Amanda Gallion, a 14-year-old girl from Gillette, Wyoming, was last seen on October 13, 1997, as she walked to school. Despite leaving her home in the morning, Amanda never arrived at school, and it wasn’t until 6:00 p.m. that her family realized she was missing. She had recently moved to the area just six weeks before her disappearance. Initial suspicions arose around her 20-year-old boyfriend, Patrick Ghering, who claimed to have seen Amanda at 7:15 a.m. the morning she vanished.
However, he too went missing six days later, with his abandoned car discovered on the side of the road, raising questions about whether they had run away together or if something more sinister occurred. Neither Amanda nor Patrick’s social security numbers have been used since their disappearances, suggesting they have not engaged in any formal activity since then, deepening concerns that foul play may be involved.
Over the years, Amanda’s case has drawn attention from law enforcement and even linked to several notorious individuals. Notably, serial predator Nathaniel Bar-Jonah was investigated for a possible connection to Amanda’s case, given his history of child abductions. Bone fragments found on his property were tested, but they did not match Amanda’s DNA. In addition, in 2007, a South Dakota inmate named James Strahl allegedly confessed to murdering Amanda after picking her up while she was hitchhiking. He claimed to have killed her after she resisted his advances, but this confession has been disputed, and Strahl later denied making it. The leads in both of these directions failed to uncover definitive answers, leaving Amanda’s case unsolved.
To this day, Amanda's disappearance remains a mystery, classified by some as a potential runaway case, though investigators have long considered the possibility of foul play. Despite extensive investigations, no trace of Amanda or Patrick has been found, and their cases remain cold.Last Seen: Oct 13, 1997
