It’s been six months since Irene Gakwa vanished shortly after meeting her boyfriend on Craigslist. Her family has been searching for her since learning of her disappearance, and now they’re demanding answers.
Irene Gakwa first moved to the United States in May 2019 and soon lived near her brother and his family in Idaho. When not helping her brother and sister-in-law with their sons, she worked in a group home caring for the elderly. In July 2021, Gakwa reportedly moved to Gillette, Wyoming, with 39-year-old Nathan Hightman, whom she met on a Craigslist forum. Soon after, Gakwa’s family became worried about her.
According to CNN, the 32-year-old Kenyan student’s family last saw her during a video call in February 2022. They instantly felt something was off. Her father teased her about looking hungry and tired, and instead of wearing her usually braided hairstyle, her hair was short and appeared disheveled.
According to a timeline breakdown on Where Is Irene, a website dedicated to finding Gakwa, Hightman allegedly purchased a 55-gallon drum and was spotted by neighbors burning something.
A month after that unusual call, Gakwa’s family reported her missing. They grew more suspicious after she missed a series of video calls, which was unlike her. Also, instead of texting in her usual sheng (a mix of English and Swahili) vernacular, she was messaging solely in English, and it seemed like someone was using Google Translate to send the messages.
Hightman and Gakwa had a tumultuous relationship, and according to her brothers, the pair had broken up several times since becoming a couple in 2020. Gawka’s family was not aware that they had gotten back together, or even that she moved in with him.
Gakwa’s brothers have asked Hightman to turn over her belongings in their home, including important documents like her Kenyan passport. However, Hightman refused.
Gillette police are considering Hightman a person of interest in her disappearance. They also noted that he hadn’t availed himself to detectives looking into the case.
“We believe he has information pertaining to the disappearance of Irene, but he has elected not to provide that information to law enforcement at this time,” Dan Stroup, a Gillette police detective, told CNN.
Though Hightman has not been charged in Gakwa’s disappearance, he is a suspect in financial crimes against the 32-year-old. He withdrew over $3,000 from Gakwa’s bank account after she disappeared and another $3,230 on her credit card. Allegedly, he told authorities that Gakwa left on her own, and he took the money to coerce her to return.
In actuality, the police learned Hightman used a portion of the money to buy a shovel and boots. That catapulted him into a person of interest in the case, leading authorities to believe that Gakwa “went missing under suspicious circumstances,” CNN reports. Authorities also said “digital evidence, including location data, is also being analyzed and has provided positive leads.”
Hightman has pleaded not guilty to the five felony counts.
Gakwa’s immediate family members are heartbroken, and they’re wondering if they’ll ever see their daughter and sister again, CNN reports.
“She was supposed to come home for Christmas this year. I was going to buy that ticket myself for her to come if she couldn’t afford it,” her father, Francis Kambo, said, according to CNN. “Now I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again.”
He just wants to know what happened to his daughter, who’s described as a daddy’s girl.
“I just want to know the truth. I’m still hopeful, but my hope is dwindling. She knows my number,” he said.
