Death Investigation

On April 9, 2023, at 9:25 a.m., the Lincoln County 911 Center received a call from Union Pacific Railroad reporting they had found a deceased female on a locomotive. The locomotive was inside Bailey Yards but had recently been towed in for repairs from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Deputies and Investigators from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

Investigators discovered the female wedged in a small generator room located just behind cab of the locomotive. It appeared the female had recently passed away and she had no identification. An autopsy is scheduled for April 11, 2023, to determine the cause of death and help identify the female. Investigators are working with the Cheyenne Police Department on this case. Anyone with knowledge of a missing female from Lincoln County or Cheyenne area is asked to contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at (308) 535-9599. This is an ongoing death investigation, additional updates will follow.

UPDATE DEATH INVESTIGATION

The deceased female found on April 9, 2023, has been identified as forty-two-year-old Bernadette Lopez of Cheyenne, WY.  Preliminary results of the Autopsy showed Ms. Lopez died from Hypothermia, seven to ten days prior to finding her.  The locomotive was towed into Bailey yard from Cheyenne on April 8, 2023, which means Ms. Lopez died in Cheyenne, WY.  The investigation into this matter by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is closed and turned over to the Cheyenne Police Department.