Chance Englebert was a 25-year-old man born on December 3, 1993, near Edgemont, South Dakota. He lived with his parents and two brothers on a ranch in a small place called Burdock. He loved sports and had a cowboy spirit. Chance participated in high school rodeo competitions, which earned him a scholarship for bull riding at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, where he earned degrees in welding and diesel mechanics. Though he initially worked in a coal mine, he lost his job before going missing. Afterward, he accepted a job offer at a local propane company, but then he vanished.
According to Chance’s mother, Dawn, he was a good, intelligent, hardworking, and shy child, and she believed he didn’t disappear willingly. Chance’s wife, Baylee, also stated she never believed Chance would willingly leave his family.
On the weekend of July 4, 2019, Chance, along with his wife Baylee and their 3-month-old baby, visited Baylee’s hometown, Gering, Nebraska. On Saturday, July 6, Chance went to a golf course with Baylee’s father and her sister’s boyfriend. Initially in good spirits, Chance became upset when one of their golf partners made a negative comment about his new job.
He called his wife to pick him up, and although they didn’t argue on the way, he asked to be dropped off halfway and exited the car. His wife wasn’t initially concerned, as Chance had walked off when upset before. Later, at 7:46 p.m., Chance called his wife, saying he was walking south toward Kimball, then hung up. His last phone call was to his friend Matt Miller at 8:45 p.m., where he mentioned wanting to return to his home in Moorcroft, Wyoming, due to a fight with his in-laws and needing a ride.
Unfortunately, his friend and family were too far away at that time. Chance walked approximately 35 miles to Torrington. According to Gering police, Chance was last seen alone in the neighboring area of Terrytown, north of Gering, and on surveillance cameras at Midway. His last message, sent to his aunt, contained only emojis and a jumble of letters, which was out of character. His phone’s last ping was at 9 p.m., from a cell tower near County Road 19, west of Scottsbluff, at the time of his disappearance. Gering police stated this was around the same time a severe thunderstorm hit.
The day after Chance disappeared, his wife filed a missing persons report, and his family and friends conducted their search efforts. The Gering Police Department led a large-scale search using drones, divers, helicopters, airplanes, cadaver dogs, and scent dogs, covering nearly 2,400 acres, but found no trace of him.
To this day, Chance’s mother says, “I watch the video, where he’s walking down the street on a surveillance camera, and I replay it every day, hoping to figure out where and why, but nothing has emerged.”
According to the lead investigator on Chance’s case, Brian Eads, the investigation is ongoing. “We always try to treat things as a homicide until proven otherwise,” Eads said. “At this point, there’s no evidence to show that it is a homicide… but there’s also no evidence to show that it’s not.” “It’s still one of the theories,” Eads said. “His last known (location) was in close proximity to the river.”