It started with a missing Kenyan nursing student.
Irene Gakwa moved to Gillette with her boyfriend in July 2021. Less than one year later she would vanish in February 2022, never to be seen or heard from again while her boyfriend remains the primary person of interest in her disappearance.
When Stacy Koester first heard about Irene following the announcement from the Gillette Police Department, she was heartbroken.
That anyone, let alone someone so far from home, could disappear in her community didn’t sit well Stacy, who immediately gathered a small group of women around her to begin searching for Irene. She also contacted Irene’s brothers in Idaho – as well as Irene’s parents in Kenya – to see what she could do to help.
Stacy, whose own father went missing when she was just a child, understands what it means to go to bed each night with no answers and the hole it leaves in your heart.
From there she organized dozens of searches with Irene’s family and others and continued to advocate for the police to prioritize Irene’s case, including a visit with the governor.
Three years later, unfortunately Irene is still missing, but she’s far from forgotten. If anything, her disappearance has galvanized Stacy to do more – not just for Irene but for other families with missing loved ones.
Far too many people go missing in Wyoming, which continuously ranks in the top 12 states for the highest per capita number of missing people.
Realizing there was a problem and a need for more feet on the ground to assist police who are doing amazing work but are balancing heavy caseloads. Stacy saw an opportunity to create a team of skilled search and rescuers, volunteer private investigators and compassionate volunteers to lend emotional support and a listening ear.
Enter WyoFind, a nonprofit Stacy started with the helped of a dedicated searcher, and committed journalist and a retired law enforcement officer and private investigator with the goal of bringing home the missing.
We don’t do any searches or investigations without the full sign off of police.
Since its founding in 2024, Stacy and WyoFind have since expanded their caseload while bringing family members of the missing – including Irene’s brother, Kennedy Wainaina, onto the board as a constant reminder of the importance of the family’s role in these investigations. This year, we added two new board members, business owners and parents of 2-year-old twins, who share our passion and freely give their time despite their busy lives.
The work is just beginning, and we welcome your support.
