A Wyoming mother of two has disappeared after failing to pick up her children from an after-school program, prompting concern from her sister, who described the behavior as completely out of character.
Kandice Gunter, 30, relocated 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 and was reported missing later that evening.
Her sister, Kayla Gunter, said she contacted police after Kandice did not arrive to collect her 9- 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 with Wyoming temporary registration.
Her cellphone was last located along Highway 387 near the Natrona County line at approximately 12:30 p.m. Friday.
The children’s father lives in Casper. Although he and Gunter are no longer together, she had been staying with his family and helping care for the children, according to Cowboy State Daily.
Before she disappeared, 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,” accompanied by a heart-mending emoji.
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The sisters are close and usually talk on the phone at least three times each day.
They last spoke at 10:41 a.m. Wednesday. Kayla said the conversation gave her no reason to believe anything was wrong, but Gunter stopped answering calls afterward.
The family was also told that Gunter’s phone had pinged in the Gillette area around noon Wednesday, roughly two hours after the sisters spoke.
Kayla told Cowboy State Daily that the move from Nevada appeared to be going well and that Gunter had not indicated she intended to leave or abruptly end contact with her 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 Saturday: “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.
Her identifying marks include 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 Gunter’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Casper Police Department.
