Breanna Chelsey Mitchell was 28 years old when she was last known to be in the Worland, Wyoming area on July 22, 2023. Public case information described her as a White/Caucasian woman with brown hair and green eyes, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and about 130 pounds. She was associated with Washakie County, and her last known location was reported near Worland, in the remote Nowater Trail/Nowater Badlands area.
According to public reporting and law enforcement updates, Breanna’s disappearance began after her vehicle reportedly became stuck in rugged terrain near Nowater Trail, past the Worland airport area. Her boyfriend reported her missing later that day after she did not return. Authorities later found her unoccupied vehicle stuck on a rough two-track road in the badlands, an area described as difficult terrain with hills, ravines, sagebrush, and limited visibility. Early search information also noted that a boot and a shirt believed to belong to Breanna were found near the vehicle, along with barefoot footprints, but Breanna herself was not located at that time.
Search and rescue efforts were extensive. Washakie County authorities and assisting agencies searched the Nowater area for nearly three weeks, including ground teams, search and rescue personnel from multiple counties, aircraft support, K-9 resources, and other investigative tools. Public updates said search teams covered a large area around Nowater Trail, and one report noted that a pond was even drained during the effort, but those searches did not locate Breanna. The difficult landscape, heat, and size of the search area complicated the effort, and by mid-August 2023, officials said the large-scale public searches had ended while the investigation remained open.
Breanna’s case remained unresolved for nearly two years. During that time, her family, friends, law enforcement, search volunteers, and the Worland community continued to live with uncertainty. Public coverage reflected how deeply her disappearance affected the community, with local residents following the search and hoping for answers. Authorities also continued to treat the matter seriously and reviewed investigative leads, including phone-related information and interviews, while repeatedly asking anyone with knowledge of her whereabouts to contact the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is now closed, and Breanna was sadly located deceased. Public reporting states that skeletal remains were discovered in March 2025 by a Wyoming Game and Fish warden who was tracking a deer collar in the Nowater Badlands southeast of Worland, in the same general area where Breanna’s vehicle had been found in July 2023. Washakie County officials later confirmed the remains were Breanna’s through dental records. Her remains were reported to have been found about 1.05 miles north of where her vehicle had been parked.
Although Breanna has been found, public sources did not provide a precise date of death, and the available information is vague on that point. Her obituary lists her passing as occurring in July 2023, but official public reporting focused on the 2025 recovery and identification of her remains rather than establishing an exact date. Reporting also stated that her cause of death was not known publicly at the time of identification.
Breanna is remembered by loved ones as a kind, joyful person whose presence touched many lives. Her obituary described her as sweet, kind-hearted, and full of warmth, someone who loved music and greeted people openly. The confirmation that she had been found brought heartbreaking closure to a long and painful search, allowing her family and community to finally know where she was, even though the outcome was not the one they had prayed for.Last Seen: Jul 22, 2023
