One More For The Road

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Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>One More For The Road: Friday, October 14, 2022 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

One More For The Road: Friday, October 14, 2022

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's general assignment reporter, Clair McFarland.

Clair McFarland

Crime & Courts

The family of Buck Laramore is collecting $400,000 after Laramore’s 2023 death in a shootout with Thermopolis Police sergeant Mike Mascorro, according to a settlement agreement Cowboy State Daily obtained Friday.

 without a warrant April 28, 2023, to arrest him on suspicion of misdemeanor police interference.

Laramore, 33, had given Mascorro inaccurate information during a drug investigation at the local McDonald’s restaurant earlier that day.

Laramore shot Mascorro through the lung. The sergeant returned fire, killing Laramore.

Months later, special prosecutor Dan Erramouspe determined that Mascorro was 

 for homicide because of a provision of state law protecting police officers on the job, even when they act outside the law.

Debra Laramore, Buck’s mother, and Brandi Laramore, his wife, 

in April 2025 against the Thermopolis Police Department and Mascorro in his individual capacity.

The settlement says the family will receive $400,000. It also says Mascorro acknowledges he will not 

 at any law-enforcement agency, or seek to regain his 

[{"type":"text","text":"The sued parties do not concede legal liability, the settlement says."}]

Debra Laramore delivered a tearful statement in a Friday phone interview on behalf of herself and the family.

 and the community members who stood up and spoke out on the case,” she said. “From the petition, protest, to speaking at the council meetings when we simply could not.”

Debra added, “We’re so grateful to our amazing team of lawyers who believed in our case and our fight for justice.”

Etna-based attorney Jack Edwards led this suit along with Branden Vilos and Kaden Canfield.

The Wyoming Local Government Liability Pool’s share of that on behalf of the town of Thermopolis is $133,333, LGLP director Tory Racines said Friday.

The town itself bears its $1,000 deductible as its only direct cost, Mayor Adam Estenson said in a social media statement, which he also sent Friday to Cowboy State Daily.

Cowboy State Daily reached out to the Wyoming Self-Insurance Pool and to Mascorro’s attorney Kay Lynn Bestol on Friday to learn what the insurance pool or Mascorro’s share of the remainder is and to invite Bestol to comment on Mascorro’s behalf.

Neither responded by publication time. Bestol’s receptionist conveyed she was in depositions all day.

Edwards said the Wyoming Self-Insurance Pool paid the other two-thirds on Mascorro’s behalf.

“It was an honor to represent these folks and to stand up on behalf of the Constitution,” said Edwards.

Speaking on his own behalf, Estenson said “the loss of any life is a tragedy.”

“My hope and prayer is simply that healing can continue for everyone affected,” he said.

As part of the settlement agreement, the town conceded in a Tuesday Facebook post that Mascorro had probable cause to arrest Laramore for interference with a peace officer, but did not have probable cause to arrest him for possession of methamphetamine.

The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation report from the shooting compiles witness interviews, bodycam footage and physical evidence.

It concludes that Mascorro broke into Buck Laramore’s home to arrest the man for the misdemeanor of interfering with a police officer because Laramore had lied about his surname spelling and age earlier on the date of the fatality, April 28, 2023.

Mascorro was investigating the presence of meth at the McDonald’s where Laramore worked.

Laramore was the last person to exit the McDonald’s men’s bathroom right before Mascorro and a sheriff’s deputy found meth in it.

[{"type":"text","text":"One witness described Laramore’s behavior as “shifty.”"}]

Mascorro patted down Laramore, questioned him, tried to get him to give a urine sample and disclose his address, the report says. Health authorities shut down the restaurant and personnel started cleaning it.

[{"type":"text","text":"Laramore left the McDonald’s before his shift was officially over."}]

“Don’t five (sic) them my address without a warrant this is ridiculous,” Laramore texted a co-worker soon after leaving the restaurant, according to the DCI report.

He sent another text one minute later: “And I left without clocking out and the m aching (sic) needs aired out I was tired of getting harassed over something that had nothing to do with me.”

Police were investigating the restaurant already because about a week earlier they had arrested McDonald’s employee Derrick Collins on a local warrant and allegedly found him in possession of a meth pipe, the report says. Collins claimed the pipe belonged to a co-worker.

Laramore went home to his double-wide mobile home on Canyon Hills Drive and laid down in bed with Brandi for a nap, the wife later told a DCI agent.

[{"type":"text","text":"She woke to the sound of someone “pounding on the door.”"}]

She went to the door and found Mascorro there, saying he had come to arrest Laramore for impeding his investigation, the report relates.

[{"type":"text","text":"Buck Laramore came to the door after his wife answered it."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Mascorro told him to come outside and talk."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“No sir,” answered Laramore."}]

Either Laramore would come out willingly or Mascorro would break the door down, the sergeant said after a back-and-forth, reportedly.

Laramore then told Mascorro his true surname spelling and date of birth, then shut his front door and deadbolted it.

[{"type":"text","text":"Dead Bolt Shot Into Home"}]

Mascorro pulled the storm door open and rammed the locked wooden door with his left shoulder. He then switched to his right shoulder and rammed the front door twice.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Stop!” yelled Brandi Laramore."}]

Mascorro rammed with his right shoulder again, damaging the door, breaking the doorjamb and sending the deadbolt flying toward the kitchen threshold inside the home, the report indicates.

[{"type":"text","text":"Mascorro pulled the front door shut behind him."}]

Just then, Buck Laramore gripped a .45 pistol in both hands, aimed it directly at Mascorro and fired one time, dropping Mascorro to the ground.

The bullet entered through Mascorro’s right bicep, passed into his chest near his armpit, glanced off a rib to dodge his heart, wounded his lung and exited through his back just to the left of his spine. The bullet came to rest lodged between his flesh and his clothing, the report indicates.

[{"type":"text","text":"It felt like a sledgehammer blow, Mascorro later told a DCI agent."}]

Laramore advanced on Mascorro as Mascorro pleaded “stop, stop,” the report continues.

[{"type":"text","text":"Bullets flew past the bodycam viewer."}]

Those bullets were from Mascorro’s gun, which he drew and fired about seven times after getting shot, the investigation would later reveal.

Mascorro’s wounds squirted blood into view and dribbled it down his right arm.

Reflecting on that moment in his interview 12 days later, Mascorro told a DCI agent he didn’t know why Laramore didn’t shoot him in the head just then.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Show Your Hands"}]

Mascorro started walking backward into the kitchen, telling dispatch shots had been fired. He gripped his own pistol in his left hand, maintaining cover on the doorway to the room from which Buck Laramore had emerged.

[{"type":"text","text":"Brandi Laramore screamed frantically."}]

Around this time, she later told an investigator, she rushed her dog and herself to safety in the bathroom.

Laramore then eased around the bedroom’s doorjamb, exposing a sliver of his upper body.

[{"type":"text","text":"Mascorro fired one round."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Laramore’s body had “an obvious reaction,” indicating a hit."}]

One second later, Mascorro fired again, dropping Laramore to the floor just inside the bedroom.

[{"type":"text","text":"Two more seconds passed. Mascorro fired a third round."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“Stop, stop,” pleaded Buck Laramore."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Mascorro commanded the man to show his hands."}]

Still in the kitchen, Mascorro fell to his hands and knees. His right hand slipped in his own blood, dropping him onto his stomach. His pistol slipped from his left hand, slid toward the kitchen cabinets and came to a rest.

Mascorro stood again and again he fell, catching himself on the kitchen counter and leaving bloody handprint smears along it.

“Move,” he said when he tried to get past Brandi Laramore, who was standing in the hallway, the report says.

[{"type":"text","text":"“What are you doing?” she asked him."}]

Mascorro fumbled for the back door. He couldn’t get the back storm door open and he fell down backward onto the floor while trying.

[{"type":"text","text":"Brandi Laramore stood over him and screamed."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Mascorro fought for breath."}]

Brandi Laramore withdrew from Mascorro, still screaming, the report indicates.

“Shots fired, shots fired, shots fired, I need help, I’m down, I’ve been shot, help,” Mascorro said into his radio.

He sat up, scooted out the back storm door and slid off the side of the unrailed back metal stairs onto his feet. He walked away from the home toward his patrol vehicle.

[{"type":"text","text":"Sirens sounded outside."}]

Meanwhile in the home, Brandi Laramore checked on her husband and believed he was dying, a summary of her later interview relates.

[{"type":"text","text":"‘Right There,’ Said The Neighbor Kid"}]

Mascorro collapsed to the ground between a pickup with a bed camper and a Saturn car.

[{"type":"text","text":"Deputy Shayna Cox arrived on scene and got out of her vehicle."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"A kid stood near the trailer."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“Where is he?” Cox asked the kid."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The kid pointed to where Mascorro lay. “Right there,” he answered."}]

Mascorro’s face was pale and his body gushed blood. Cox went to him, pulled him to a position of “better cover,” and put a tourniquet on his right arm. Taking off his vest and shirt, she found his chest wound and applied pressure to it.

When an ambulance arrived, Cox grabbed her rifle and joined Hot Springs County Sheriff Jerimie Kraushaar in the trailer house.

There she saw Brandi Laramore, face-down and handcuffed. Kraushaar told Cox to radio dispatch to announce that Buck Laramore was dead in the home.

“He’s dying in here,” said Brandi Laramore. “I don’t know what happened.”

Mascorro was rushed to care and returned to Thermopolis amid a hero's welcome days later.

Law enforcement reportedly recovered meth from the home, ranging from a finding of a trace amount — 0.1 gram on a piece of foil — to 7.2 grams in plastic baggies, the report says.

The report says agents also found 1 gram of suspected marijuana in plant form and four cellphones, one of which was Brandi Laramore’s.

The other three phones were Buck Laramore’s, Brandi Laramore later told DCI.

DCI Special Agent Kiel Holder asked Mascorro during their later interview why he’d used deadly force.

Mascorro said he was certain at the time that Laramore was about to kill him and felt there was no other choice.

Holder asked if there were other officers working in the area at that time who could have gone to the home with Mascorro and helped him.

Mascorro said he was the only patrol officer on shift for his department during the incident. He knew Deputy Shaina Cox was working for the sheriff’s department that day, but he’d already asked for her help and had taken up a lot of her time, he said.

[{"type":"text","text":"“It’s the nature of this job,” he added."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"About Breaking In"}]

Thermopolis police protest mom and mascorro 2 7 15 25

<title>Family Of Thermopolis Man Shot By Cop Gets $400K In Settlement | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The family of a man shot to death in a shootout with a former Thermopolis police sergeant will receive $400,000 in a settlement agreement. A special prosecutor determined the sergeant entered the man's home illegally.

Family Of Thermopolis Man Shot By Cop Gets $400K In Settlement

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's Feature Reporter, Andrew Rossi.

Andrew Rossi

Public Safety

 has been identified as Terry Zaske, 48, of Rapid City, South Dakota.

Zaske was riding his motorcycle on U.S. Highway 14/16/20 on Wednesday when he was struck by a Ford pickup truck that swerved into his lane near Wapiti, the Wyoming Highway Patrol said.

Zaske died at the scene. Zaske's wife, Candis, was LifeFlighted to a hospital in Billings, Montana, where she is recovering from serious injuries.

Kaitlyn Zaske, Terry’s daughter, also from Rapid City, 

 to pay for her father's funeral and cover her stepmother's medical bills. She described her father as a jovial soul and a doting grandfather, taken from her family too soon.

“My dad was so many things to so many people,” she wrote. “He was a son, father, grandpa, brother, uncle, and friend. He was my dad and losing him so unexpectedly has left a hole in our family that words cannot describe.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Incident"}]

Zaske and three other motorcycles were traveling west on U.S. 14/16/20 toward Yellowstone National Park when the eastbound pickup truck drifted into the opposite lane. The truck struck two motorcycles directly, including Zaske’s, which caused the motorcycles behind them to crash as well.

A Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) vehicle, traveling behind the motorcycles, attempted to swerve to avoid the oncoming truck. The truck clipped the WYDOT vehicle’s tailgate and continued into a field before coming to a stop.

Ten people and six vehicles were involved in the incident. Five people were seriously injured.

“One person was taken by helicopter to Billings for medical treatment,” said Wyoming Highway Patrol spokesperson Aaron Brown. “Another was taken by ambulance to Cody before being flown to Billings as well. Two others were taken by ambulance to Cody with non-life-threatening injuries, where they were treated and released.”

The Highway Patrol said the driver of the Ford pickup was responsible for the accident. Driver inattention and driver fatigue/asleep were the contributing factors.  

As of Friday, it’s unknown whether any charges have been or will be filed against the pickup driver.

U.S. 14/16/20 was closed for 5 1/2 hours as first responders treated the victims and cleared the highway of debris.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Permanent Pain"}]

Candis Zaske is still receiving medical care in Billings. Kaitlyn said her stepmother has “a long road ahead” that will keep her from working.

Knowing the costs of her father's funeral and stepmother's medical bills will be immense, Kaitlyn is turning to friends, family, and other motorcyclists for support.

“While no amount of money can ever take away this pain, we are asking for help to ease some of the financial burden that has suddenly fallen on our family,” she wrote. “Nothing is expected, but everything is appreciated.”

As of Friday, the GoFundMe had reached more than $8,000 of its $14,000 goal.

Kaitlyn shared that she and her father were attempting to repair their relationship after years of conflict when he died. She “will forever wish we had more time.”

“We were just starting to find our way back to each other,” she wrote. “Regardless of everything, he was still my dad. He was still a grandpa, and he loved all of his kids and grandkids with everything he had.”

Kaitlyn will remember her father’s humor and how much he enjoyed doting on his grandchildren. The accident “unexpectedly changed (our family) forever.”

“He had a way of cracking a joke and making anyone laugh, but one of the things I will always remember most was how much he loved his grandchildren and how much he loved to spoil them,” she wrote. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out, prayed for us, shared their love, or offered support during this heartbreaking time. It means more to our family than you will ever know.”

[{"type":"text","text":"The Zaske family could not be reached at the time of publication."}]

Mix Collage 14 Aug 2026 05 36 PM 4823

<title>South Dakota Grandfather Identified As Man Killed In Multi-Vehicle Wreck Near Yellowstone | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Terry Zaske, a grandfather from South Dakota, has been identified as the motorcyclist killed in a multi-vehicle wreck near Wapiti on Wednesday. The Wyoming Highway Patrol says the driver of a pickup truck caused the six-vehicle accident. 

South Dakota Grandfather Identified As Man Killed In Multi-Vehicle Wreck Near Yellowstone

Around Wyoming

Hundreds of people gathered at the Christ Episcopal Church in Cody on Friday to mourn and celebrate Ann Simpson, who died on July 31.

Simpson, 94, was married to the late U.S. Sen. Al Simpson for 72 years. They had three children and a growing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, in addition to a tight-knit extended family and a vast community of friends. 

The service was filled with love, humor, tears, and lots of clothing from The Bargain Box in Cody. Ann Simpson was known for keeping an eye out for any garments that might make her family and friends look their best.

“Mom loved thrift stores, estate sales, and bargains,” her daughter Sue Simpson Gallagher said during the service. “Could I have a show of hands of everyone here in both rooms who has purchased a piece of clothing from Encore or the Bargain Box that Ann Simpson convinced you to buy?”

[{"type":"text","text":"Dozens of hands shot up, amid echoes of laughter."}]

The nave of the church was filled to capacity. Many people sat or stood in an adjacent room, so Simpson Gallagher made a point of thanking everyone for honoring her mother in that way.

“Thank you for standing and bearing witness to this celebration of our mother's life,” she said. “This was Ann Simpson. Open to all. Inclusive. It wasn't about the details, and the enormity of projects didn't overwhelm her. It inspired her.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'A Head-Turning Event'"}]

After the traditional Episcopal funeral services, members of the Simpson family came to the front of the church to share their memories of Ann. The first to speak was Pete Simpson, Al’s brother.

“You people have filled this house with love and caring and wonderful presence in the faith you have in the Lord himself and in the love you had for Ann,” he said.

Pete Simpson set a precedent that all the speakers followed: emotions of loss mixed with witticism.

“I was asked to speak first,” he said. “It is because of my sterling qualities or my gift at telling long-than-ordinary stories. No, it’s because I’m the oldest.”

Pete went on to say he had known Ann longer than Al. They met 75 years ago at the Student Union at the University of Wyoming. He recalled college-aged Ann Fogel as “the tall, dignified, and absolutely gorgeous girl from Greybull.”

When she and her twin sister, Nan, appeared, “it was a head-turning event” for every man on campus, according to Pete, who likened Ann to the actress Hedy Lamarr.

Pete shared the moment when Al told him that he’d proposed to Ann, and she’d accepted.

“Al never really forgave me for my response (when he told me), which was ‘What?” But, boy, did he luck out. And so did the whole family,” he said. “One thing Ann fought for was everybody she loved (and) everybody who loved her. She put up the fight for them and for all of their friends.”

Pete concluded by paraphrasing the last line of an Irish folk song by Mary Delaney.

“It said, ‘Ah, sweet Annie, whatever shall we do without you?’” he said. “Well, I want to simply say we will carry on, because Ann will insist. God, how we loved her, and God, how grateful we are that she said ‘Yes.’”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"“That Vitality”"}]

After Pete, Al and Ann’s son Bill Simpson spoke. He somewhat lamented the speaking order.

“I said I want to speak at mom’s service, but I don’t want to go after Pete, because no one can beat Pete,” he said.

Bill said his mother had “an idyllic life” in the Bighorn Basin. She was born and raised in Greybull, married in Basin, and lived the rest of her life in Cody except for Al's 18 years in Washington, D.C., as a senator.

“She was strong, and she was resilient,” he said. “She was fearless, and she was brave. She would never back down, and as Dad would say, you’d always want her in your corner. You’d always want Ann Simpson fighting for you.”

Bill praised his mother’s penchant for giving advice on everything from fashion and personal relationships to gum-chewing, as well as her humor, empathy, warmth, and compassion.

[{"type":"text","text":"He also lauded the bond Ann shared with Al."}]

“Their bond was so strong and definitive,” he said. “I can only hope and pray all of us, with our life’s partner, have that kind of relationship.”

Ann also loved art, which is why she frequented museums whenever they traveled. Bill said she also had a penchant for “touching” the paintings.

“When she walked in a museum, there were signs everywhere,” he said. “Invariably, I would hear, ‘Ma’am, do not touch the painting.’ She said, ‘Bill, I didn’t touch it. I brushed up against it with my hand.’ That was not synonymous with touching. It was that fun side of Mom. That vitality.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Bill ended by encouraging people to remember the Friday service."}]

“I hope and pray you’ll remember this day and remember Ann Simpson,” he said. “If you do, she’ll always be part of our lives. Wherever she is, I know she is active and vibrant.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"“Grace Personified”"}]

Sue Simpson Gallager thanked everyone for attending the service, and all the community members and organizations that cared for Ann.

“I am so grateful to our mother for so many things,” she said. “One of those things is the gift of spontaneity. And in that spontaneity, she helped us be present (and) appreciate the moment. She really knew the power of now.”

She said her mother was “really good at living in this world fully,” recognizing opportunity, acknowledging good fortune, and “savored the joy of it all.”

“I know you would all agree that Mom was one of the most beautiful people you have ever known, inside and out,” she said. “She, like Dad, made us feel seen by her recognition, and not just because she remembered your name, but because she really paid attention. She was really interested in you. She was a marvelous friend. She was grace personified. She was just so real (and) unadulterated.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Sue concluded by saying her mom was “her hero.”"}]

“She was my best friend,” she said. “She was the most extraordinary woman I have ever known and will ever know. I will miss her every day for the rest of my life. Yet I will feel her presence everywhere, forever and always. Thank you, Mom, for everything. I couldn't love you any more than I do.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"“A Harmonizer”"}]

Colin Simpson, Al and Ann’s second son, praised his siblings for supporting their mother and bringing her love and joy until her last moments. He called Ann “a grace giver.”

“She could be a tough critic and brutally honest,” he said. “She understood that we’re all full of flaws, and that grace and forgiveness allow us to look beyond the trivial and small things, and grant grace as we would want grace granted to ourselves.”

Colin described Ann’s life as “substantial and meaningful,” rarely burdened by guilt, anger, hurt, or remorse.

“She was comfortable with who she was, and that allowed others around her to be comfortable too,” she said. “Mom had great compassion and was very nurturing, but she never suffered self-pity, in herself or others.”

According to Colin, the road of self-pity in the Simpson home was “very short.”

“She simply wouldn’t allow it, and she told you so,” he said. “If you didn’t like it, you could go to your room and come out when you can be nice.”

Ann also loved dancing. Colin said she and his sister “grew up dancing in Greybull.”

“She taught Dad how to dance, and they loved to dance and did it a lot,” he said. “Dad called her ‘The Greybull Flash,’ and boy was she.”

As Colin concluded, he described Ann as “a harmonizer” who could bring people together during difficult discussions “just by being their (with) a smile.”

“Mom devoted her life to her husband, children, grandchildren, family, and friends, and she deserved great love and attention,” he said. “Where do we go from here? That’s easy. We carry on the traditions, values, character, and love of a great mother, grandmother, aunt, friend, and fellow traveler. We must remain bonded as a family and honor her deepest wishes for us all."

Ann simpson church 8 14 26

<title>'Grace Personified': Hundreds Celebrate 'Idyllic Life' Of Ann Simpson In Cody | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Ann Simpson was remembered by family members Friday as a "grace giver" who lived a "an idyllic life" in the Bighorn Basin. Hundreds gathered at the Christ Episcopal Church in Cody to celebrate Simpson, wife of the late Sen. Al Simpson for 72 years.

'Grace Personified': Hundreds Celebrate 'Idyllic Life' Of Ann Simpson In Cody

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Outdoors

The Powder River at Arvada in Sheridan County has essentially stopped flowing for nearly a month, encapsulating severe drought conditions persisting across the West.

The river’s flow levels there have been sitting at zero to near-zero cubic feet per second (cfs) since mid-July, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) communications specialist Cheryl Miller told Cowboy State Daily.

When the river hits 0 cfs, “there could be a little pool there, but it is not moving," Miller said. "There is no water going downstream from there.” 

The Powder River in Sheridan County has completely stopped flowing for nearly a month due to severe drought conditions and irrigation. During a typical year, the Powder at Arvada is flowing at 135 cubic feet per second, now it's at zero cubic feet per second.

One More For The Road: Friday, October 14, 2022

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