By Faith Karimi, CNN
A burglar trial involving the boyfriend of a missing Wyoming woman has been postponed until next year, leaving his family frustrated by the time the case dragged on for as many months.
Irene Gakwa was last seen through her circle of relatives in a video call on February 24 and was reported to be missing in March expired. He was 32 years old at the time.
Her boyfriend, Nathan Hightman, has not been charged in Gakwa’s disappearance, but is suspected of money crimes against her after her disappearance. He was charged with five counts for allegedly moving cash from his bank account, converting his online banking password and maximizing his credits. card and deleting your email account after your disappearance.
The fees followed a house search source Hightman shared with Gakwa.
Hightman’s initial trial and jury trial were scheduled to begin in November and December, respectively, but were postponed to January and February. This is the time to replace in two months: Pretrial and jury trials were scheduled for September and October, but the Hightman public has asked for a postponement.
“Changing the dates only prolongs the nightmare,” said Kennedy Wainaina, Gakwa’s brother. “It makes me wonder who the real victim is in this case, because it turns out Nathan Hightman got everything he asked for. You can spend the holidays with your loved ones while Irene does not.
For more than 8 months, the circle of relatives of the Kenyan immigrant has been searching for answers about her disappearance.
His parents in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, while his two older brothers, Chris Munga and Wainaina, in the suburbs of Boise, Idaho.
Gillette police have Hightman as a user interested in his disappearance.
In a move filed last week through Hightman’s public defender to postpone the money crimes case, he cited a search of Hightman’s home in October through various agencies, the FBI added. The lawyer also called for a judgment to be made on the media attention surrounding Gakwa’s disappearance and the time needed to find a possible “appropriate” plea deal in the money crimes case.
Wainaina said his circle of relatives had not obtained information about the October raid or what was discovered at the home Hightman shared with Gakwa. of the evidence led to the progression of an additional explanation of why to return to residence. “
Wainaina said the family circle discovered Hightman was seeking to postpone the trial when they called the Campbell district attorney’s office to request a meeting with the prosecutor at an initial hearing originally scheduled for Nov. 3.
“My brother and I lived 800 miles from Gillette and had taken time off, booked a hotel room and were in a position to go to Wyoming for the preseason conference,” Wainaina said. One meeting, otherwise we would have done all the way for nothing. “
According to court records, prosecutor Nathan Henkes opposed the request for an extension. Christa Kosola, a paralegal who answered by phone at the Campbell County District Attorney’s office, said she does comment on ongoing investigations.
Gakwa’s brothers reported his missing to the Gillette Police Department on March 20.
Hightman told police that Gakwa returned home one afternoon last February, packed his clothes in two plastic bags and left them in a dark-colored van, according to a probable cause affidavit. He said he hadn’t seen or heard of her since.
CNN called, texted and emails Hightman several times, but he responded.
In April, Gillette police issued a notice naming him a “user of interest” in his girlfriend’s disappearance and saying he was “not fooled by detectives” for answers.
“We have data related to Irene’s disappearance, but she has chosen not to provide that data to law enforcement at this time,” Gillette police detective Dan Stroup told CNN in August.
Gillette police arrested Hightman in May and charged him with two counts of theft, one count of illegal use of a credit card and two counts of intellectual property crimes for allegedly converting his bank account password and deleting his email account after his disappearance.
Between February and March, he transferred nearly $3,700 from Gakwa’s bank account to his own and spent another $3,230 on his credit card, according to court documents. Hightman told investigators he withdrew the budget to force her to touch it when she needed the money. .
Hightman, 39, pleaded guilty to the money charges.
In an initial search of Hightman’s home, investigators recovered a shovel and boots he had purchased at a Walmart last February. The Gakwa Visa card.
Since his disappearance, Gillette police investigators have shared some cryptic leads.
In April, they issued a saying saying that Gakwa would possibly have been taken to a rural area, a mine site, or an oil and fuel site in a passenger vehicle or crossover SUV.
The following month, Gillette police said they were seeking data on “a 55-gallon steel drum, which may have burned and/or abandoned in the county. “They also said they were looking for data on a gray or silver Subaru Crosstrek with Idaho Plates that may also have entered personal property, in all likelihood in a rural area, between Feb. 24 and March 20. The car is registered with Hightman.
Investigators declined to provide additional details, bringing up ongoing investigations.
Wainaina said he understood the government might only share all the details, but hopes that in the months leading up to Hightman’s trial, they will get direct updates from prosecutors.
“We’re not trying to tell them how to do their job. We just need to know important facts before we read it in court documents or on the news,” Wainaina said. “We will continue to fight for my sister, who is not there to protect herself, until justice is served. We will not give up until the day we know what happened to Irene.
Meanwhile, a Gillette organization continues its periodic search for clues to Gakwa’s disappearance. The next search is scheduled for November 12.
El-CNN-Wire™
KIFI Local News 8 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.
Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can view our Community Guidelines by clicking here
If you’d like to share a story idea, submit it here.
OEE | Terms of Use Report| Privacy Policy| | Community Guidelines inAbout Us| FCC | Applications
Don’t sell my information