What is going on True Crime fans? I'm your host Tee. And I'm your host Daphne. And you're listening to going west. Hello everybody. Today's case was recommended by Anne. So thank you. Anne, we remember when this case happened last year and we originally were going to cover it.

But wanted to kind of wait to see if any more information would come out and it feels like we have waited long enough. So let's crack into this one. Yeah, absolutely. It seems that this year this case is actually getting some more movement. So we're really glad to see that. And hopefully this family will get justice very soon. Yes. And of course, please make sure to share this one because it is still ongoing and her family needs all the help that they can get, which is why we want to cover it. So thank you in advance for doing that. And let's talk about it.

All right, guys. This is episode 278 of Going West. So let's get into it.

In February of 2022, a 32 year old nursing student from Kenya went missing in Wyoming after moving there with her boyfriend.

Between allegedly burning unknown items in a metal drum to her phone number being deactivated police and her family began to wonder if her partner potentially had something to do with her disappearance.

This is the story of Irene Gauqua.

Irene, why remove Gauqua was born on July 20th, 1989 to Joyce and Francis Gauqua and the youngest of three children. She joined older brothers Kennedy and Chris.

Irene was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. And as the capital and largest city of Kenya, Nairobi is a bustling economic hub of over 4 million people in the city alone and over 10 million people in the entire metropolitan area.

And for many travelers, Nairobi is the beginning of their safari excursion starting at Nairobi National Park, which boasts endangered rhinos along with cheetahs, lions, giraffe, and more.

And Irene and her brothers grew up on a sprawling property outside the city. She is described by her family as sweet and shy, and this is what her brother Chris said of his little sister, quote, she's very kind, loving. She is a very good person.

And her father, Francis, said proudly, quote, she was a daddy's girl. She wanted to be around me all the time.

A very gentle and sensitive child, Francis remembers a specific instance when a few of the family chickens died after eating the wrong food.

And basically when this happened, four-year-old Irene, who was convinced they were just sleeping, brought a blanket to the chicken coop to make sure that they were warm enough.

That's so sweet. I know it gets sweeter though, because Francis said that obviously he really struggled to break the news to her that they were deceased, especially when she asked if she could make them some hot tea.

He fondly remembered that although Irene had lived in Kenya her entire life, she still really admired the scenery and wildlife with wonder, and frequently drove well below the speed limit to kind of just relish in the natural beauty of the scenery around her.

I think I would too. Yeah, of course. She just never got tired of it. She always just loved her home.

And Irene attended Karoti Girls secondary school, which is a girls-only boarding school, a couple hours away from her home.

And there, Irene proved to be a very gifted and hardworking student.

So, after graduating, she decided to venture into the hospitality industry. So she took a job working the front desk at the Nairobi Serena Hotel, which is a five-star hotel in the heart of the city that boasts a massive outdoor pool and dozens of palm trees and greenery all around it.

Yeah, it's really pretty.

So according to her dad Irene's goal in this chapter of her life was to meet new people and make friends, but her work left her feeling unfulfilled.

So she set her sights on helping those in need and decided to become a nurse.

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