Looking for Katie Ferguson in the Wilds of Wyoming

How She Left
Katie Ferguson was thirty three. She was a daughter, a mother of two, and someone trying to carve out safety. Her stepmom Angela helped her with gas and hotel money so she could leave Alabama and return home to Cody. Family matters. A fresh start. A path forward.

On October 5, 2023, Katie climbed into her black 1999 Dodge Durango. Her two young daughters were in the back seat. Her boyfriend, Adam Aviles Jr., was driving. They were heading northwest to Wyoming.

That evening, in Trumann, Arkansas, a police officer checked on a vehicle parked behind a business. It was Katie’s Durango. The engine was running. The girls were asleep. Katie was awake and calm in the front passenger seat. Adam was standing outside. The officer noted no damage, no danger, and no reason to intervene.

That moment, captured on body cam, is the last confirmed sighting of Katie Ferguson.

How She Disappeared
On October 9, Adam was pulled over in Texas. He was alone.

The Durango now had a bullet hole in the front passenger door. It had been patched with tape. Katie was not in the vehicle. The girls were still with him.

Adam claimed Katie had gotten out of the car in New Mexico and walked away. Left her daughters. Left the trip. Left no message behind.

Her family never believed that version. And neither did investigators.

What Was Found
Nearly a month later, on November 4, Katie’s Durango was found abandoned in Oregon Basin, just south of Cody.

Inside the vehicle was blood. Fired .45 caliber rounds. The entire front passenger seat had been removed. Interior trim pieces had been torn out and stuffed into trash bags. Katie’s phone was wrapped in a blanket. Cadaver dogs alerted on the ground near the passenger side and the tire tracks. The smell inside was strong enough that investigators suspected an attempt to clean or cover it.

A man matching Adam’s description had been seen in the area carrying a red gas can.

The vehicle was left less than ten miles from where Katie lived.

The Pink Tote
During Adam’s federal trial, agents revealed another detail. A pink plastic tote wrapped in white duct tape had been found at his father’s house in Cody. An FBI agent testified that it smelled like putrefied blood. Witnesses said Adam had thrown it away behind a Walgreens and then gone back to retrieve it. He reportedly said the tote contained DNA.

It has never been found.

Neither has Katie.

The Charge That Stuck
Adam was a convicted felon. He was not legally allowed to possess firearms or ammunition. Investigators recovered .45 caliber rounds that matched the ammunition used in the vehicle.

He was charged federally for being a felon in possession of ammunition.

At his sentencing in September 2024, the judge stated it was more likely than not that Adam killed Katie. He was sentenced to eighty seven months in federal prison.

No murder charge has ever been filed.

What We’re Still Looking For
Two pieces of evidence have never been recovered. One is the pink plastic tote. The other is the front passenger seat from the Durango. Investigators believe both were discarded in or near Park County. Possibly near Oregon Basin. Possibly farther out. They may have been burned. They may still be out there.

If You’re in the Backcountry
If you hunt, hike, ride trails, or explore the wild spaces around Cody, please look again.

A faded tote. A seat frame tucked in brush. Something that seems out of place.

If you find anything that fits, do not touch it. Do not move it. Take a photo. Drop a pin. Call the Park County Sheriff’s Office at 307 527 8700.

Even if you’re not sure. Even if it seems like nothing.

Because it might be the one thing that finally brings Katie home.

A Family Still Waiting
Katie’s daughters were two and four when she disappeared. They are now six and three. They live with Adam’s mother. They ask about their mom. They walk past her room. They are growing up in the space she left behind.

Her mother Mona says she prays for answers every day. Her biggest fear is never being able to explain the truth to her granddaughters. She just wants to bring her daughter home.

At Adam’s sentencing, Katie’s friends wore shirts with her face printed across the front. They wanted him to see her. Every time he looked up.

Katie has not been forgotten.

This Case Is Not Cold
There is no mystery in this case. There is testimony. There is blood. There are bullets. There is a missing seat and a tote that was never meant to be found.

Katie deserves to come home.

If you live in Wyoming, you know how easily things blend into the landscape. You know how many old logging roads lead to nowhere. You know how a piece of plastic can get buried in snow and sun and sagebrush.

So if you are out there, take one more look. The next thing you notice might be the reason someone finally gets to rest.

Stay curious. Keep looking.

xoxo
-S

As an amateur true crime writer, I strive to provide accurate and well-researched information. However, please be aware that I am not a professional investigator or journalist, and my work is based on available sources and my understanding of the case. There may be inaccuracies or incomplete details in my posts. I encourage readers to seek out additional sources and verify information from official and professional channels. Thank you for your understanding and support.

A Night that Haunts Minnesota

In the quiet hours of May 14, 2008, a young man named Brandon Swanson disappeared into the rural Minnesota night, leaving behind a haunting mystery that has kept his family and the small town of Marshall searching for answers ever since. Brandon had just finished his first year at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. That night, he was celebrating with friends, likely looking forward to the next chapter of his life. But in a matter of hours, his future and the certainty of his last moments vanished along with him.

The 911 Call That Set Everything in Motion

Just after 2 a.m., Brandon’s car slid off the gravel road near the town of Lynd, about 10 miles from his home. Stranded but unshaken, he called his parents for help. Annette and Brian Swanson, hearing the stress in their son’s voice, jumped in their car without hesitation, heading toward where Brandon thought he was. Darkness and the quiet of the countryside added an eerie edge to Brandon’s calm directions as he tried to guide his parents by phone.

What stands out is how collected Brandon was, even after what must have been a jarring moment. He described his surroundings, pointing out the faint glow of what he thought were the lights of a nearby town. Annette and Brian were on the line with him for over 40 minutes, but as they neared where Brandon should have been, they saw no car. Suddenly, a short gasp interrupted Brandon’s calm instructions, followed by dead silence. The call dropped, and with it, any trace of Brandon.

A Search That Uncovered Only More Mystery

The following day, an exhaustive search began. But as volunteers and authorities combed the area, it became clear that things weren’t adding up. When they eventually located Brandon’s car, it was in Taunton, nearly 25 miles away from where he’d said he was. How could Brandon have been so certain about his location but be so far off?

Sniffer dogs managed to trace his scent to the Yellow Medicine River. For a time, the working theory was that he had wandered, disoriented, and accidentally fallen into the river. But the river was shallow at that time of year, and search divers came up empty-handed. Not a single item, a shoe, his phone, his wallet, was ever found in or near the water. The search expanded, volunteers combed nearby fields and gravel pits, but still, Brandon seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

Theories, Rumors, and a Haunting Legacy of Questions

In the absence of evidence, theories about what happened to Brandon that night have multiplied. The most common is that he fell into the river and drowned, his body carried away by the current. Others believe he might have been injured and lost his sense of direction, eventually collapsing somewhere too hidden for searchers to see. But the chilling lack of evidence, no personal belongings, no tracks, and no remains, has left many wondering if there might be more to the story.

There’s also the deeply unsettling possibility of foul play. Though there was no indication Brandon was involved in any trouble, the notion that someone may have taken advantage of his vulnerable, stranded state lingers in some minds. Another theory considers whether Brandon could have been experiencing personal stress that caused him to wander farther than intended, though his friends and family maintain that Brandon was a stable, reliable person. The only certainty in Brandon’s disappearance seems to be that it remains profoundly unresolved.

Brandon’s Law: A Legacy of Vigilance

For Annette and Brian Swanson, Brandon’s absence has been an unfathomable loss, one they have channeled into action. After enduring delays and setbacks in the initial search efforts, they worked tirelessly to enact Brandon’s Law in Minnesota. Signed in 2009, this law mandates that police take all missing person cases seriously, regardless of the individual’s age or perceived level of risk. It was a critical change, ensuring that families like the Swansons never have to feel as though their missing loved one isn’t worth searching for immediately.

For the Swansons, Brandon’s Law is a way to make sure Brandon’s memory makes an impact, even if he can’t be there to see it. The law serves as a small light in the darkness that has surrounded Brandon’s case, one that may prevent other families from experiencing the same agonizing uncertainties.

A Case that Stays in the Shadows

Over 15 years later, Brandon’s disappearance remains unsolved, a haunting mystery in Minnesota’s history. His parents, community, and those who follow his story continue to hope for closure. While Brandon’s Law offers a lasting legacy, the answers they seek, the ones that might finally bring them peace, remain just out of reach.

Brandon’s story serves as a reminder of how quickly a life can vanish and how the unknown can linger, even in a place as close-knit and quiet as Marshall, Minnesota. Perhaps one day, a clue will surface, and the shadows that cloud that night in May will part. Until then, Brandon’s disappearance is a story that reminds us all to hold our loved ones close and to always be vigilant for the missing voices that still need to be heard.

Hug your family tonight.
xoxo
-S