The mother of the man suspected of fatally shooting a Sheridan police sergeant last year is now charged with providing guns to a felon.
Eileen Marie Hurley, who turns 71 this year, was indicted Jan. 15 with four federal firearms transfer charges. Those allege:
• She provided a Stoeger 9 mm pistol to a felon and domestic violence convict.
• She provided a Taurus 9 mm pistol to a felon and domestic violence convict.
• She provided a Heritage Rough Rider .22-caliber revolver to a felon and domestic violence convict.
• She knowingly pretended she was buying the two 9 mm pistols for herself.
If convicted on all counts she could face up to 55 years in prison and up to $1.25 million in fines.
Hurley pleaded not guilty to the four counts Jan. 30, her court file says. She’s set for a March 24 jury trial in the Cheyenne-based U.S. District Court.
She was released from federal custody on an unsecured $20,000 bond at that time, which means she didn’t have to post the money up front.
Was It Her Son?
The indictment filed against Hurley calls the alleged recipient of her guns “prohibited person 1.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and Sheridan Police Chief Travis Koltiska all declined to confirm whether the person she’s accused of giving guns to was her son, William Lowery.
The Sheridan Press reported that it was, but declined to say how it confirmed that information. The Press also didn’t attribute the source of that information in its story.
The FBI did not immediately respond to an email request for confirmation.
Cowboy State Daily was unable Tuesday to reach Hurley via her listed phone number.
Lowery sparked an extended standoff with law enforcement after he allegedly shot Sheridan Police Sgt. Nevada Krinkee one year ago, Feb. 13, 2024.
He fled the scene and took refuge in a local woman’s home, prompting hours of law enforcement negotiation and tactical barrages on the home.
The home was ultimately destroyed, and the city of Sheridan later paid the homeowner a settlement to rebuild.
On Feb. 14, 2024, Lowery fled the home and was shot to death by a Casper Police Department Officer.
The investigation into that incident is still pending, DCI has told Cowboy State Daily.
Lowery was a convicted felon and domestic-abuse convict. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to a felony-level repeat offense of domestic violence and was sentenced to one month of jail, plus a term of probation.
The timeline in Hurley's indictment is also noteworthy: it accuses her of providing the guns sometime between May of 2022 and Feb. 13, 2024 - the day Krinkee was shot.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
