The family of a Lander convenience store clerk credits the quick actions of strangers for saving the woman’s life after she was stabbed several times by a suspected burglar.
The people who saved Dayle Mefford's life haven’t been publicly identified because they are witnesses in the ongoing investigation into the attack.
On the morning of April 21 during what prosecutors describe as a violent attack at the convenience store, a handful of strangers stepped into the chaos to help the injured clerk.
They then disappeared back into their lives, said Aiko Miller, the daughter of the clerk who was assaulted in Fremont County.
Her mother is recovering, but doesn’t want to talk about the attack just yet, Miller told Cowboy State Daily, who shared some details of what her mother told her about the incident.
Miller said one person used a vehicle to “scare off” the attacker as the violence escalated. Others rushed to the wounded woman and began administering first aid before paramedics arrived, pressing against the stab wounds and trying to keep the store clerk alive.
Miller said those people likely saved her mother’s life.
“My mom told me with confidence that she would have been dead if it wasn’t for him being scared off with a vehicle as the attack was getting more violent with each hit,” she said.
Miller said the good Samaritans have been identified by investigators but will not be publicly named because they are key witnesses in the criminal case.
Their absence from the spotlight feels fitting, she said. It's not a story Miller’s family wants turned into a spectacle.
“My mom is pretty private and does not seem to want to do an interview at this time,” Miller wrote in a message to Cowboy State Daily. “She has been through a lot and still has to go through the pain of having to put it all on paper for the judge.”
In her only public statement since the attack, Mefford acknowledged the community’s concern for her well-being.
“I appreciate you all; thought, prayer, empathy, skill, comfort,” she posted to her Facebook page on April 30. “You rock the spectrum.
“Now … STOP giving them your time, space in your emotion, space in your thought. It isn’t worthy of any one of you n yours."
Heavy Hearts
Even now weeks after the attack, Miller said her mother is more concerned about the emotional toll of the crime spree, which culminated with her being stabbed, could have on the community than on herself.
“She’s more worried about her community and how this terrible event has affected them than she is about herself,” Miller wrote.
It’s a sentiment that has lingered heavily over Lander since the attack.
The alleged assailant, 18-year-old Lorenzo Hopper, is accused of stabbing the clerk during what investigators say was part of a chaotic overnight crime spree involving multiple break-ins around town. Hopper now faces an attempted murder charge and several additional felonies.
Last week, a handwritten letter to the judge overseeing Hopper’s criminal case was made available in the public court records system.
In the letter, Hopper says he wants to apologize to the victim “face to face.” He also referenced alcohol abuse and shame over the violence he allegedly caused.
“I hope to show different in the future,” he wrote. “For I am done drinking and done soaking in my own sorrows.”
The 18-year-old asked for forgiveness and wrote, “I hope your (sic) able to see the good within me and Im not this crimminal Ive made myself out to be (sic).”
He also appealed to the judge during his initial court hearing to finish high school before having to deal with his attempted murder charge.
Good Samaritans
But while the criminal case moves through court, another story has unfolded beneath it about what people do in the seconds after violence erupts.
Miller said her mother related how strangers jumped into action without hesitation to help her that day.
“We are beyond grateful to the good Samaritan that stepped in and scared that man off and administered wound care,” Miller wrote. “It saved my mom’s life.”
She also praised a second stranger who helped tend to the wounds until emergency crews arrived. She said, on behalf of the family, “we praise God that she is still alive.”
The family also has been overwhelmed by the level of concern and outreach they’ve received since the attack, Miller said.
"I want to take a moment to sincerely thank our amazing community for the overwhelming support, prayers, kindness, and concern shown after the tragic incident involving my mom,” she said in a Facebook post. "The messages, calls, visits, and encouragement our family has received have meant more to us than words can express during this incredibly difficult time."
Miller also reported that her mother “is doing extremely well and (is) recovering steadily.”
“Please continue to keep her and our family in your thoughts as she continues to heal and regain strength each day,” she added. “She looks forward to returning to work once she is fully healed."
The family has declined fundraisers and broader publicity. Miller said her mother only agreed to allow limited donation information to be shared for people who asked how they could help. Donations can be made through an account at First Interstate Bank ending in 0589.
Hopper will next appear in Fremont County District Court for a May 21 arraignment, where he is expected to enter a plea to the charges. If convicted of attempted first-degree murder, Hopper could spend between 20 years and the rest of his life in prison.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
