TETON COUNTY, Wyoming, Sept. 28, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Teton County law enforcement officials said Tuesday the high-profile Gabby Petito case has helped them locate a body matching the description of a man missing in the area since August.
Robert “Bob” Stiles Lowery, 46, from Houston, was last seen in the Black Canyon area on Aug. 20, but had not been seen or heard from since, according to a statement from Teton County Search and Rescue.
An investigation into Lowery’s whereabouts had been ongoing within the Teton County Sheriff’s Office, but new clues recently surfaced that prompted the SAR callout.
“The widespread news coverage of the Gabby Petito search helped bring light to Lowery’s case, and resulted in at least two members of the public calling local authorities this past weekend with new information about his possible last seen point,” the TCSAR statement said. “The new information put Lowery on the Black Canyon Trail, wearing a black baseball cap with a gold ‘P,’ and carrying a black duffle bag with the Nike logo.”
Given this new information, search and rescue crews initiated a response. Crews conducted a search for Lowery at the base of Teton Pass Tuesday.
“After four hours of searching on foot, a team with a search dog located a body fitting Lowery’s description on a steep, timbered slope,” the statement said. “Cause of death is currently unknown. The family has been notified as authorities wait for verification.”
Search efforts involved 25 volunteers, along with three dog teams, including K-9s from Jackson Hole Search Dogs and from Driggs, Idaho.
“The volunteers split into seven teams and combed the thick timbered area surrounding Black Canyon, a popular hiking and mountain biking trail in the summer. At about 1 p.m., a dog team located a body and black Nike duffle bag significantly off trail on a steep, wooded slope. Volunteers spent Tuesday afternoon recovering the body from the mountainside. Collectively, the search teams hiked more than 75 miles and covered 22,500 feet in elevation,” the search and rescue team statement said.
“TCSAR offers its gratitude to all those who helped in the search, and sends its most sincere condolences to the family of the deceased.”
