The body of Robert ‘Bob’ Lowery, 46, was found on Black Canyon Trail in Bridger-Teton National Park on Tuesday after a search team was deployed with dogs
A body believed to belong to a missing Texas hiker has been found in the same Wyoming forest as van life woman Gabby Petito, after publicity around her case brought forward new tips.
Robert ‘Bob’ Lowery, 46, was last seen in Bridger-Teton National Forest near Grand Teton National Park on August 20 carrying a sleeping bag and tent, according to Teton County Sheriff’s Office.
Police had been investigating Lowery’s disappearance for over a month without success.
But after the massive publicity around the case of Petito – whose body was discovered in the same forest on September 19 – the spotlight was also shone on other missing persons cases in the area.
Two part-time Teton residents came forward with information regarding Lowery’s case.
They told police they saw Lowery alone on August 20 around 3pm on Black Canyon Trail. They reported he didn’t appear to be in distress, according to Jackson Hole News and Guide.
A search team made up of volunteers and dogs were sent onto the trail on Tuesday.
Twenty-five people were split into five search teams to comb through the steep trails for four hours.
At 1pm a dog found a body that matched the description of Lowery, including the black duffle bag he was last seen with, off a steep slope in a wooded area.
Authorities are yet to confirm the identity of the body, or a cause of death.
Lowery (pictured with his children), who had been missing since August 20, had reportedly not spoken to his children in 37 days, whom he normally spoke to daily
His body was found after two part-time Teton residents told police they saw him on the trail and that he did not look distressed. Police, who had been investigating his disappearance, had not deployed a search team until now because they did not have news of his last whereabouts. The hikers told police they saw him around 3pm. The family released a map (pictured) showing where Lowery was last seen
Police had said that before the new tips came in, they were unsure of Lowery’s whereabouts, according to Jackson Hole News and Guide.
Authorities ‘pinged’ his phone, the last registered location was on August 23 in Jackson, Wyoming, according to Cowboy State Daily.
In early September, the police asked for the public’s help in finding Lowery.
But it wasn’t until van-lifer Gabby Petito’s case hit national headlines that Lowery’s case became widely known among locals.
Lowery, among others who had recently gone missing in the Teton park, got pulled into Petito’s case, bringing national attention.
‘The good news about it has been Bob got pulled into a bunch of articles, so it actually drew a bunch of attention from people that I know,’ his sister Leigh Lowery told Jackson Hole News and Guide.
The last footage of Lowery was seen on a hotel camera. It showed him getting into a Lyft where he traveled to Pearl Street Bagels in Wilson, Wyoming, near Black Canyon Trail.
He was seen leaving the hotel with his black duffle bag and tent.
Lowery had recently left his real estate job in Texas and told family he was going on various hiking and camping trips before returning to a new job
Multiple people have been reported missing in Teton park and have since gained national attention due to the Petito case
The family became concerned after Lowery hadn’t contacted his children in a long time. It was out of the normal for him not to talk to his kids, Meredith, 12 and Luke, 15, almost daily.
Gabby Petito, 22, was found dead in the park near Spread Creek on September 19. Her case has garnered national attention as search her fiancé and person-of-interest in her case Brian Laundrie continues
‘Bob is a loving dad to his 15-year-old and 12-year-old,’ Leigh told Jackson Hole News and Guide.
‘Bob talks to those kids every day, multiple times a day,’ Leigh told NBC. ‘He’s never out of touch with them. But it’s been 37 days and nothing. And that’s what’s concerning.’
The father-of-two had left Houston, Texas, the day before after leaving his job as a real estate agent to explore various hiking trails and camping trips before settling into a new job.
He was not an experienced hiker.
He also canceled his mail before leaving, according to police.
The Lowery family set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the children’s education in remembrance of their father.
‘The children will have the unconditional love and support [of] our full extended family; however, in the wake their father’s unexpected death, we want to ensure that they are best set up for their future,’ they wrote.
Petito’s body was found at the Spread Creek campground in Bridger-Teton National Forest on the eastern edge of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19.
Petito, 22, was reported missing on September 11 after being last seen on August 24.
Her fiancé Brian Laundrie returned home to Florida on September 1 without her, and refused to cooperate with authorities.
He was reported missing himself on September 17 and has not been seen since.
Petito’s death was ruled a homicide by a coroner, and Laundrie has been named as a ‘person of interest’ in the case.
Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie over fraudulent use of Petito’s credit card after her death. He has not yet been charged over her death.
A search for Laundrie continues in the swampy 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve in Florida.