second full day of searching in rugged, rocky terrain southeast of the city.

A small army of searchers are out looking for Tami L. Sturgeon, who went missing Saturday evening after a day of shed hunting with her husband. When then were done looking for shed antlers, the couple went out again when Tami realized she had lost her cellphone.

“After hours of searching, she did not return to the side-by-side,” said Campbell County Undersheriff Quinton Reynolds. The husband “ultimately left the area and contacted us because he was concerned that she didn’t return.”

The search began after her husband called dispatch at 6:55 p.m. to report her missing.

Search Grows

After searching all day Sunday, the effort resumed Monday, said Sgt. Gary Sams, who’s in charge of investigating the disappearance.

At least four sheriff’s offices from around the state have responded to help with the search, Sams said, as well as a helicopter from South Dakota, which was deployed much of Monday. The effort also has employed drones, including some equipped with thermal imaging cameras.

Even so, Sturgeon remains missing as of 6:45 p.m. Monday, Sams said.

“There are a good number of searchers out there,” he said, including some with dogs.

While searchers haven’t found Sturgeon, the effort Monday was able to cover more ground because a weekend snowstorm had passed, he said. That same storm hindered the initial response.

Also making the search difficult is a lot of “extremely rough terrain” in the area, Sams said.

About That Weather

The effort to find Sturgeon was complicated and made more urgent by the sudden onslaught of snow starting Saturday and continuing into the early hours Monday, when a snowstorm covered much of northern Wyoming.

Sturgeon was apparently dressed for cold weather, but she was only carrying a small backpack with limited supplies, Reynolds said, acknowledging that the spring snow has complicated the search effort.

“Due to the weather, it’s been bad timing for us,” Reynolds said.

Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com and Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.