Parents Of Murdered Casper Teen Say She’s “Not The Only One That Died That Day”

CASPER — A new year and seven months of time does little to alleviate the fear, pain and grief that have become constant companions for the parents of 17-year-old Lene’a Brown, who was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend May 14.

David Henrikson and Toni Brown, both 35, had Lene’a when they themselves were just 17 years old.

Now the weight of her loss hangs heavy on both of their hearts as they mark milestone first since their daughter was ripped from them by teen violence. First start of a new school year without her, first Christmas without Lene’a, starting a new year as an incomplete family. 

They sat in a Casper restaurant Saturday and shared the day-to-day struggles of coping with life without their daughter. Both said Lene’a and her personality werea ray of sunshine in their lives.

“Every day is the same as the first day. She is not the only one that died that day,” Henrikson said. “Personally, I lost interest in my hobbies, we all lost a lot. She took a lot of us with her.”

Brown said she keeps forgetting her daughter is gone and sometimes tries to call her. Then the raw pain hits again and tears flow.

Eavan Castaner, 16, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Nov. 8 in Natrona County District Court for Lene’a Brown’s death. He awaits sentencing.

Henrikson and Brown said true justice is impossible. Henrikson said a Wyoming Supreme Court ruling that keeps juveniles from receiving a life sentence for murder means Castaner will “see the sunlight, (but) Lene’a never will.”

“His parents will get him back, we don’t get our baby back,” Brown added.

Questions

For Henrikson and Brown, questions remain about the police response to a 911 phone call they understand was made by Castaner’s friend reporting the teen’sintent to shoot somebody shortly before the murder. 

A court affidavit does not contain information on any phone call from the friend, but does state the friend wrestled Castaner to the ground in the park where the shooting took place trying to get Castaner to rethink his desire to kill someone to “release my anger.”

The parents also question how Castaner was able to have his mother’s pistol for three days without her being aware or accountable for it being missing.

They talk about how Lene’a tried to contact Castaner’s mother the night she was killed about the harassing text messages her son sent her and Henrikson’s phone call to Castaner’s father about the harassment two weeks earlier.

“You just can’t kill people because you are mad,” Brown said. “He killed himself that day, too.”

For both Henrikson and Brown, their daughter’s death just adds to the trauma of a year of death that included Henrikson’s father and grandmother, and three other members of Brown’s family.

It was at the funeral of Brown’s 19-year-old niece that Lene’a Brown told her father that as a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, she wanted a traditional burial.

“I never thought that eight months later I would be putting her there,” Henrikson said.

Henrikson said he and others hand-dug his daughter’s grave, and he put “every shovel” of dirt back over her body as he laid her to rest in St. Stephen’s Cemetery in Ethete, Wyoming.

“I took care of her in this world, and I took care of her out of his world,” he said.

Henrikson, who enjoyed hunting and fishing with his daughter, showed Cowboy State Daily a picture of Lene’a holding a huge catfish. She was with him on the North Platte River as they caught it near the Dave Johnston Power Plant between Casper and Douglas.

“That was the last catfish I caught, and I got my master angler off of it. It was a Wyoming record,” he said. “Lene’a was 16 years old at the time.”

Special Tattoo

Following the murder of Lene’a, Henrikson had a tattoo put on his neck with her name and red handprint. 

He also has had stickers printed with a drawing of Lene’a with a red handprint over her mouth. The red handprint is the symbol for missing and murdered indigenous women.

“She would call me every day to ask me how I was doing, even though we lived together,” he said. “If I wasn’t home when she got home, she was calling me up and asking if I am OK … She was selfless.”

Brown said she had a tattoo put on her neck for Lene’a after she was born.

“Everybody says that their baby is a sweet baby,” she said. “But my baby was the sweetest.”

Lene’a Brown’s death followed the April 7 stabbing of Robert “Bobby” Maher Jr. at Casper’s mall by two then 15-year-old boys. The Casper community responded to the murders with public memorial rallies and focused efforts to target the roots of teen violence in the community.

Henrikson said while the public support helps in the moment, the overwhelming pain and fear quickly return.

Henrikson said he plans to talk about his daughter at Castaner’s sentencing. But he said the courtroom emphasizes the fear he carries with him continually after walking into a hospital room May 14 and seeing his daughter’s lifeless body on a table. 

“It’s like every moment is the most, scariest moment,” he said. “That’s what court is like for me. It’s like walking in and seeing her laying there.”

Brown said her daughter’s loss will remain a constant in her life.

“I don’t want to get over it,” Brown said.

Maher Family Statement

Cowboy State Daily also reached out to the Maher family about the loss of their son and any message they wanted to share for the new year. The family responded with a statement thanking those who have reached out.

“We appreciate the community’s support,” father Robert Maher wrote. “Losing Bobby has crippled our family emotionally and mentally. We have trials coming up now and need the continued support and strength of our community to help us get through the next few months. Justice for Bobby.”

Both defendants in the Maher stabbing, Jarreth Plunkett and Dominique Harris,await trial. Both have been charged as adults. Plunkett has no trial date set yet, but a status conference on his case is set for Wednesday. Harris has a trial date of March 10.

Contact Dale Killingbeck at dale@cowboystatedaily.com

Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.