Latest from Jen Kocher
Proposal To Give $150,000 To Help Solve 150 Wyoming Cold Cases Advances
A bill that would allocate $150,000 to develop and maintain a Wyoming database for the estimated 150 unsolved cold cases dating back to 1972 has advanced to committee.
Jen KocherFebruary 13, 2024
Families of Wyoming’s Missing and Murdered Hope For More Cold Case Funds
86-year-old Ernie Van Buskirk has one wish before he dies: find out what happened to his son. His case remains one of roughly 150 estimated unsolved cases throughout the state, dating back to 1965. He is hoping the legislature provides more money to help with cold cases.
Jen KocherFebruary 11, 2024
Gillette Diesel Mechanic Hoping To Get On List For Rare Heart-Lung Transplant
Gillette's Justin Rushing doesn’t look like a guy who needs a heart and lung transplant. The 36-year-old, who loves hunting and his family, spends his days working as a diesel mechanic. But he's running out of time and working to get on the list.
Jen KocherFebruary 10, 2024
Too Much Business And No Workers: Sundance, Wyoming Repair Shop Closes After 42 Years
Mike Frolander had to close his Sundance custom repair shop after 42 years because he couldn't find the skilled workers to keep it open. Frolander, like many other small-town employers in rural Wyoming, is up against a labor shortage in a state with a 3% unemployment rate.
Jen KocherFebruary 03, 2024
Nearly 40 Years After Wyoming Man Went Missing, Family Copes With Proof Of His Death
A Canadian genealogist found a key puzzle piece in the decades-old search for a missing Rawlins man, who disappeared in 1985 and apparently died two years later in a Seattle building fire. His elderly parents received the news last weekend.
Jen KocherFebruary 03, 2024
Are You Hackable? If You Live In Wyoming, The Data Says Probably
Wyoming ranks among the worst states when it comes to getting hacked and falling for cybersecurity scams. The non-profit watchdog group, CyberWyoming, says It doesn’t pay to be a trusting person on the internet.
Jen KocherJanuary 28, 2024
Gillette Realtor Pleads Not Guilty To Stealing Identities To Collect Commissions
Gillette Realtor Tami Hinson pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges she forged the signatures of former employees on sales of foreclosed properties to collect higher commissions. She faces six felony charges, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Jen KocherJanuary 26, 2024
Manslaughter Charge For Greybull Fentanyl Dealer Accused Of Killing Cody Man
A Greybull man charged with selling fentanyl-laced pills that led to the overdose death of a Cody man was bound over to district court Thursday on new charges of manslaughter and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance.
Jen KocherJanuary 19, 2024
Gillette Realtor Who Allegedly Had Identity Stolen By Boss Slapped With Protection Order
The Gillette Realtor who uncovered an alleged scheme where his former boss, Tami Hinson, forged his signature to illegally collect commissions has been slapped with a protection order for his efforts. “The guilty always think it’s crazy when the just seek justice,” he said.
Jen KocherJanuary 19, 2024
Manslaughter Charges For Wyoming Man Who Sold Deadly Fentanyl-Laced Pills
A Greybull man convicted of four felonies for delivery and possession of counterfeit Oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that killed 25-year-old Jordan Jackson of Cody, faces new manslaughter charges in neighboring Park County related to Jackson’s death.
Jen KocherJanuary 12, 2024
Wyoming’s Kindness Ranch Rescues New Batch Of Beagles; Effort Expands To China Meat Market
The Kindness Ranch near Hartville has rescued another batch of lab-testing beagles from Kansas City. They also had their first international save when they rescued four beagles from an underground meat market in China.
Jen KocherOctober 16, 2023
Wyoming’s Kindness Ranch Saves Beagles from Illegal Chinese Meat Trade
The Fourth of July was Independence Day for four beagles that gained their freedom after being rescued from the underground Chinese meat trade by Kindness Ranch, a Wyoming animal sanctuary.
Jen KocherJuly 04, 2023
Wyoming People: Tyler Schwab Of Afton Dedicates Life To Rescuing Sex-Trafficked Girls
After seeing young girls being sex-trafficked in Colombia, Tyler Schwab of Afton, Wyoming, sold everything he owned to go back and rescue them.
Jen KocherJune 18, 2023
Remains found in Carbon County Thought to be Those of Missing Thermopolis Veteran
Humans remains found by shed antler hunters near the Pedro Mountains are likely those of missing Thermopolis man, John Hammond.
Jen KocherMay 25, 2023
Head-On Crash Changed Life For Former Wyoming Undersheriff To Fight Human Trafficking
Justin Scott had to retire as a Wyoming sheriff’s deputy after a high-speed pursuit and head-on crash, but he’s still on the frontlines as head of a new human trafficking task force.
Jen KocherMay 14, 2023
Busting Child Pornographers And Sex Traffickers In Wyoming A Never-Ending Battle
Agents with Wyoming's Internet Crimes Against Children task force face an uphill battle against evil every day. At a conference last week in Casper, they discussed the case of a 33-year-old Natrona County resident who was creating child pornography with a 9-month-old baby at the direction of an Illinois man.
Jen KocherMay 10, 2023
Most Sex Trafficking In Wyoming Is Family, Experts Say
To his mother, Charlie Jones was a commodity. His exploitation began when he was 8. His mother and former stepfather were drug addicts who belonged to a motorcycle gang in New England. When they ended up doing the drugs they were supposed to sell and were on the hook to the gang, his mother offered up Jones in exchange.
Jen KocherMay 08, 2023
Sex Predator Targeting Their Children Was Life-Changing For Couple Now On Anti-Human Trafficking Crusade
A Texas couple sold their house to educate people about the growing dangers of human trafficking and sex predators. They’ve brought their unique virtual reality tool to Wyoming this week
Jen KocherMay 04, 2023
Exotic Gillette Pet Store Cited For Animal Neglect
The owners of an exotic pet store in Gillette received three citations Wednesday for animal neglect. Customers told Cowboy State Daily the animals lived in "crammed" and "horrible" conditions.
Jen KocherApril 12, 2023
Fiancé of Missing Kenyan Irene Gakwa Pleads Guilty to Felony, Financial Crimes
The fiancé of missing Kenyan woman Irene Gakwa pleaded guilty to three of the five felonies related to crimes against her in Campbell County District Court on Tuesday afternoon.
Jen KocherMarch 29, 2023
Tired Of Suicides, Wyoming Special Ops Vet On A New Mission To Save Fellow Veterans
Saying hes sick of watching fellow veterans die, Casper Special Ops vet Michael Watts sheds tears as he talks about his struggles post-military service. Its an exercise he says thats saving himself, and he hopes others.
Jen KocherMarch 07, 2023