2. Teens die at housing complex

Numerous law enforcement officers converged on the Beaver Creek housing complex south of Riverton on the morning of Wednesday, June 4, to investigate the deaths of the three teen-age girls found there.
Authorities continued to investigate the deaths of 13-year-old Alexis Gardner, 14-year-old Winter Rose Thomas and 15-year-old Alex WhitePlume, whose bodies were either found inside a home or outside nearby. Through the end of the year, little information was released by local and federal officials, who would not disclose a cause of death or what may have happened on that fateful day, leaving residents both on and off the reservation with concerns and questions.
“As it is an ongoing investigation being conducted by the FBI, BIA and Fremont County Coroner’s Office, I really can’t comment any further,” FBI Denver spokeswoman Kathy Wright said at the time.
She was able to confirm that the deaths were the three juvenile girls.
Authorities did center their investigation on a home in the community where the girls may have been hanging out. The county coroner’s office transported the bodies to McKee Medical Center in Loveland, Colo., where the autopsies were performed.
At the time, it was stated results would take four to six weeks, but little other information was released in the weeks and months that followed.
In the meantime, family members and friends grieved over the tragic loss of life.
“I think we’re all searching for answers,” said state Rep. Patrick Goggles, D-Ethete, a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. “We don’t look for events such as this. We want our young people to do well, be in school, be healthy.
“It’s a terrible tragedy in every sense of the word. We need to pray for the families that have suffered this terrible loss and support them as best we can.”