Clair McFarland
Clair McFarland is a general assignment reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Riverton, Wyoming. She specializes in crime and court reporting and social issues coverage. Clair also writes a twice-monthly column on motherhood and country living.
Previously, Clair wrote for The Ranger, the Lander Journal and the Wind River News. She is an award-winning journalist, columnist and poet, who joined Cowboy State Daily on Valentine's Day, 2022.
Latest from Clair McFarland
Brief: No Arrests — And No Hunt For Suspects — After Deadly Riverton Stabbing
Investigators looking into a fatal stabbing Sunday night in Riverton said they have identified and interviewed people involved but have not made an arrest. They're still investigating, the local undersheriff says.
Clair McFarlandDecember 19, 2024
Man Who Racked Up 7-Foot-Long List Of Citations During Chase Gets Six Months
A Saratoga, Wyoming, man who racked up a 7-foot-long list of citations during a wild chase with a Carbon County Sheriff's Office sergeant got six months in jail last week. That included being ticketed for littering when his tailgate whipped off.
Clair McFarlandDecember 19, 2024
Casper Man Who Killed Accused Child Molester Won’t Sue Over Amputated Toe
A Casper, Wyoming, man who killed his granddaughter’s alleged molester four years ago has withdrawn a lawsuit over his toe being amputated in prison. He claimed prison doctors mistreating a wound resulted in losing a toe.
Clair McFarlandDecember 19, 2024
Minnesota Hunter Who Mistook Moose For Elk In Bighorns Apologizes
A Minnesota hunter who shot a moose with no antlers thinking it was a cow elk wrote a heartfelt apology to the Sheridan Circuit Court last week. He was fined $1,000 and sentenced to one year of probation.
Clair McFarlandDecember 19, 2024
Cheyenne Men Accused Of Stealing Woman's Woodstove From Her Home
A Cheyenne transient and an accomplice are accused of ripping the wood-burning stove out of a woman’s house and driving away with it. They left behind a trail of ash, court documents say.
Clair McFarlandDecember 18, 2024
Gillette Man Says He Didn’t Realize What He Was Doing When He Allegedly Stabbed Wife
A Gillette man accused of stabbing his wife repeatedly says he wasn’t mentally well enough to rationalize his conduct at the time, according to a court transcript filed Monday. “I’ll always love you. I’m sorry I stabbed you,” he reportedly told her.
Clair McFarlandDecember 18, 2024
Other Wyoming Counties Don't Let Illegal Immigrants Slip Away, Unlike Teton County
ICE has claimed not communicating with feds is why the Teton County Sheriff’s Office has let 103 illegal immigrants go the last couple of years. Other Wyoming counties don't have that problem, according to data the agency released Tuesday.
Clair McFarlandDecember 18, 2024
It Took Drones, Spike Strips And A School Lockdown To Arrest Wanted Colorado Man
To stop a wanted Colorado man, western Wyoming law enforcement agencies locked down a school, used drones and put out spike strips. They arrested John Fowler, 42, on drug possession and other charges.
Clair McFarlandDecember 17, 2024
54-Year-Old Wyoming Man Confesses To Molesting Boy 40 Years Ago
A 54-year-old Wyoming man has confessed to molesting a boy 40 years ago, according to court documents. A proposed plea agreement would drop the man’s conviction if he completes treatment and three years of probation.
Clair McFarlandDecember 17, 2024
Former Cheyenne Family Gets $375K In Lawsuit Against Sheriff's Deputy
The state of Wyoming and the Wyoming Association of Risk Management are paying $375,000 to settle a lawsuit against a Laramie County Sheriff’s deputy and school resource officer accused of injuring an 8-year-old in 2022.
Clair McFarlandDecember 17, 2024
Shooting A Drone In Wyoming Could Lead To 10 Years In Prison, Loss Of Gun Rights
The legal consequences for shooting down a drone in Wyoming range from a misdemeanor to a felony charge that could result in up to 10 years in prison and the loss of gun rights.
Clair McFarlandDecember 17, 2024
Cheyenne Man Accused Of Stabbing Estranged Wife's Boyfriend To Death
A Cheyenne man was in court Monday on claims he stabbed his estranged wife’s boyfriend to death in the home they shared. “I did the stabbing,” he reportedly told police after the act Thursday.
Clair McFarlandDecember 16, 2024
Man Burned Escaping Gillette Apartment Fire By Fleeing "Very Close" To Blaze
A fire that engulfed an apartment unit in Gillette, Wyoming, Sunday morning left one man burned and injured from smoke-inhalation. He escaped by rushing “very close” to the flames before firefighters arrived, the local fire marshal says.
Clair McFarlandDecember 16, 2024
Behind The Release Of The New Chris LeDoux Song
Before it could be transformed into a father-son duet, the original recording of a never-released Chris LeDoux song sat in storage for 20 years. Then the one copy of the song survived a FedEx trip from Utah to Tennessee and a technology disaster.
Clair McFarlandDecember 14, 2024
Drone Patterns Over New Jersey Similar To Those In Wyoming’s Niobrara County
Drone sightings in Wyoming’s Niobrara County bear eerie similarities to machines flying over New Jersey and other areas of the country, that are now overwhelming the nation with concern.
Clair McFarlandDecember 14, 2024
Sheridan Assistant Principal Convicted For Having Sex With 18-Year Old Student
A now-former Sheridan High School assistant principal was found guilty by a jury Tuesday of having sex with an 18-year-old student. That's illegal in Wyoming when there's an age gap of more than four years.
Clair McFarlandDecember 13, 2024
Riverton Firefighter Charged With Sexually Attacking Women Faces More Accusers
A retired Riverton, Wyoming, firefighter accused of sexually attacking multiple women when he offered them rides asked Monday for more time to prepare for trial. He needs the time to contest claims from more women who have come forward to accuse him.
Clair McFarlandDecember 13, 2024
Parents Sue Over State Plan To Shutter Eight Cheyenne Elementary Schools
A plan to shutter eight Cheyenne elementary schools will “irreparably harm students” and families, claims a lawsuit filed by two local parents. They also say the closures will drive down property values.
Clair McFarlandDecember 12, 2024
Worland Police Officer Charged With Child Sex Crimes
A former Washakie County Sheriff's deputy and recent hire of the Worland Police Department has been accused of sex crimes with multiple children. He was charged Monday with two felonies.
Clair McFarlandDecember 12, 2024
Police Arrest Man Suspected Of Trying To Burn Down Lander Bar
The Lander Police Department on Wednesday evening apprehended a 33-year-old Lander man suspected of trying to burn down the popular Lander Bar two days earlier.
Clair McFarlandDecember 12, 2024
Feds Deporting Three Illegal Immigrants Who Committed Crimes In Wyoming
Federal authorities are deporting three illegal immigrants out of Wyoming after one was caught with 170 pounds of marijuana and the other two were driving drunk.
Clair McFarlandDecember 12, 2024