Key facts
- Name: Roy George Vavra
- Born: September 6, 1967
- Age at disappearance: 38
- Last seen: January 24, 2006
- Location: Gillette, Campbell County, Wyoming
- Height / build: 6’0″, 190 lbs, brown hair, blue eyes, balding; surgical scars on knee and from childhood hernia operation
- Status: Still missing — classified endangered missing
- Case numbers: Campbell County Sheriff 06-00836; NCIC M-395528389; NamUs MP85
- Investigating agency: Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, (307) 682-7271
The note on the table
Roy Vavra was, by every description, a classic Wyoming cowboy. He hunted. He fished. He ran his dogs. He worked horses. On the morning of January 24, 2006, he had plans: a friend was coming over so they could run the dogs together.
His roommate saw him at 6:00 a.m. at their home at 590 South Highway 50 outside Gillette. When the friend arrived, Roy was gone — but he’d left a note saying he’d be back by 11:00 a.m.
He never came back. Everything he owned was still there: his wallet, his truck, his coat, his gun. His dog.
The last confirmed sighting came from about two miles away, at the convenience store at Highway 50 and Force Road. Roy was seen leaving with an unidentified white man in his mid-thirties with short blonde hair, driving a small white pickup — possibly an older Ford Courier. That is the last time anyone saw Roy Vavra.
He was wearing Wrangler jeans, a light gray hooded sweatshirt with “Marsh Memorial” printed on the chest, brown and tan cowboy boots, a black “Classic Ropes” baseball cap, a brown leather western belt with a silver “Team Ropers” buckle, and a braided hemp necklace with a bear tooth pendant. Twenty years later, his family can still describe every item.
The false confession and the fresh eyes
In 2009, a man named Jason Larson came forward claiming Roy had been murdered and buried on a ranch near Gillette. It was investigated. It was fabricated — every word of it. The case went back to silence.
But it never went away. Roy’s twin sister, Anne, has carried it for two decades, and in the last two years the case has found new momentum. A new investigator was assigned and began interviewing new suspects. In February 2026, the Unsolved Wyoming podcast devoted an episode to Roy, sitting down with Anne, with the family’s cousin Rachel, and with lead investigator Gary Sams. NewsNation’s “Missing” series featured the case in 2026 as well: “Man leaves note saying he’d be back soon: A new push to find Roy Vavra after 20 years.”
Twenty years is a long time for a note to go unanswered. “He’d be back by 11:00 a.m.” — the most ordinary sentence in the world, left on a table in a house outside Gillette, by a man who left his dog, his gun, and his wallet behind.
Theories: what might have happened
Foul play involving the unknown man. The convenience-store sighting is the hinge of the case: Roy willingly or unwillingly got into a small white pickup with a stranger, leaving behind everything a man takes with him — wallet, coat, truck, gun. That reads far more like coercion or a lure than a man going off on his own errand. What undercuts a conclusion: the man was never identified, the truck was never found, and no evidence of violence has ever surfaced.
A hunting or outdoor accident. He’d planned to run dogs that morning. But his gun stayed home, his truck stayed home, his dog stayed home — and a hunter doesn’t leave all three to walk two miles to a convenience store. The note said 11:00 a.m. Nothing about the scene suggests he was headed into the field.
He left voluntarily. Nothing supports it. Men who walk away take their wallets. They don’t leave notes promising to be back by eleven.
The case is classified as endangered missing, and after twenty years it has something it didn’t have before: a new investigator, new interviews, and a family that has never stopped. Roy’s twin sister has been looking for her brother for half her adult life. The note is still unanswered.
Have information?
Contact the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office at (307) 682-7271 (case 06-00836) or the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation at (307) 777-7181. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- September 6, 1967 — Roy George Vavra is born.
- January 24, 2006, 6:00 a.m. — His roommate sees him at home at 590 South Highway 50, Gillette.
- January 24, 2006, morning — Roy leaves a note saying he’ll be back by 11:00 a.m. for a hunting trip with a friend. Last confirmed sighting: leaving the Highway 50/Force Road convenience store with an unknown man in a small white pickup.
- 2006 — Searches; all personal belongings found left behind.
- 2009 — Jason Larson falsely claims Roy was murdered and buried on a ranch; the claim is disproven.
- 2025–2026 — New investigator assigned; new suspects interviewed.
- February 2026 — Unsolved Wyoming podcast episode features Roy, with his twin sister Anne and lead investigator Gary Sams.
- 2026 — NewsNation’s Missing profiles the case: “a new push to find Roy Vavra after 20 years.”
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Roy Vavra still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Roy Vavra has been missing for more than 20 years. The case remains open with the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.
Was Roy Vavra ever found?
No. No trace of Roy has ever been found. A 2009 claim that he had been murdered and buried on a ranch was investigated and proven false.
How old would Roy Vavra be today?
Roy was born September 6, 1967 — he turned 59 in September 2026.
What did Roy Vavra’s note say?
He left a note at his home saying he would be back by 11:00 a.m. He had plans to go hunting and run dogs with a friend that morning. He never returned.
Who was the man at the convenience store?
Roy was last seen leaving a store at Highway 50 and Force Road with an unidentified white man in his mid-thirties with short blonde hair, driving a small white pickup truck, possibly an older Ford Courier. Neither the man nor the truck was ever identified.
How can I help?
Share this case file. If you have any information, contact the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office at (307) 682-7271.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, (307) 682-7271 (case 06-00836; NCIC M-395528389; NamUs MP85); Wyoming DCI, (307) 777-7181.
- Reference: The Charley Project, “Roy George Vavra.”
- Media: NewsNation, Missing, “Man leaves note saying he’d be back soon: A new push to find Roy Vavra after 20 years” (2026); Unsolved Wyoming: Cold Cases & Haunted Places podcast (Feb 2026).
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.