A new report finds Wyoming’s Indigenous residents have a disproportionately higher homicide rate than the general population. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon created the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Task Force in 2012 and assigned the group to address the barriers for investigating and helping victims. The report finds Indigenous people make up less than 3% of Wyoming’s population, yet account for 21% of homicide victims. These rates are also higher than the national average. Tribal communities identified three key barriers to consistent reporting and response to cases.
• Lack of trust in law enforcement and/or the judicial process.
• Absence of a single point of contact among law enforcement, agencies and communities to help families navigate the system.
• Perceived lack of information concerning the timely progress of an investigation or judicial proceeding.