Abducted Cody girl is found, police looking for abductor

Cody police are looking for a man who allegedly lured an 11-year-old girl into his SUV on Monday afternoon and later sexually assaulted her.

The girl was found later that afternoon walking along a road near Carter Mountain by a group of hunters who were in the area. Officials say they hope that hunters who frequent the area of the mountain may have seen something that could help them find the man accused of abducting the girl.

She told police that a man between 55 and 60 years old and weighing between 185 and 200 pounds forced her into his SUV at the Park County Complex where she was playing with a friend, according to a report released Tuesday morning by Cody Police Chief Perry Rockvam.

She told officers the man brandished a “pistol” and commanded her to get into the front seat of his vehicle.

Both the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI now are involved in the investigation and search.

The girl and her friend told police that the man’s SUV was possibly a Chevrolet Suburban that had a front seat and an open compartment in the back with a mattress inside.

“Information reported is that it appears that the subject may possibly be living out of the vehicle,” Rockvam said. “The vehicle is described as having a black and red backpack tied to a roof rack and having a package of bottled water strapped or tied to both the top of the vehicle and the backpack.

According to the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office, the Amber Alert for the girl was canceled at about 9 p.m., two hours after being issued. She was abducted at about 4:30 p.m. and was found at about 8:15 p.m. An Amber Alert was activated for her at 6:43 p.m., Rockvam said.

While the girl’s name was released as part of the Amber Alert, the News Record is no longer using her name because of its policy of not identifying victims of sexual assault.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or Cody police at 307-527-8700.