Two separate fires in Natrona County left one person dead, one person jailed for strangulation and one person jailed for arson.
According to the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office, around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a structure fire in Evansville, and the body of an adult man was found inside.
Sheriff’s office spokesman Sgt. Taylor Courtney told Cowboy State Daily that the cause of the man’s death and whether he was dead before the fire was started were still under investigation as of Wednesday morning.
The fire is being investigated by the sheriff’s office and the Natrona County Fire District.
The man’s identity had not been released Wednesday morning pending notification of next of kin.
In Casper, officers responded to a disturbance Tuesday morning at a home that was destroyed by fire later in the morning.
According to police reports, police responded at about 7:30 a.m. to a report that suggested there had been a physical altercation between a man and a woman inside the home.
Officers had reason to believe the woman was injured and unable to leave the home. They also believed that the dispute might have been a hostage situation with one person not being allowed to leave. Officers were also alerted to the possibility of firearms in the house.
When officers responded to the residence, no one answered a knock at the door, so police set up a perimeter in the area.
They spotted the victim, who appeared to have injuries, through a broken window, through which they removed her from the home. The victim was taken to the Wyoming Medical Center.
Police were unsure if the man remained inside the home, so they took various precautions in the area to keep nearby residents and themselves safe. Ultimately, officers made their way into the home and found no one inside.
But early Tuesday afternoon, Casper dispatchers received a report of a fire at the same home. Callers reported seeing a woman leave the house moments before the fire began.
Casper police and the Casper Fire Department responded and extinguished the blaze, but declared the residence a total loss.
There was no one inside the home during the fire.
After investigation, it was determined that the fire had been intentionally set.
Officers found both individuals involved in the morning dispute and took them to the Casper Police Department for interviews.
After further investigation, the woman, Judith Cable, 44, of Casper, was arrested on one count of felony arson. The man, Nathan Bristow, 32, of Casper, was arrested for one count of felony strangulation of a household member and one count of misdemeanor domestic battery.
The incident is still being investigated.
