Andrew Kris Bzdak appeared in Sweetwater County Circuit Court wearing an orange jail uniform, his wrists secured in handcuffs attached to a chain wrapped around his waist. His head was nearly bald, and he wore a short, neatly trimmed beard.
Bzdak showed little outward reaction as the court revisited the bloody Sept. 13 attack that left a fellow truck driver stabbed 17 times at the Bitter Creek Rest Area along Interstate 80 about 41 miles east of Rock Springs.
The victim, 28-year-old Gurvinder Singh of Sacramento, California, survived the attack, which left him with wounds to his neck, chest and other parts of his body.
The courtroom was packed for Bzdak's Wednesday’s preliminary hearing on a charge of attempted first-degree murder, with rows of people seated in the gallery.
In less than one hour, Magistrate Ed Newell had found enough evidence to bind the case over to Sweetwater County District Court, where Bzdak could eventually stand trial on a charge carrying the possibility of life in prison.
Walmart Bag, Bloody Clothes
A female sheriff's deputy was the only witness to take the stand during Wednesday's preliminary hearing.
She testified about the investigation, including surveillance video and evidence recovered from Bzdak's semitruck, among it a reusable Walmart shopping bag containing jeans, shoes and used wet wipes that appeared to have blood on them.
Investigators reportedly recovered the bag after Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers stopped Bzdak's semi near Rawlins, about 65 miles east of the Bitter Creek Rest Area, where the stabbing occurred.
The Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office previously said investigators had reviewed significant evidence in the case, including dashcam video and witness statements.
A camera mounted on a semi parked outside the rest area captured Singh walking toward the restroom, followed shortly afterward by a man investigators identified as Bzdak.
Less than a minute after entering the building, the man identified as Bzdak ran out. Singh emerged afterward, badly wounded and struggling to stay on his feet before collapsing onto the pavement.
The camera did not capture the stabbing itself.
Investigators also relied on accounts from people at the rest area who heard screaming and watched a man flee the scene in a semi.
A family followed the truck east along Interstate 80 long enough to photograph identifying information that helped authorities locate it.
During Wednesday's hearing, prosecutors argued that the evidence supported the allegation that Bzdak acted with premeditated malice, an essential element of attempted first-degree murder.
Newell determined there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed, clearing the initial legal hurdle required to continue pursuing the felony charge.
Before Dawn
The case began shortly before 3:30 a.m. Sept. 13, when emergency dispatchers received a frantic report of a stabbing at the rest area.
Singh, a Sikh truck driver hauling freight along Interstate 80, had stopped to use the restroom, according to court documents.
He later told investigators that another man attacked him from behind while he was inside.
At first, Singh said he did not realize his attacker had a weapon. He turned and pushed the man away, then saw a knife that he remembered as being blue.
The charging documents describe no conversation between the two men before the attack.
Investigators documented 17 lacerations, including two stab wounds to Singh's neck and two to his chest.
Outside, a woman using the neighboring restroom heard what she described as "grunting and screaming" coming from the men's room.
Moments later, a man ran from the building toward a waiting commercial truck.
Rather than simply watch him disappear down the interstate, the family followed, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.
They stayed behind the truck long enough to photograph identifying information from the truck and trailer, then passed it along to investigators, the affidavit says.
Meanwhile, Singh had staggered outside, bleeding heavily.
Investigators reviewing photographs of the scene found large amounts of blood inside the restroom, in the building's lobby and outside near a parked semi.
A video of the aftermath showed a man lying on his back beside a truck trailer, his eyes closed and his left arm wrapped in a white towel or bandage.
Several people stood nearby as emergency lights flashed through the darkness.
Singh was eventually airlifted to Wyoming Medical Center in Casper.
Did They Get Him?
As Singh was being treated for severe injuries, Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were already searching Interstate 80 for the truck identified by the family, the affidavit says.
At about 5 a.m., a trooper spotted the semi west of Rawlins, and it was stopped near Exit 209 by the Flying J truck stop.
Wyoming Highway Patrol spokesman Aaron Brown previously told Cowboy State Daily that Bzdak complied with troopers during the stop.
There was no chase or confrontation. Bzdak was detained, and his semi was impounded, he said.
Casper police later helped Sweetwater County investigators obtain Singh's account from his hospital bed, according to the affidavit.
One of Singh's first concerns was whether authorities had caught the man who attacked him.
Despite suffering 17 wounds, he survived and was later released from the hospital to continue recovering with his family.
The attack also attracted attention far beyond Wyoming, particularly among Sikh and South Asian truck drivers who expressed concern about their safety on America's highways.
'Zero Motive'
In September, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, released a statement expressing concern about the stabbing and the broader climate facing Sikh and South Asian Americans.
The statement came amid controversy over a Department of Homeland Security social media post depicting a Sikh truck driver in a caricature that critics condemned as racist.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and others took issue with the post, which was later removed. DHS said it was intended to reference a different truck driver involved in a fatal crash.
Wyoming U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman also condemned the stabbing, though she did not speculate about the motive.
"Our truck stops should be the last place any driver finds themselves in danger," Hageman said in a statement after the stabbing.
She added that she was horrified by the attack and trusted law enforcement to determine what happened.
Meanwhile, Sweetwater County investigators cautioned against drawing conclusions about why Singh had been attacked.
"At this point, there's no indication that it's a hate crime," Sweetwater County Attorney Daniel Erramouspe told Cowboy State Daily in September.
Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jeff Sheaman was similarly cautious.
"We have zero motive," Sheaman said.
'Grateful He Is Alive'
As Singh recovered in Casper, the Jakara Movement, a nonprofit organization that supports Punjabi Sikhs and other communities, stepped in to help.
Its director of legal services, Jasjit Singh, flew to Wyoming to visit the injured truck driver and assist him through his recovery and the legal process.
The organization said Singh was recovering well despite the severity of his injuries.
"He is recovering well and remains in chardikala — rising spirits," the Jakara Movement said in a September statement.
The Punjabi expression describes a state of resilience and optimism, even during hardship.
"We are grateful he is alive," the organization said. "For now, we ask the community to continue keeping Mr. Singh in your thoughts and prayers.”
Correction - Magistrate Ed Newell, not judge Prokos, presided over the hearing.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
