Tag: Togwotee Pass disappearance

Wyoming’s Oldest Missing Person Case

In 1934, twenty one year old Olga Schultz Mauger vanished near Togwotee Pass, making hers Wyoming’s oldest missing person case. This post explores her story, the search, and why remembering her still matters today.

How She Left
Olga Schultz Mauger was only twenty one when her life turned into Wyoming’s oldest unanswered mystery. She was born March 11, 1913, in Lead, South Dakota, to German immigrant parents who had come to America from the eastern reaches of Russia. Olga grew up in a time when young women were expected to build their lives around family and faith, yet she was also remembered as strong, independent, and deeply at ease in the outdoors.

By the fall of 1934, her life seemed to be just beginning. On September 11, she married oilman Carl Mauger. They spent their brief honeymoon in Wyoming’s mountains, combining celebration with hunting season. Marriage, mountains, and a week of shared plans should have been the start of decades together. Instead, it became the last time Olga was seen alive.

How She Disappeared
On September 17, 1934, the Maugers set out into the wilderness near Angle’s Camp, a site now known as Togwotee Mountain Lodge, high in Fremont County. The area is breathtaking but unforgiving. Dense lodgepole pine forests, steep slopes, and sudden weather changes make the country both beautiful and dangerous.

After hiking for miles, Olga decided to rest on a rock while Carl climbed a ridge to look for elk. She was visible from the road, sitting in the open mountain air, a new bride still carrying the warmth of her September wedding. Carl was gone for only twenty minutes. When he returned, Olga was not there.

There were no tracks leading away, no belongings left behind, and no sound of distress in the trees. In a matter of minutes, a young woman vanished without a trace.

What Was Found and What Was Not
What followed was one of the most extensive search operations Wyoming had ever mounted in the 1930s. Rangers, local ranchers, Native trackers with dogs, and members of the Civilian Conservation Corps spread across the pass. Game wardens and law enforcement scoured ridges, drainages, and timber.

Searchers used horses, bloodhounds, and manpower to cover the steep and uneven terrain. They looked for footprints, broken branches, or any sign of an elk hunter’s coat against the snow covered ground. Early autumn weather closed in quickly. Snow fell and the cold made it harder to keep the search alive.

After days of effort, the result was silence. No clothing. No rifle. No wedding ring. No body. Not then. Not ever.

Theories That Remain
Without answers, the community began to whisper theories.

Some believed Olga slipped while walking in steep timber and succumbed to the elements. Others feared she had been attacked by a bear, though no signs of a struggle were ever found. A more controversial theory suggested that Olga had chosen to walk away from her marriage and her life, a reflection of how the 1930s judged women for choices that defied expectation. Still, there was no letter, no preparation, and no confirmed sighting to support this.

In reality, none of these theories have ever produced evidence. Almost a century later, Olga Schultz Mauger remains Wyoming’s oldest open missing person case.

Why It Matters
It is easy to let a cold case become just a headline, but Olga was never meant to be a mystery. She was a daughter, a sister, and a wife whose life was just beginning. She was a bride for one week before her story became a question mark.

Remembering her matters not just because her disappearance is unsolved, but because her life was interrupted before it truly began. In telling her story, we honor her memory and keep Wyoming’s oldest missing person case alive in the public eye.

What You Can Do
If you know anything, if your family ever passed down stories, if an old letter or photograph surfaced with a mention of Olga, if a memory has lived quietly in your household, it could matter. Even the smallest detail might help piece together what happened in the mountains near Togwotee Pass.

Contact:
Fremont County Sheriff’s Office
Lander: (307) 332 5611
Riverton: (307) 856 7200
Email: fcso@fremontcountywy.gov

You can also submit information to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Missing Persons Clearinghouse, where tips are routed to the lead investigators.

Ninety One Years Later
The wilderness around Togwotee Pass is still wild, still unpredictable, still capable of holding secrets. Snow can bury sign, forests can mask footsteps, and time can turn fresh heartbreak into history. But memory does not have to fade.

Ninety one years later, Olga Schultz Mauger is still Wyoming’s oldest missing person. Her story remains part of this landscape, a reminder that some questions have yet to be answered.

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.