A Wyoming mother of two has disappeared after failing to pick up her children from an after-school club, prompting concern from her sister, who described the behavior as completely “out of character.”
Kandice Gunter, 30, moved from Nevada to Casper, Wyoming, about a month ago so she could be closer to her children.
According to the Casper Police Department, Gunter was last seen Thursday morning in Natrona County. She was reported missing to police later that evening.
Her sister, Kayla Gunter, said she contacted police after Kandice did not arrive to pick up her 9-year-old and 6-year-old children from the Boys & Girls Club on Wednesday.
“That’s why I started freaking out. It’s totally out of character for her not to show up to get her kids,” Kayla, who lives about 930 miles away in Dayton, Nevada, told Cowboy State Daily.
Police said Gunter was last known to be driving a gray 2016 GMC Canyon pickup truck with Wyoming temporary registration.
Her cellphone was last traced to an area along Highway 387 near the Natrona County line at about 12:30 p.m. Friday.
The children’s father lives in Casper. Although he and Gunter are no longer a couple, she had been staying at his home and helping care for their children, Cowboy State Daily reported.
In the days leading up to her disappearance, Gunter posted a cryptic message on Facebook: “Success for me, happens in silence.”
In June, she had also written about “focusing on a better me. Again,” alongside a heart-mending emoji.
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The sisters are close and normally speak by phone at least three times each day.
They last talked at 10:41 a.m. Wednesday. Kayla said nothing during the conversation indicated that anything was wrong, but Gunter stopped answering calls afterward.
The family was also told that Gunter’s phone pinged near Gillette around noon Wednesday, roughly two hours after the sisters’ last conversation.
Kayla told Cowboy State Daily that the move from Nevada seemed to be going well. Her sister had not suggested that she planned to leave or abruptly stop communicating with the family.
Gunter was still relatively new to Wyoming and had not yet built a large network of friends in the area.
Kayla issued an emotional appeal on Facebook Saturday, writing: “Lord please just give me a sign my sister is alive. Please.”
A friend also posted a plea Saturday, writing: “I looked so hard but there’s so much wide open spaces with one set of sad eyes hope you’re okay!! 14 years you’ve been in my life and can’t end it like this Kandice Gunter.”
Gunter is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 185 pounds. She has black hair and blue eyes.
She has a distinctive butterfly tattoo on her neck, a memorial tattoo for her mother on the side of her neck, and additional tattoos on her arms, hands, legs and feet.
Anyone with information about Kandice Gunter’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Casper Police Department.