She Vanished While On A Cross-Country Trip With Her Ex-Boyfriend And Their Two Daughters, And Her Ex’s Car Was Found Abandoned Smelling Of “Putrefied Blood” With A Loaded Glock Pistol Magazine And A “Projectile Hole” In The Passenger Door
A mother of two went missing while traveling from Alabama to Wyoming with her ex-boyfriend and their two children in October 2023, and her loved ones are still frantically searching for answers.
Katheryn “Katie” Ferguson formerly lived in Cody, Wyoming, and had been in an on-and-off again relationship for eight years with her ex-boyfriend, Adam. Adam, 26, and Katie, 33, had two daughters together, who are 4-years-old and 1-year-old.
But, in May of 2023, Katie decided to leave Wyoming and move to Alabama with her daughters. There, she moved in with her mother and reportedly wanted to get a “fresh start” away from Adam– who she claimed was “abusive” in their relationship.
“She was scared of him. She didn’t want the girls around him,” said Katie’s sister, Amanda Ferguson.
Then, in October of last year, Katie reportedly reached out to Adam and wanted him to take her back to Cody, Wyoming. So, they both set out on a cross-country trip, and Katie vanished somewhere along the way.
She was last seen on October 5, 2023, at about 11:00 a.m., when police conducted a routine check of Adam’s car in Trumann, Arkansas. At that time, Katie, Adam, and their kids were resting in a gas station parking lot.
Adam’s vehicle was pulled over twice more over the following few days– once on October 9 by the Texas State Patrol and again on October 11 by the Colorado State Patrol.
During both of those later police stops, though, Katie was not inside the car. Moreover, the passenger seat had instead been filled with a big pile of clothing. A review of body cam footage also revealed that a projectile hole in the passenger door of Adam’s car had been covered with duct tape.
Following these stops, Katie never returned to Cody, Wyoming, with Adam and their daughters, and she has not been seen or heard from since.
Trevor – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Katie’s mother, Mona Hartling, contacted the Cody Police Department on November 2, 2023, to report her daughter missing after failing to get in contact with Katie. Two days later, authorities also discovered Adam’s car– a 1999 Black Dodge Durango– abandoned inside the Oregon Basin, which is close to Cody, Wyoming.
According to investigators, the vehicle’s windows had been blocked by trash bags, and deputies ultimately broke into the car. Inside, one officer claimed that “he could smell the odor of ‘putrefied blood.'”
Additionally, authorities realized that the passenger seat was missing, a Glock pistol magazine was loaded with live ammunition and located near the Durango’s center console, and a “projectile hole” was located in the passenger door. Cleaning wipes were also found inside the vehicle.
While authorities investigated the vehicle, Adam also approached the scene holding a gas canister. He reportedly claimed that the car was, in fact, his and alleged it had just run out of gas.
In 2017, Adam had been previously convicted of heroin possession in Park County, Wyoming. So, following the investigation of his vehicle, he was ultimately arrested on a charge of felon in possession of ammunition. However, he has not been charged in connection to Katie’s disappearance, and her case is still under investigation.
Since she went missing, her two daughters have been staying with their paternal grandmother. And according to Katie’s sister, Amanda, Katie would never just vanish and miss her youngest daughter’s first birthday on purpose. Instead, Amanda called Katie a “goofball” and a very loving mother.
So, Amanda has held onto some hope that her sister is still alive. But, in light of the evidence, she worries that Katie may not ever return home.
“I still have a little bit of hope. But with all the evidence I’ve heard, if Katie is still alive, I just want her to know that we love her and miss her, and we’re here for her,” Amanda said.
“But if she isn’t, I want to know where she’s at so I can properly say goodbye to her. Our whole family would love that.”
Katie is five foot nine, weighs between 150 and 180 pounds, and has brown hair and blue eyes. If you have any information regarding her case, you are urged to contact the Park County Sheriff’s Department at (307) 527-8700.
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