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