Name: Katheryn Ann Ferguson
Nickname: Katie
Age: 33 years old
Last seen: October 5, 2023
Location: Trumann, Arkansas
Status: Still Missing
Case Information
33-year-old Katheryn Ferguson was last seen in Trumann, Arkansas on October 5, 2023. She disappeared while on a cross-country trip from Alabama to Wyoming with her ex-boyfriend and their two children.
Background
Katheryn previously lived in Cody, Wyoming. She was in an 8 year on-and-off again relationship with boyfriend, 26-year-old Adam Shane Aviles Jr. They have two young daughters together, ages 1 and 4.
In May 2023, Ferguson left Cody with her two daughters and moved in with her mother in Alabama. She was trying to get away from an abusive relationship with Aviles, according to her family.
Disappearance
In early October, Katheryn Ferguson and her two daughters left her mother’s home in Alabama after Aviles came to pick them up to make the cross-country trip back to his home in Cody, Wyoming.
Around 11:00 am on October 5, 2023, Ferguson was last seen by police during a routine check while in Aviles’ vehicle in Trumann, Arkansas. The family was resting in the parking lot of a gas station at the time.
The vehicle was again pulled over by Texas State Patrol on October 9 and by Colorado State Patrol on October 11.
Katheryn Ferguson was nowhere to be seen in the vehicle during the later stops, and a large pile of clothes was on the passenger seat instead. Bodycam footage also captured a projectile hole in the passenger door concealed with duct tape.
Katheryn Ferguson never made it back to Cody, Wyoming with Aviles and their children.
On November 2, 2023, her mother filed a missing person’s report with the Cody Police Department when she couldn’t contact her.
Investigation
On November 4, 2023, Aviles’ vehicle, a 1999 Black Dodge Durango, was found abandoned in the Oregon Basin area near Cody, Wyoming. The car was allegedly hidden with trash bags and smelled of “putrefied blood.”
Authorities found dry blood, a loaded Glock magazine near the center console, and a “projectile hole” in the front passenger door of the vehicle. The passenger seat was missing and cleaning wipes were found inside.
On November 13, 2023, 26-year-old Adam Shane Aviles Jr. was arrested on a possession of ammunition charge. He pleaded not guilty and his trial has been set for January 22th.
Adam Shane Aviles Jr. maintains his innocence in Katheryn Ferguson’s disappearance. He told police that Ferguson went on a “drug run” in Little Rock, Arkansas during their trip and did not return, leaving him and their two children.
In December 2025, Aviles reached a plea agreement with prosecutors on the gun and ammo charges.
The specifics of the plea deal have not been made public, as the US District Court in Wyoming chose to seal them.
With the gun and ammo charges Aviles could face anywhere between 0-30 years in prison. He remains in federal custody as he awaits further proceedings in his case.
Whereabouts
Foul play in Katheryn Ferguson’s disappearance. Adam Aviles Jr. is considered a suspect in her homicide.
The circumstances of Katheryn Ferguson’s disappearance remain unclear and her case is currently classified as missing. Her case remains unsolved.
Appearance
Physical Description:
White female with brown hair and blue eyes. Katheryn is 5’9 tall and weighs 150 – 180 pounds.
Distinctive Physical Features:
No information available.
Clothing and accessories:
No information available.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Katie Ferguson please contact the Park County Sheriff Department at (307) 527-8700. Agency Case Number: 23-972
Resources & Further Information
Katheryn Ann Ferguson #MP111971 – National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
News & Media Links
Ex-Boyfriend Of Missing Cody Woman Arrested In Wyoming – Cowboy State Daily 11/2023
‘Very tragic direction’: Family searching for answers in Wyoming missing woman case – KTVQ 11/2023
Arkansas Police Release Body Cam Video Of Missing Cody Woman Katie Ferguson – Cowboy State Daily 12/2023
Family looking for answers about mother who vanished during cross-country trip – NBC News 12/2023
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