CASPER — Two murders, one by knife and another with a pistol. Two other shootings that weren’t fatal. Bullets fired into two homes, shots fired at a car carrying three people inside and a teen stabbed for kicking a car.
Teen violence in 2024 left local families with empty seats at what should have been festive family gatherings this holiday season. Instead, they were filling benches in Natrona County courtrooms.
The escalation of teen violence in 2024 was so alarming in Casper that city, county and school officials came together in April after a 14-year-old was stabbed to death to address the city’s “fight culture.” And several organizations called joint meetings to brainstorm solutions to the problem.
Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen said the past year saw an uptick in teen violence that demanded more resources and effort from his office.
“I think there’s definitely a marked increase in teen-related crime as a whole for sure,” he said.
Casper Police Department spokesperson Amber Freestone said the department shows serious offenses with juvenile offenders up 10% in 2023 and 2024. The previous period from 2022-2023 showed serious offenses up16%.
“The tragedy of having two homicides in 2024 brought significant attention to teen violence as our community dealt with (homicide) twice in a short timeframe,” she said.
So far in 2024, there have been seven juvenile weapons offenses. That compares to six in 2023 and 16 in 2022. The severity of those seven offenses sets them apart.
Other statistics shows 10 car thefts involving juveniles compared to seven in 2023 and six in 2022. Drug arrests among juveniles are down 11%, aggravated assault down 23%, simple assault up 8% and burglaries down 19% among juveniles.
Freestone said the department continues to partner with Natrona County School District by providing six school resource officers. They have also tried to be proactive in hosting neighborhood events to share information and answer questions of residents.
A Youth Crisis
For families affected by the violence, the losses can’t be measured in numbers.
Murder victim Lenae Brown’s father David Henrickson told Cowboy State Daily in May that his daughter “loved everybody.” She was killed by her ex-boyfriend, who was then 15.
“She was always cheering everyone up if anything was wrong,” he said. “She was always there for me no matter what.”
Her admitted killer, Eavan Castaner, is now 16 and awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. He walked up to Brown and shot her in the head.
Halloween night stabbing victim Willow Wagner, 17, could not believe that the machete-like knife she saw a 17-year-old acquaintance carrying toward her was real after she had kicked a truck door to let the driver know people were standing behind it.
She was stabbed by the knife and suffered injuries to her abdomen and hand that required surgeries.
“I’m just kind of thinking of the positives, like, I’m glad it wasn’t worse,” Wagner said a week after the incident at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center parking lot. “I’m glad I thought it was fake, because if I thought it was real, I don’t think I would have grabbed it, and it would have went all the way through.”
A 15-year-old teenager at the scene that night who applied life-saving measures to Wagner told Cowboy State Daily that she couldn’t believe how “crazy this town has gotten.”
“We’re in high school. We should not be walking around with weapons just waiting for something to happen,” Raelee Blaylock of Glenrock said. “There has to be a change, or it is going to keep happening over and over again.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming Chief Executive Officer Ashley Bright said his organization is one of several “seeking to develop” a change that consists of “support, prevention and intervention” that would reduce the spike in juvenile-related issues.
“Prevention cannot be accomplished by one sector alone,” he said. Bright said. In addition to police, prosecutors and the courts, other entities such as churches, other faith-based organizations and youth organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs need to play a role, he said.
At the Boys & Girls Club, he said, they have collaborated and participated in meetings sponsored by the Natrona Collective Health Trust focused on youth mental health.
Bright’s organization has also become involved with the Blue Heart Collaborative that was formed after the fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Maher Jr. on April 7 at the Eastridge Mall in Casper.
A video of the attack that killed Maher shows two teens involved, one who slammed Maher to the ground and another who swooped in to stab him. It happened in the middle of the day at the mall. A detective testified in court that one of the alleged attackers say he wanted “to gut that dude.”
One aspect of the collaborative has been to make the community aware of the resources available for teens.
Bobby Maher (Via GoFundMe) 
A memorial for Bobby Maher, the Casper 14-year-old who died after being stabbed outside Eastridge Mall on April 7, grows near the spot of the altercation. Maher's favorite color was blue. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily) 
Bobby Maher’s pallbearers, who included his brothers and friends, all word blue hooded sweatshirts with his name and baseball jersey number, “41.” (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily) 
Many people came to the stage to take photos of the collage of Bobby Maher’s life. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily) 
(Cowboy State Daily Staff)
Career Works Program
Bright said one of the tactics the Boys & Girls Club has in place for youth is a “career works” program that offers virtual and hands-on work experiences to help identify a career goal and work toward that goal.
“We want all of our members to have a goal in mind after high school, which can be continued education, joining the military or joining the workforce,” he said. “Being actively engaged in a positive goal keeps the focus in the correct direction.”
Incoming Casper Mayor Ray Pacheco is a counselor, social worker and University of Wyoming lecturer. He sees the past year of teen violence as something that has roots stretching back to isolation and depression in the pandemic, as well as increased drug and alcohol use.
He believes Casper is not “the only community in the country facing these types of things.”
“I think this last year really has proved that we do have some serious issues within our community,” he said. “I know as a youth worker, and as a therapist and social worker, I’ve never come across this in the 20-plus years I’ve been working with youth, and so it’s incredibly shocking, sad and disheartening.”
Pacheco said he believes that ordinances and legislation are not the answer, but thinks the city has a leadership role to play in being involved with other organizations as well as being “vocal from the dais” about youth culture and safety. Casper city council members currently sit on coalitions that target youth suicide prevention, homelessness, and more.
“We are in a very divisive time politically and ideologically, and I think it is very important for us to stand as one community to be able to say ‘How do we do that?’” he said. From his perspective, Pacheco said, he’s been involved in several programs and does not think more programs are the answer. He supports the Blue Heart Collaborative and other efforts that formed out of the teen violence, which he said are “critical components” to the complex issue.
For the district attorney, the past year has meant a lot of resources dedicated to youth violence cases.
Lenea Brown, 17, of Casper was shot in the head and killed near Buckboard Park on May 14. Her ex-boyfriend, Eavan Castaner, has pleaded guilty to killing her. (Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
Willow Wagner says she tries to “think of the positives” following a stabbing incident that nearly cost her her life. (Courtesy Willow Wagner) 
Adolfo Aceves (Casper Police Department) 
Marquis Hayman pleaded not guilty to shooting five bullets into a North Durbin Street mobile home in August. (Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
A sign at the entrance of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming reminds visitors the campus is “weapon free.” (Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming CEO Ashley Bright, left, and incoming Casper Mayor Ray Pacheco. Pacheco has worked as a youth counselor and social worker. He believes collaboration is important, but just relying on more programs won’t solve youth violence in the community. (Courtesy Photo)
Charged As Adults
Itzen said any time his office and the police department have to deal with “large, complex investigations” there will typically be several different attorneys involved in addition to law enforcement efforts.
He said his office’s philosophy has been to charge juveniles involved with weapons-related violence cases as adults, and he expects that to continue.
“I can’t get into specifics because I still have some of those cases pending,” he said. “You look at the totality and circumstance of the crime and the age of the offender. It’s a fairly complex matrix that you use to kind of reach those decisions.”
As the result of the mall stabbing of Maher, two 15-year-old boys were charged as adults.
Cases against Jarreth Plunkett and Dominique Harris continue to move through the court system. Plunkett was evaluated by the state hospital at the request of his attorney. A status conference is set for Jan. 8. Harris has a trial date of March 10.
On the Fourth of July, Adolfo Aceves, 18, allegedly shot a 47-year-old Casper man in a dispute about fireworks at Mathew Campfield Park on the city’s north side. Aceves has pleaded not guilty to an aggravated assault charge and awaits trial.
On Aug. 9, and again Aug. 12, 15-year-old Marquis Hayman of Casper is alleged to have shot into two separate homes while residents were inside.
Police said he told a friend “I hope I killed one” in the Aug. 12 incident.
He initially pleaded not guilty to the aggravated assault and battery, property destruction and defacement, and reckless endangering charges that flowed from the incidents. However, he now has a change of plea hearing set for Jan. 29.
Jeremy David Lakey, 19, of Cheyenne was visiting Casper on Aug. 21 and allegedly pistol whipped a 21-year-old and later shot into a car containing three other males. He faces three counts of aggravated assault and battery, a felony-level property destruction and defacement charge, and possession of a deadly weapon charge. He has a tentative trial date of Jan. 21.
The Casper Police Department on Oct. 21 reported a juvenile male in serious but stable condition at Banner Wyoming Medical Center following a shooting on Oct. 19 in the 3200 block of Hamilton Way. Those involved were juveniles. No public charges are known in the case. Freestone referred Cowboy State Daily to juvenile laws on privacy.
Gabriella Aultman, 17, pleaded not guilty on Dec. 20 to stabbing Wagner. She reportedly told police afterward that Wagner “walked into the blade.” Her attorney told Natrona County Judge Joshua Eames he plans to make a motion to move her case into juvenile court.
At the Boys & Girls Club, Bright said the past year has led the agency to integrate a “trauma informed” approach to youth services that involves seven values such as “safety” and “trust” as a means for “individuals to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment through safe, trusting, and supportive relationships and interventions.”
He is optimistic about 2025.
“Violence is preventable when you know the signs and organize your community,” Bright said. “No matter what your role is in the community, there are actions we can all take to have safer schools and neighborhoods. You can help by lifting youth up and being a light daily.”
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
