Skip to content
NOWCAST KOCO 10pm-10:30pm Weekday Night
Live Now
Advertisement

Gabby Petito case sparks conversation in Oklahoma about efforts to find missing people

State Sen. Paul Rosino, who authored Ida's Law, explained to KOCO 5 what's next after Stitt signed the bipartisan bill in April.

Gabby Petito case sparks conversation in Oklahoma about efforts to find missing people

State Sen. Paul Rosino, who authored Ida's Law, explained to KOCO 5 what's next after Stitt signed the bipartisan bill in April.

SENATOR PAUL ROSINO TELLS ME AN OFFICE IS GOING TO BE BUILT HERE AT OSBI I THINK. IT’S FAMILY’S NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE. I JUST LAW NAMED AERFT 29 YEAR OLD IDA BEARD OF EL RENO IDA A CITIZEN OFHE T CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO TRIBES WENT MISSING IN 2015 AND WAS NEVER FOUND WHEN YOU TALK TO IDA’S FAMY,IL AND I GOT TO KNOW HER NIECE AND HOW IMPORTANT SHE WAS AND TO EMTH. SHE WAS TIRHE AUNT. SHE WAS THEIR FAMILYEM MBER. SHE WAS A DAUGHTER. SHE WAS A MOTHER AND THEY WANT TO KNOW A TNDHEY WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HER THE AUTHOR OF THE BIPARTISAN BILL IDA’S LAW EXPLAINING WHAT’S NEXT AFR ITET WAS SIGNED BY GOVERNOR STITTEN APRIL NOW, I NEED TO MOVE IT FORWARD NOW. WE’RE TRYING TO GET THE FUNDING SO SO WE CAN MAKE IT COME TO FRUITION WHERE WE CAN REALLY FIND SOME SOME OF THESE FAMILY MEMBERS AND HELP TSEHE FAMILIES AND I DON’T USE USE THE WORD CLOSURE BUT AT LEAST SEOM SENSE OF KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED TO THERE TO THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. SO HERE’S HOW I JUST LOVE WORKS. IT DIRECTS THE OKLAHOMA STATE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION TO COORDINATE WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICEND A DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO GET FEDERAL FUNDS IN OERRD TO CREATE A DATABASE. THE OSBI OFFICE WILL BE USED TO WORK WITH TRIBAL STATE AND FEDERALUT AHORITIES ON MISSING PERSONS AND HOMIDEIC CASES PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO VICTIMS FAMILIES. I STARTED TO REALLYIG D INTO THIS. IT’S STAGGERING THE RATIO OF MISSING NATIVE INDIGENOUS WOMEN COMPARED TO OTHER ETHNICITIES TODAY. ROSINO SAYS THERE ARE MORE THAN 220 MISNGSI INDIGENOUS PERSONS IN OKLAHOMA 14 OF WHICH ARE FROM HIS OWN DISTRICT REALIZED THAT PEOP WHOLE ARE MISSING. THEY’RE JUST CITIZENS OF OKLAHOMA AND THEIR FAMILIES WANT THEM FOUND OR AT LEAST KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM AT HIS LAW GSOE INTO EFFECT NOVEMRBE OKLAHOMA CITY CHRISTINE STA
Advertisement
Gabby Petito case sparks conversation in Oklahoma about efforts to find missing people

State Sen. Paul Rosino, who authored Ida's Law, explained to KOCO 5 what's next after Stitt signed the bipartisan bill in April.

Authorities announced Tuesday that the remains found in a national park in Wyoming over the weekend were identified as Gabby Petito.The disappearance and case caught national attention. So, KOCO 5 asked officials what's being done to find missing Oklahomans.Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Ida's Law into law earlier this year. The bill specifically focuses on solving cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous persons. Related: Autopsy confirms remains found in Wyoming are Gabby Petito's, FBI saysSo, what's next?State Sen. Paul Rosino told KOCO 5 an office is being created at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation that will act as a liaison for the Missing Indigenous Peoples Act."I think it's so important that we don't forget that these are real people with real families no matter who they are," Rosino said.Ida's Law was named after 29-year-old Ida Beard of El Reno. She was a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes who went missing in 2015 and was never found."When you talk to Ida's family — and I got to know her niece and how important she was and to them — she was their aunt. She was their family member. She was a daughter. She was a mother. And they want to know, and they want to find out what happened to her," Rosino said.Rosino, who authored Ida's Law, explained to KOCO 5 what's next after Stitt signed the bipartisan bill in April."Now, I need to move forward. Now, we're trying to get the funding so we can make it come to fruition, where we can really find some of these family members and help these families, I don't use the word 'closure' but at least some sense of knowing what happens to their family member," Rosino said.Ida's Law directs the OSBI to coordinate with the Attorney General's office and the Department of Justice to get federal funds to create a database. The OSBI office will be used to work with tribal, state and federal authorities on missing persons and homicide cases and provide guidance to victims' families."When I started to really dig into this, it's staggering," Rosino said. "The ratio of missing native Indigenous women compared to other ethnicities."Rosino told KOCO 5 there are more than 220 missing Indigenous persons in Oklahoma, 14 of whom are from his district."Realize that people who are missing, they're just citizens of Oklahoma," he said. "And their families want them found or at least know what happened to them."Ida's Law goes into effect Nov. 1.

Authorities announced Tuesday that the remains found in a national park in Wyoming over the weekend were identified as Gabby Petito.

The disappearance and case caught national attention. So, KOCO 5 asked officials what's being done to find missing Oklahomans.

Advertisement

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Ida's Law into law earlier this year. The bill specifically focuses on solving cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous persons.

Related: Autopsy confirms remains found in Wyoming are Gabby Petito's, FBI says

So, what's next?

State Sen. Paul Rosino told KOCO 5 an office is being created at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation that will act as a liaison for the Missing Indigenous Peoples Act.

"I think it's so important that we don't forget that these are real people with real families no matter who they are," Rosino said.

Ida's Law was named after 29-year-old Ida Beard of El Reno. She was a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes who went missing in 2015 and was never found.

"When you talk to Ida's family — and I got to know her niece and how important she was and to them — she was their aunt. She was their family member. She was a daughter. She was a mother. And they want to know, and they want to find out what happened to her," Rosino said.

Rosino, who authored Ida's Law, explained to KOCO 5 what's next after Stitt signed the bipartisan bill in April.

"Now, I need to move forward. Now, we're trying to get the funding so we can make it come to fruition, where we can really find some of these family members and help these families, I don't use the word 'closure' but at least some sense of knowing what happens to their family member," Rosino said.

Ida's Law directs the OSBI to coordinate with the Attorney General's office and the Department of Justice to get federal funds to create a database. The OSBI office will be used to work with tribal, state and federal authorities on missing persons and homicide cases and provide guidance to victims' families.

"When I started to really dig into this, it's staggering," Rosino said. "The ratio of missing native Indigenous women compared to other ethnicities."

Rosino told KOCO 5 there are more than 220 missing Indigenous persons in Oklahoma, 14 of whom are from his district.

"Realize that people who are missing, they're just citizens of Oklahoma," he said. "And their families want them found or at least know what happened to them."

Ida's Law goes into effect Nov. 1.