Robert “Bob” Lowery was last seen in mid-August while hiking in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest near Grand Teton National Park, according to Teton County Sheriff’s Office. Now, it is believed that the body of Lowery, 46, has been located.
Lowery’s case benefitted from another missing-persons case: Gabby Petito’s. The woman whose disappearance while on a hiking trip in Wyoming garnered national attention apparently also helped shed light on Lowery’s disappearance.
A pair of part-time residents of Teton reported to police that they spotted Lowery around 3pm on August 20 by himself on Black Canyon Trail. That tip helped to narrow down the search, and a body that matched Lowery’s description was found in a wooded area near a steep slope. The body had a black duffle bag like the one Lowery was carrying.
So far, no cause of death has been reported for the individual, nor has it been confirmed to be Lowery.
“The good news about it has been Bob got pulled into a bunch of articles, so it actually drew a bunch of attention from people that I know,” his sister Leigh Lowery told Jackson Hole News and Guide.
Lowery did not have much hiking experience yet told his family after leaving his real estate job in Houston that he was planning on taking a variety of hiking and camping trips before taking new employment.
Police say he canceled his mail before leaving.
His family’s concern grew when they lost contact with him, saying it was out-of-the-ordinary for him to lose touch with his children.
“Bob talks to those kids every day, multiple times a day,” Leigh Lowery told NBC. “He's never out of touch with them. But it's been 37 days and nothing. And that's what's concerning.”
Lowery’s family has set up a GoFundMe to help raise money for his children’s education.
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