About Us
About Missing People of Wyoming
Despite its low population, Wyoming consistently ranks in the top 12 states for the most missing people. When someone goes missing, we are here to help.
Our mission is to provide unwavering support to families and communities across Wyoming in the search for missing persons. We are dedicated to raising awareness, offering resources, and facilitating collaboration with local authorities to ensure that every person who goes missing is found as quickly and safely as possible.
Communicating with law enforcement and expressing concerns is crucial when a loved one goes missing. Our goal is to be an advocate and resource.
We believe that all missing persons deserve equal treatment regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preferences, life choices, criminal history or mental illness.
We are volunteers and all of our services are offered free of charge.
What We Do
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Provide a platform to quickly share missing person cases across social media sites
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Create missing person flyers
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Distribute flyers across the state
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Work with law enforcement to help get a person reported missing
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Network with other missing person groups throughout the state and on the Wind River Indian Reservation
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Advocate for legislation to help strengthen missing person protocols for law enforcement
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Link loved ones with the resources they need both in finding and recovering their loved ones
Who We Are
Desirée Tinoco
As a stay-at-home mom of two, Desirée felt the need to do something more. She enjoys dedicating her time to other nonprofits, her family, fishing, and playing darts, but something was missing. Looking for ways that she could help her community, she soon found a niche as a missing persons advocate. Throughout the years, she has worked with law enforcement agencies throughout Wyoming regarding missing persons, cold cases, protocols, and public accessibility. This work includes working with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation to create a state-wide missing person database and was the driving force behind a missing person's protocol bill for the state of Wyoming, which has since become law. Working closely with loved ones of those that are missing is an important piece of the work that she does.
Jennifer Kocher
Jennifer is a national and state award-winning investigative journalist with years of experience reporting on missing people. She’s passionate about telling these people’s stories while spreading the word with the hopes of generating new tips and leads for both missing people and unsolved cold cases. She’s actively searched for missing people on the ground with volunteer groups and private investigators and has a host of certifications in search and rescue, human trafficking and private investigator trainings. She’s constantly working on growing her network within law enforcement and search and rescue groups with the goal of helping find missing persons.
Renee Nelson
Renee is a local Cheyenne woman who graduated from the University of Wyoming with her B.A. in English. She returned to school to earn her M.A. in English Literature and Composition with an emphasis in Composition, from the University of Northern Colorado. Renee currently is full-time faculty for LCCC, where she became inspired to start her own true-crime podcast, Unsolved Wyoming. She covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and haunted places in Wyoming. Renee's goal, as a true crime podcaster, is only working with families or friends that want their case reported on to avoid unintentionally retraumatizing victims' families. When she is not busy reading, writing or grading, Renee enjoys spending time with her husband, Scott, their two kids Aria and Henry, looking after their animals (dog, cat and chickens), hiking, baking, cooking, running and taking pictures. She really enjoys a good scary movie, exploring abandoned buildings and writing.
Amanda Waldron
Amanda has 10+ years experience working with at-risk teens, and for the past several years has volunteered for local and national non-profits to assist in a boots on the ground, investigative approach in assisting with missing people through the state of Wyoming and surrounding states. Amanda has a background in criminal justice and corrections, with extensive and continued training in domestic violence and strangulation cases. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, dogs, livestock and volunteers in the 4-H and agricultural community.
Keri Angell
Keri Angell has been a deputy with the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office since 2008 as well as an officer for the Big Horn County Search and Rescue. Her interest in missing people began in 2003 when she became involved in search and rescue work. She's seen too many times the heartbreak of the family of missing people, whether they have been missing for a few hours or a few years. She's also worked closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on missing juvenile cases in her county and is excited to continue that work by serving on the board of Missing People of Wyoming and continuing to reunite the missing with their families.
Matt Tinoco
Depending on what time of the year it is and which hunting season is open, you might find Matt out on a hunt, fishing for walleye or sighting in a gun. Because he has such a passion for the outdoors, Matt understands the importance of safety measures and staying in contact with loved ones well. The only thing Matt loves more than the outdoors is spending time with his wife, Desirée and their two children. Matt has played an instrumental role in the nonprofit supporting his wife so that she can advocate for missing persons. The success of the nonprofit would not be possible if it were not for his support.