The Sheridan City Council on Monday approved a $250,000 settlement to replace a home police destroyed in February while trying to extricate a suspected cop-killer barricaded inside.
The payout comes in addition to $27,000 worth of fee waivers and other payments the city has already contributed or promised toward the demolition and rebuild of Karo Hamilton’s home on North Sheridan Avenue.
In exchange for the payout, Hamilton releases the city, the Sheridan Police Department and all other Wyoming governmental entities from future claims for money relating to the destruction of her home.
Hamilton’s Farmer’s Insurance policy has also paid out $217,000, Sheridan City Attorney Brad Timmesch told the city council Monday.
Her proposed rebuild, which has about the same square footage as her ruined house, is estimated at a cost of $490,518.20, the attorney added.
“Today, the Sheridan City Council has taken an important first step toward Karo’s ultimate goal by approving a settlement to cover a substantial portion of the money needed to rebuild Karo’s home,” reads a statement by Hamilton’s attorney Ryan Semerad, sent Monday evening to Cowboy State Daily. “While more money will … likely be needed and there are many steps still to be taken, for now, Karo is pleased to have this part of the process complete.”
The Bigger Loss
Hamilton’s statement says the chief tragedy in this “calamity,” however, wasn’t her destroyed house. It was the loss of Sheridan Police Sgt. Nevada Krinkee.
Hamilton was not home Feb. 13 when 46-year-old William Lowery allegedly shot and killed Sheridan Police Sgt. Nevada Krinkee, fled law enforcement and took refuge in her home. Over the next 32 hours, officers from Sheridan and other Wyoming agencies surrounded the home, ducked Lowery’s occasional gunfire and tried to badger and coax him out of the home.
As the standoff wore on, the agencies brought in an excavator to remove part of Hamilton’s house to get to Lowery.
Lowery eventually fled, armed, and was shot to death during his escape attempt, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation reported after the incident.
The standoff had ended, but Hamilton’s home sat in ruins.
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Lowery was a stranger to Hamilton, her family told Cowboy State Daily soon after the incident.
Hamilton’s ailing mother was home at the time, but police were able to get her out safely during the standoff, the family said.
“Her home was commandeered by Sgt. Krinkee’s killer,” says Hamilton’s statement. “Then, it was ripped apart by law enforcement seeking to extract and capture this cowardly cop-killer. Since those harrowing days, Karo has strived to restore both her physical house and her sense of ‘home’ in Sheridan.”
After the standoff, a Sheridan city utility maintenance worker rescued Hamilton’s large dog from the ruins of the house’s flooded basement. Another responder on scene later rescued Hamilton’s smaller dog, Willie, as well.
Hamilton’s cat Cersei is still missing.
A Sheridan contractor and other volunteers soon stepped in to help with the rebuild.
“Karo is looking forward to the day she can return to a home that is only hers,” her statement concludes.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
