The former police chief of Manderson, Wyoming, is accused of texting his love-interest against a judge’s orders, after he was charged with helping her elude a drug investigation.
Charged in November with police interference and duty failure, BJ Kidgell became the subject of a new arrest warrant Thursday and was taken into custody Friday, according to court and jail documents.
Kidgell was texting the woman he’s already accused of helping to elude a drug investigation, against a judge’s orders, says a bond revocation petition Big Horn County Attorney Marcia Bean filed Thursday.
As part of his bond conditions when he was released from custody last autumn, Kidgell was not allowed to contact Dulcie Vanvoorhis or her family, says Bean’s filing.
The prosecutor’s petition says that a Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) agent went to conduct a follow-up interview with Vanvoorhis on Jan. 13. The agent “was given” cellphone information showing Kidgell had texted her between mid-December and mid-January; and Vanvoorhis said he’d been contacting her consistently since November, the petition says.
Torrington Circuit Court Judge Nathaniel Hibben, who is filling in for Basin Circuit Court Judge Edward Luhm on this case, issued an arrest warrant for Kidgell Thursday.
Kidgell was taken into custody in Washakie County on Friday, then transferred to Big Horn County. He appeared in court Tuesday, then posted bond and was released later that night, Big Horn County Sheriff Ken Blackburn confirmed Thursday to Cowboy State Daily.
In the hearing Tuesday, Kidgell’s bond was re-set for $40,000 cash or surety; whereas prior to the alleged bond violation, it was a signature bond, meaning he didn’t have to post money up front, said Bean.
An evidentiary hearing on whether Kidgell violated the first bond order is set for Feb. 5, Bean said.
Kidgell is no longer the police chief. Darold Newman has been sworn into that role, the latter confirmed Thursday to Cowboy State Daily.
Kidgell's attorney Sam Krone did not return a voicemail request for comment by publication time Thursday.
In That Case …
The evidentiary affidavit in Kidgell’s case says Vanvoorhis was arrested Oct. 20.
The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office had evidence that Vanvoorhis had known about a K9, drug-detection dog, search at her home before it happened, so the agency reached out to DCI.
DCI typically investigates alleged wrongdoings by law enforcement personnel, in Wyoming.
A DCI agent gathered recorded jail calls between Vanvoorhis and Kidgell, which indicated the pair were in a romantic relationship, says the affidavit.
The document says Vanvoorhis texted her son one day before a scheduled Sept. 12 drug search on her home, ordering him to clean the place of everything that could produce “any kinda hit.”
But the drug dog still found paraphernalia, the affidavit alleges.
DCI uncovered texts in which Kidgell told Vanvoorhis he’d let her know if people were coming to arrest her, and for her to not answer the door, the document adds.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
