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Accused miner charged

Hankins faces nine felonies including first-degree murder

Joshua Roberts

Hankins timeline

• June 3 - Cynthia Hankins last reported seen.

• June 7 - Hankins family reports disappearance to Craig Police Department.

• June 27 - Police ask for public's help in locating missing woman.

• July 7 - Authorities execute two search warrants, one at the Hankins home in Craig, and the other at Terry Hankins' gold mining claim.

• July 9 - Authorities execute a search warrant at Terry Hankins' mining claim in the Encampment area of Carbon County, Wyo. Police report Terry Hankins as a "person of interest" in the case.

• July 12 - Police ask public's help for information on Cynthia Hankins vehicle, a maroon, 1997 Oldsmobile Aurora four-door sedan.

• Friday - Terry Hankins arrested and booked into Moffat County Jail

• Saturday - Police execute search warrant, uncover Cynthia Hankins' body on her husband's gold claim, located three miles south of the Wyoming border, in Moffat County.

• Monday - Terry Hankins appears for a bond hearing. No bond set.

• Tuesday - 14th Judicial District Attorney's Office files official criminal charges against the accused gold miner.

• 1 p.m. Sept. 12 - Terry Hankins next scheduled court appearance.

Hankins timeline

• June 3 – Cynthia Hankins last reported seen.

• June 7 – Hankins family reports disappearance to Craig Police Department.

• June 27 – Police ask for public’s help in locating missing woman.



• July 7 – Authorities execute two search warrants, one at the Hankins home in Craig, and the other at Terry Hankins’ gold mining claim.

• July 9 – Authorities execute a search warrant at Terry Hankins’ mining claim in the Encampment area of Carbon County, Wyo. Police report Terry Hankins as a “person of interest” in the case.



• July 12 – Police ask public’s help for information on Cynthia Hankins vehicle, a maroon, 1997 Oldsmobile Aurora four-door sedan.

• Friday – Terry Hankins arrested and booked into Moffat County Jail

• Saturday – Police execute search warrant, uncover Cynthia Hankins’ body on her husband’s gold claim, located three miles south of the Wyoming border, in Moffat County.

• Monday – Terry Hankins appears for a bond hearing. No bond set.

• Tuesday – 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office files official criminal charges against the accused gold miner.

• 1 p.m. Sept. 12 – Terry Hankins next scheduled court appearance.

— Terry Hankins intentionally caused the death of his wife, Cynthia Hankins, and treated the body “in a way that would outrage normal family sensibilities,” according to a criminal complaint filed in 14th Judicial District Court.

The 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office filed official criminal charges Tuesday against Hankins, a 70-year-old gold miner. He faces nine total charges: first-degree murder, three counts of theft, possession of a controlled substance, three counts of felony forgery and abuse of a corpse.

The Craig Police Department arrested Hankins Friday on suspicion of first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the disappearance and death of Cynthia Hankins, a 36-year-old Craig woman. He appeared for a bond hearing Monday.

The District Attorney’s Office had 72 hours from the bond hearing to file official charges, said Brett Barkey, chief deputy district attorney.

While the court ordered all affidavits and warrants in the case to be sealed, the criminal complaint is public record.

It alleges Hankins murdered his wife on or about June 3 or 4 in Moffat County, and disposed of the body about the same time. It also alleges he took and forged more than $20,000 in checks, including one belonging to his wife, between July 1 and 31.

Two of the three theft charges are listed as theft under $500 and are misdemeanors.

The possession of a controlled substance charge stems from Hankins allegedly being found with 25 to 450 grams of the painkiller oxycodone on or about Aug. 23.

Police obtained a search warrant Friday for a gold claim Hankins operated and lived on about three miles south of the Wyoming border. On Saturday, authorities unearthed Cynthia Hankins’ body buried 5 feet deep and covered with a mound of dirt on the property.

An autopsy of the body took place Wednesday morning in Denver. County Coroner Owen Grant was not available for comment on the autopsy’s findings.

The criminal complaint also cites about 70 potential prosecution witnesses in the case, ranging from law enforcement officers to family members to organization or company representatives.

Hankins is scheduled to next appear in court at 1 p.m. Sept. 12 for a status conference.


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