YOUR AD HERE »

Foul play?

Joshua Roberts

— Investigators are now suspicious that foul play may be the cause behind a Craig woman’s disappearance, the Police Department reported Monday morning.

“There has been no known contact with Cynthia Hankins/Runnels since June 3,” police reported in a press release. “Her disappearance is very suspicious in nature and she may be the victim of a crime.”

Hankins, 36, a former Craig Motel employee, was last seen June 7 in Craig. Police asked for the public’s help in late June in locating Hankins, who was last seen with an unknown male.



Following the distribution of a missing person’s flyer, investigators developed several leads from contacts in Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico. No new information on Hankins’ whereabouts was developed from the leads.

However, police are reporting that the victim’s husband, Terry Hankins, is a “person of interest in this investigation.”



According to court records, Terry Hankins filed a restraining order March 28 against his wife in 14th Judicial District Court. About a week later, on April 4, he asked that the order be vacated.

On Saturday, a joint task force comprised of police officers, the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office and the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office executed two search warrants – one at the Hankins’ home in Craig and another at Terry Hankins’ gold mining claim.

The mining claim, located 33 miles north of Craig in Moffat County, entails about five acres of ground surrounded by public access to Bureau of Land Management property.

Police reported that a Human Remains Recovery Dog Team and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation assisted with the search.

“The search dog (was) alerted to the possible presence of trace human fluids on an item in the apartment as well as on the floor of the van,” police reported. “There were no obvious signs of fluids, and until laboratory results are obtained, it is uncertain what type of fluid the dog smelled.”

Assisted by the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, the police department executed a third search warrant Monday at a second mining claim, also operated by Terry Hankins, in the Encampment area of Carbon County. Police could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon on the search.

A missing person’s flyer on Hankins has been distributed nationally, police said, including a submission to the National Center for Missing Adults.

Hankins, a black female, is listed at 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 180 pounds. She has black hair, brown eyes and pierced ears.

Police report that she has two tattoos of a red rose on her right breast, the phrase “2 Sexy” on her upper left arm and the word “Jordan” on her left ankle.

The investigation into her disappearance is continuing.

Anyone with information is to call the Police Department at 824-8111 and ask for detectives Jen Kenney or Ken Johnson.

Joshua Roberts can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 210, or jroberts@craigdailypress.com.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Craig and Moffat County make the Craig Press’ work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.