Chance Leslie Englebert was 25 years old when he disappeared on July 6, 2019, during a visit to family in the Gering and Terrytown area of western Nebraska. He was a husband and father from Moorcroft, Wyoming, and his disappearance began after an argument with family. According to NamUs, Chance walked away from the residence and told relatives and friends that he was going to walk toward Torrington, Wyoming. He was described as a white male with brown hair and blue eyes, about 5 feet 11 inches tall and 195 pounds, and he was wearing a short-sleeved Wrangler button-up shirt, Wrangler blue jeans, and a black-and-white ball cap when he was last known to be seen.
After he left, Chance was captured on surveillance video walking through the area as the weather worsened. His last known cell phone activity occurred during a severe thunderstorm with torrential rain, somewhere in the Terrytown or Scottsbluff area. Online reports describe him making calls while trying to get a ride, but he did not make it back to his family, and his phone activity eventually stopped. What began as a young father walking away after a painful family conflict quickly became a frightening and prolonged missing person case, with searchers, investigators, loved ones, and members of the public trying to understand how someone could vanish in such a familiar area.
For more than six years, Chance’s disappearance remained unresolved. The Gering Police Department was listed as the investigating agency, and the case drew sustained attention because of the circumstances: he was last seen on foot, in worsening weather, after emotional distress, and his final known movements were pieced together from video surveillance and phone activity rather than from a clear goodbye or planned absence. Over time, the case involved searches, public appeals, and ongoing efforts by family and supporters who continued to hope for answers. NamUs listed the case as MP59295 and recorded that family DNA reference samples had been submitted and uploaded for comparison, reflecting the long-term investigative effort to identify any possible remains or evidence connected to him.
In October 2025, skeletal remains and personal belongings were found at or near Scotts Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska, several miles from the area where Chance had last been known to be walking. Authorities and family awaited formal identification, and in November 2025, DNA and dental confirmation established that the remains were Chance Englebert’s. NamUs now reflects the case resolution status as deceased, meaning he is no longer an active missing person and the case has been closed as a missing person case. Reports from Nebraska outlets and other coverage said the identification ended years of uncertainty for those who loved him, though it did not remove the grief of losing him or the pain of so many unanswered years.
Authorities later said there was no evidence that Chance’s death was anything other than accidental. Reporting citing the Scotts Bluff County Attorney’s Office and Gering Police Department stated that the condition of the remains and injuries were consistent with a fall from a high incline, with forensic specialists assisting in the identification and review. The finding brought a tragic resolution to a case that had weighed heavily on his family, his community, and many people who followed the search. In overview, Chance Englebert’s case began with a young father walking away after an argument on July 6, 2019, continued through years of searches and public concern, and ended after his remains were found near Scotts Bluff National Monument and identified in 2025, confirming that he had died after disappearing in the Terrytown and Gering area he was last seen walking through.
Last Seen: Jul 06, 2019
