CASPER — A 16-year-old local boy pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree murder for shooting and killing his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend at a southwest-side Casper park last May.
Sitting at the defense table in a courtroom at the Natrona County Townsend Justice Center, Eavan Castaner told Judge Daniel Forgey he understood he was pleading guilty to second-degree murder and the 20 years to life in prison that brings, along with misdemeanor stalking.
The plea deal is considered a “cold” plea, meaning it does not outline what his sentence will be following a pre-sentence investigation.
District Attorney Daniel Itzen outlined the plea agreement, a reduction from the initial first-degree murder charge that carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Itzen called out Wyoming Statute 6-10-301(c) which makes juvenile offenders eligible for parole after 25 years, even if sentenced to “life imprisonment.”
“The agreement is supported by the victim’s family as well,” Itzen said.
Davide Hendrickson, the father of Castaner’s victim and former girlfriend Lenae Brown, told Cowboy State Daily following the sentencing that he doesn’t believe the plea deal represents justice for his daughter’s loss because of the Wyoming statute allowing for parole even if sentenced to life.
“Until that law is changed, there won’t be justice,” he said.
Brown Supporters Fill Seats
Members of Brown’s family and friends filled three rows on the left side of the courtroom and Castaner’s parents, sitting in separate rows along with a couple of journalists, occupied the right side of the courtroom.
Castaner, about 5-foot-6 and 120 pounds with a slight build, wore the red jumpsuit of juvenile defenders and was in handcuffs and shackles. His brown hair was closely cropped.
He addressed the judge in a baritone voice and conferred before the hearing with his attorney, Ryan Semerad.
During the hearing, Judge Forgey asked Castaner if he understood the agreement.
“Yes sir,” he replied.
Forgey then read him the charges.
“Do you now plead guilty to these two charges I have read to you?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” Castaner replied.
Under questions from Semerad about the events that led up to shooting Brown, Castaner admitted to both stalking Brown between April 18 and May 14, 2024, sending her repeated text messages and then shooting her just after midnight near Buckboard Park on May 14.
“Ms. Brown had communicated she did not want to talk … right?” Castaner was asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“In some of the messages you were angry … right?” the questioning continued.
“Yes,” he said.
“Others you still cared for her, right?”
“Yes,” he replied.
The Weapon
On the night of the shooting, Semerad questioned Castaner if he had a Glock 43x 9 mm pistol. Castaner agreed that he did and that he had sent a message to an “RR” to meet at Buckboard Park.
He also agreed that he had sent a message to a friend referred to as “RS” that he was going to “shoot someone” that night.
Castaner also agreed that his friend tried to talk him out of it.
Semerad asked his client if at the park he saw “RR” with Lenae Brown and that “RR had a baseball bat, right?”
“Yes,” Castaner said.
“When Lenae Brown got close to you, you pointed the Glock at her head and shot her one time?” Semerad asked.
“Yes,” Castaner said.
Itzen told the judge that he believed Castaner’s answers to his attorney’s questions were sufficient to prove his guilt.
Members of the victim’s family softly cried during the exchange.
An arrest affidavit of the police investigation of the case included an interview with the 17-year-old referred to as “RR,” who told police he was Brown’s cousin and that she was upset with the text messages she received May 13 from Castaner, who wouldn’t stop texting.
“RR” said he texted Castaner and told him to leave Brown alone and that Castaner indicated he wanted to fight and had texted him a photo of a gun.
Brown told “RR” that Castaner didn’t have a gun, the affidavit said.
The Shooting
“RR” told police he brought the bat to the park in case there were multiple people at the park, and that he intended to fight Castaner with his fists.
He saw Castaner rack a round into the pistol as he and Brown approached him and started backing away. Brown walked up to Castaner and “appeared to raise a fist to swing on Eavan,” the affidavit states.
“Eavan then shot Lenae in the face and Lenae fell to the ground,” the affidavit states “RR” told police.
A pre-sentence investigation of Castaner will be done prior to sentencing.
The shooting of Brown on May 14 followed the stabbing death of 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Maher on April 7 in Casper. Both murders have been part of a series of weapons and violence cases among teens in Casper this year.
In an interview in May, Henrickson described his daughter as “the sweetest girl. … She loved animals, any kind of animal, bugs, spiders, worms. She loved everybody.”
At the time of her death, Brown was a Natrona County High School junior and an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho tribe who embraced her Native American identity and culture.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
