A distressed family is asking the Wyoming governor and other elected officials to help them locate a woman who went missing in the “Equality State” in early 2022.
As the woman’s boyfriend nears his criminal trial on charges of illegally transferring money out of her account after she went missing, the woman’s family wants answers from government officials about her case.
Irene Gakwa, a Kenyan immigrant who moved to the United States to become a nurse in 2019, was last seen by her relatives a year ago, on Feb. 24, 2022, according to CNN, and reported missing on March 20, 2022.
The family and the community are now calling on the Gillette Police Department, the Gillette City Council, Gov. Mark Gordon, the city of Gillette, the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Kenyan Embassy in Washington, D.C., to help find Gakwa.
On Friday, Feb. 24, Gakwa’s brother Kennedy Wainaina and his cousin Tarisai Githu went to the state capitol to push politicians to support them in their quest to locate Gakwa. While the governor was not available, the two were able to leave him a note (and petition) and meet with others.
“State Sens. Eric Barlow and Lynn Hutchings sat down with us and listened to our story,” Githu said. “We asked them to nudge the Gillette Police and the FBI to see if they have any information they can share with the family. We want to know – is the case cold? Is there something they know? They haven’t told us anything.”
The note shared the family’s frustration with the lack of progress on the case.
“This letter is to request your administration take steps in shedding light on the efforts made thus far in the search for Irene Gakwa,” the letter read.
Michael Pearlman, a spokesperson for Gordon, said, “The governor is aware of the case, and the highest levels of law enforcement are participating in the investigation, including the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation and the FBI.”
The…
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