Overview

Last Seen: October 6, 2014
Location: Casper, Wyoming, primarily associated with her home on East 24th Street
Age When Missing: 61
Status: Missing under suspicious circumstances; no publicly confirmed homicide and no publicly announced arrest or charge.
NamUs: MP26418

Kristi Lynn Richardson, known as “Kris,” disappeared from Casper, Wyoming, on October 6, 2014. She failed to report to Richardson Trucking the following morning, something considered highly unusual for the longtime business owner. Her vehicle, cellphone, purse, identification, money and other personal belongings remained behind. Investigators subsequently examined the possibility of abduction or other foul play, followed numerous leads and eventually transferred the investigation to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Kristi Lynn Richardson Disappearance: The Unsolved 2014 Casper, Wyoming Case

Brief Case Summary

Last Seen: October 6, 2014
Location: Casper, Wyoming, primarily associated with her home on East 24th Street
Age When Missing: 61
Status: Missing under suspicious circumstances; no publicly confirmed homicide and no publicly announced arrest or charge.
NamUs: MP26418

Kristi Lynn Richardson, known as “Kris,” disappeared from Casper, Wyoming, on October 6, 2014. She failed to report to Richardson Trucking the following morning, something considered highly unusual for the longtime business owner. Her vehicle, cellphone, purse, identification, money and other personal belongings remained behind. Investigators subsequently examined the possibility of abduction or other foul play, followed numerous leads and eventually transferred the investigation to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

The Disappearance of Kristi Lynn Richardson

Kristi Lynn Richardson was a 61-year-old Casper resident, mother, grandmother and owner of Richardson Trucking when she vanished in October 2014. Richardson and her late husband, Ronald “Ron” Richardson, had built the trucking business together beginning in 1979, and she continued operating it after his death in 2013.

On October 6, 2014, Richardson spent part of the evening with family. Court records later cited by investigators indicated that she was at her daughter’s home at approximately 5:30 p.m. Other accounts describe her returning to her residence afterward. At approximately 7:45 p.m., she spoke by telephone with a driver from Richardson Trucking. That conversation became one of the last confirmed contacts with her.

Another Richardson Trucking driver attempted to call her at about 11 p.m., but that call went unanswered. Because Richardson needed to remain available for trucking and dispatch matters, investigators considered the lack of response unusual.

Kristi Fails to Arrive at Work

Richardson was expected at Richardson Trucking early on October 7. When she did not arrive, her family and employees became concerned.

Her daughter went to Richardson’s residence. Richardson’s vehicle was still there, and investigators later found that important personal possessions had apparently been left behind. Her cellphone was found in or near her bed, while her purse, identification, cash and keys were inside the home.

Police found no obvious evidence of a major struggle. However, investigators documented circumstances that raised serious questions. A garage door opener Richardson ordinarily kept in her purse could not be located, and stains observed on her bedsheets appeared as though they could have been blood or urine. Early search-warrant language indicated police were looking for evidence potentially connected to murder or abduction, although Richardson has never been publicly declared a homicide victim.

None of Richardson’s vehicles appeared to have been taken. Her disappearance without her phone, identification, purse, money and vehicle became one of the central mysteries of the investigation.

Searches Begin Around Casper

Casper Police began interviewing Richardson’s relatives, friends, neighbors and associates. Her home was searched, as was her office at Richardson Trucking on West Yellowstone Highway. Police recovered a computer and business files as part of the early investigation.

Family members, friends and community volunteers also organized searches. Areas around Casper and Casper Mountain received attention, and investigators continued following tips from the public. By November 2014, police said they were actively pursuing the case but were withholding investigative details because of its sensitivity.

The lack of an apparent financial or electronic trail presented investigators with another problem. Richardson did not surface through ordinary transactions, communications or other activity that might be expected if she had voluntarily left Casper.

Investigators Examine Persons of Interest

As the case developed, police investigated multiple persons of interest. Court records revealed particular attention to a former Richardson Trucking employee who had wanted a romantic relationship with Richardson. Police publicly stressed that the man was considered a person of interest rather than a suspect and that no charge had been filed against him.

Investigators examined his movements on October 6 through interviews, telephone information and financial records. Police were able to verify portions of his account but reported a period during the evening that they were attempting to clarify. Search warrants were later used to obtain credit information in an effort to establish locations and activity.

No publicly disclosed evidence resulting from those inquiries has led to an arrest or established responsibility for Richardson’s disappearance.

Other potential explanations and persons were also considered during the investigation. Because none resulted in publicly announced charges, claims identifying any particular individual as responsible should be treated as unproven.

Electronic and Financial Records Searched

Casper investigators continued using search warrants in the years following Richardson’s disappearance.

In 2015 and 2016, detectives requested credit-report information and examined electronic records. A February 2016 warrant sought records connected to an AOL account associated with unnamed persons and addresses in Casper. The publicly filed return did not reveal evidence resolving the case.

Police also searched Richardson’s credit history for recent transactions or other activity that could indicate where she had gone. Detective Shannon Daley said investigators had followed hundreds of tips from across the country, but the credit-record search produced no useful lead that was publicly disclosed.

Family Raises the Reward to $250,000

Richardson’s family remained convinced that someone knew what had happened.

On the first anniversary of her disappearance in October 2015, her family increased its reward to $250,000 for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons involved in her disappearance. Her son Tracy Richardson appealed publicly for anyone with information to come forward.

That $250,000 reward was still being publicized by Crime Stoppers of Central Wyoming on July 1, 2025, more than a decade after Richardson vanished.

Wyoming DCI Takes Over the Investigation

A significant change came in 2017.

After nearly three years of investigation, Casper Police requested that the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation take over Richardson’s case. Interim Casper Police Chief Steve Schulz wrote that the department had followed numerous leads without reaching a resolution and believed a new perspective could be beneficial. DCI agreed to take the case.

The transfer became intertwined with public-record litigation concerning Richardson’s disappearance and the 2015 death of Casper businessman Mick McMurry. A media organization sought investigative records and raised questions about whether authorities had explored allegations of a possible connection between the cases.

Those allegations never established that a connection actually existed. Richardson’s daughter publicly said she had no personal knowledge of such a connection, and no publicly released evidence has established one.

In 2018, a Natrona County judge ruled that the investigative records should remain sealed because the Richardson and McMurry matters involved open and ongoing DCI investigations.

Investigation Confirmed Open and Active

The Wyoming Attorney General provided one of the clearest official updates in September 2019, stating that the Kristi Richardson investigation remained open and active.

Because of the active status, the Attorney General’s Office declined to disclose specific investigative steps being taken by DCI.

That lack of public detail does not necessarily mean investigative activity stopped. In unresolved cases, agencies frequently withhold information that could compromise interviews, evidence or a future prosecution.

Latest Public Information

The most recent case-specific public update located during this review is from July 1, 2025, when Crime Stoppers of Central Wyoming again featured Kristi Richardson’s disappearance.

Crime Stoppers stated that Richardson had been missing for more than ten years, reiterated the family’s $250,000 reward and directed anyone with information about her disappearance to the Casper Police Department.

Richardson also continues to appear in contemporary missing-person awareness efforts. In April 2026, a Wyoming nonprofit’s statewide awareness campaign included Richardson among missing people featured on coffee sleeves designed to generate new tips and public attention.

No credible public announcement located through August 26, 2026 reports that Kristi has been found, that human remains have been identified as hers, or that anyone has been arrested or charged in connection with her disappearance.

Where the Case Stands

More than a decade after Kristi Richardson disappeared, several facts continue to make the case difficult to explain as a routine voluntary disappearance.

Her vehicle remained behind. Her cellphone remained at home. Her purse, identification and money were also left there. She missed work without warning, and investigators found no publicly disclosed financial or communication trail establishing that she deliberately began a new life elsewhere.

At the same time, the publicly available evidence does not establish exactly what happened inside or around Richardson’s home that night. No person has been publicly convicted in connection with the disappearance, and speculation surrounding individuals discussed over the years remains speculation unless supported by evidence released by investigators or tested in court.

Kristi Lynn Richardson remains one of Wyoming’s unresolved missing-person cases. Her NamUs identification is MP26418, and the Doe Network added her as 4840DFWY in 2024.

Anyone with firsthand information about what happened to Kristi on October 6, 2014 — even information that seemed insignificant at the time — can contact law enforcement or Crime Stoppers..