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.