Derek Schaff, 43, of Gillette, Wyoming, was last seen June 12, 2026, at the Weston Hills Recreation Area, a roughly 9,000-acre off-highway-vehicle and hunting area jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service, located about 25 miles north of Gillette on Highway 59 in rural Campbell County. On June 17, 2026, Campbell County deputies located Schaff's work vehicle stuck in rough terrain within the recreation area. Schaff was reported missing two days later, on June 19, 2026, by his girlfriend. Investigators have described Schaff as a self-proclaimed survivalist and have said it is possible he intended to go on an unplanned camping trip without telling anyone. No description of Schaff's clothing, physical build, or appearance at the time of his disappearance has been made public.
The Campbell County Sheriff's Office is the lead agency investigating Schaff's disappearance, with search and rescue assistance from Weston, Natrona, and Sheridan county agencies. Search teams have deployed drones, K-9 units, and search and rescue personnel across the rugged terrain of the recreation area; as of the most recent published reporting (July 1–9, 2026), Schaff had not been located and the sheriff's office described the investigation as active and ongoing. The Gillette-based nonprofit WyoFind has been in contact with Schaff's family and, with the sheriff's office's permission, has conducted its own volunteer searches on foot and by drone in coordination with law enforcement. No NCMEC, NamUs, or NCIC case identifier for Schaff has been published as of this package's compilation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Campbell County Sheriff's Office at 307-682-7271 or 307-687-6176; anonymous tips can also be submitted through the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation or WyoFind.
