Writer

Dale Killingbeck

Killingbeck is glad to be back in journalism after working for 18 years in corporate communications with a health system in northern Michigan. He spent the previous 16 years working for newspapers in western Michigan in various roles.

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Latest from Dale Killingbeck

Natrona County Deputy Sheriff Bill Romer escorts Caril Fugate into the Converse County Sheriff’s Office. He carries weapons confiscated from Charles Starkweather.

The Notorious 1958 Murder Spree That Ended Near Douglas

When 19-year-old mass murderer Charles Starkweather saw a car by the road west of Douglas, Wyoming, in January 1958, he saw an opportunity. He was on the run after already killing 10 people. What followed ended one of America’s more notorious crime sprees.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 31, 2024

A 15-year-old Casper boy reportedly said "I hope I killed one" after allegedly shooting five times into a home in the 1100 block of North Durbin Street in Casper, Wyoming.

‘I Hope I Killed One,’ Says Casper Teen Accused Of Shooting 5 Times Into Home

A 15-year-old Casper boy accused of shooting five times into a mobile home reportedly said afterward, “I hope I killed one.” His preliminary hearing was waived Thursday, clearing the way for a felony prosecution.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 30, 2024

Casper Man Admits Sex Contact With A Child And Making Child Porn

A 25-year-old Casper admits he had sexual contact with a child, as well as making and possessing child porn. Christopher Schmidt made the admission Friday while pleading guilty to seven felony charges.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 30, 2024

Off-Duty Casper Cop Shot At Deputies During Alcohol-Fueled Standoff

Off-duty Casper Police Officer Michael Hughes was drinking heavily when he shot at deputies during a 17-hour standoff that ended Friday. He was in court Monday and remains in the Natrona County Jail on $500,000 bond.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 27, 2024

Off-Duty Casper Police Officer Faces 6 Felonies From Armed Standoff

An off-duty Casper Police Department officer faces six felony charges following an armed 17-hour standoff that ended Friday. On Monday, CPD Chief Keith McPheeters said the incident has “reverberated throughout our entire department.”

Dale KillingbeckAugust 26, 2024

Paula Volker has been teaching history and government in Natrona County schools since 1994. She was recently named Wyoming’s History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Casper Woman Named Wyoming History Teacher Of The Year

Kelly Walsh High School history teacher Paula Volker has been named Wyoming's History Teacher of the Year by a prestigious national history organization. They gave her the award because she believes using primary sources such as original documents is the best way to present history.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 25, 2024

In this image from the early 1920s, a group of Ku Klux Klansmen gather in an unknown location. Like much of America in the early 1920s, Wyoming seemed an opportunity for expansion for the Ku Klux Klan. Newspaper headlines proclaimed new chapters and the Klan openly advertised its growing numbers, but opposition and scandal would eventually bring the group down.

The Ku Klux Klan Pushed Into Wyoming In The Early 1920s, Then Wyoming Pushed Back

Like much of America in the early 1920s, Wyoming seemed an opportunity for expansion for the Ku Klux Klan. Newspaper headlines proclaimed new chapters and the Klan openly advertised its growing numbers, but opposition and scandal would eventually bring the group down.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 24, 2024

Jayme Lien upset incumbent Tom Walters in Tuesday's primary.

Jayme Lien Stuns Incumbent Tom Walters in District 38 GOP Primary Upset

Challenger Jayme Lien stunned incumbent Tom Walters in the District 38 Wyoming House primary race Tuesday, denying him a seventh term.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 21, 2024

Incumbent District 6 Rep. Tomi Strock was baling hay on Tuesday. She ended the day by defeating a familiar challenger for the second time.

Tomi Strock Beats Familiar Rival To Win Republican Primary For House District 6

Incumbent Rep. Tomi Strock, R-Douglas, defeated former legislator Aaron Clausen in a rematch of the 2022 primary race for Wyoming House District 6.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 21, 2024

Veterinarian Jane Mohr, right, said she “couldn’t be happier” that Mitchell Blehm and veterinarian Ashleigh Evans have purchased her clinic.

Dogs That Eat Meth And De-Scented Skunks Are Normal At Casper Vet Clinic

The same-old, same-old for veterinarians in Wyoming goes far beyond treating dogs and cats. They routinely deal with rattlesnake bites, dogs that eat their owners’ drugs and even perform surgery on the delicate scent glands of skunks.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 18, 2024

Wyoming inventions include the cartridge belt for soldiers, an electric garage door opener and a brutal execution method. Wyomingites hold more than 4,000 individual patents.

Wyoming Inventions: Cartridge Belt, Garage Door Opener, Innovative Execution Method

Wyoming citizens have come up with some interesting inventions. From a cartridge belt adopted by the Army which is still in use today to an automatic garage door opener to an innovative execution method that basically forced people to hang themselves.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 18, 2024

It was quite the scandal in 1895 when Casper Mayor Joel J. Hurt was put on trial for killing his wife's alleged lover. He was acquitted by a jury in 5 minutes.

Wyoming History: Casper Mayor Gunned Down Wife’s Lover, Then Acquitted In 5 Minutes

In 1895, Joel J. Hurt was Casper’s mayor and state senator when he gunned down a man alleged to be his wife’s lover on a downtown street. He was tried for murder, and acquitted by a jury in five minutes.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 18, 2024

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John Wickman, president of Wickman Spacecraft & Propulsion Co., stands next to the original launch control panel from Aerojet Propulsion Co. he bought for $200 back in the 1980s. The panel launched ICBMs and other military rockets during his time with the company.

Casper Engineer Wants To Make “Dirt Cheap” $1,000 Rockets For The Military

A Casper engineer who has a long, established career working in U.S. missile programs, says he can make “dirt cheap” $1,000 rockets that can do the same job as rockets the military pays $1 million each for. He got the idea seeing how the Ukraine is using $200 drones to take out sophisticated Russian tanks.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 17, 2024

Casper Man With 27,000 Child Porn Images Faces Felony Charge

A Casper man allegedly found with 27,000 images of child pornography and 143,000 of "child erotica" faces a single felony charge. He had his first court appearance Wednesday, where a judge set a $100,000 bond.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 15, 2024

The Pony Express collection of Joe Nardone has an estimated $1.5 million worth of artifacts, some of which he wanted the Fort Caspar Museum to have as the northernmost outpost on the Pony Express route.

National Casper Pony Express Museum Begins With Donation Of $1.5M Collection

Casper City Council accepted the donation of a $1.5 million Pony Express collection Tuesday. It's the first step in bringing a national Pony Express museum to Wyoming.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 14, 2024

A crashed vehicle sits alongside the Bryan Stock Trail exit ramp on northbound Interstated 25 in Casper on Tuesday morning as Wyoming Highway Patrol investigate an early morning assault and police pursuit.

Brief: Casper High-Speed Chase After Gas Station Assault Puts 3 In Hospital

After three men assaulted someone at a Casper convenience store, they led police on a high-speed chase before crashing early Tuesday morning. Now they’re in a local hospital and could face serious criminal charges.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 13, 2024

Curtis Weigold’s mugshot taken following his booking into the Natrona County Jail in 1934.

Wyoming History: The ‘Tough Luck’ Teen Gangster Who Ran Into A Tougher Sheriff

A wild South Dakota 16-year-old “tough luck” gangster in a stolen car killed a Douglas man in a crash and shot the sheriff three times in 1934. But he ran into a tougher Wyoming sheriff, who kept getting shot but survived every time.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 11, 2024

Susan Moss-Wyatt and Jerry Wyatt say the spend time with many of their customers and enjoy helping educate them about their products.

Legacy Wyoming Western Wear Store Began As A Mom-And-Pop Car Dealership

Moss Saddles Boots and Tack started as a side hustle to support a mom-and-pop car dealership. Now 55 years later, it’s a legacy Wyoming Western store outside Casper. “We can boot you, shoe you, crown you, rope you, saddle you and tool you,” the owner says.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 11, 2024

The male skater with the star on his helmet, the jammer, tries to break through his opponents during a “jam” at Summer Bash 5-on-5 Tournament in Mills.

Wyoming Roller Derby Players Share A Common Passion — Hitting People

Almost to the last player, women who make up Wyoming’s roller derby scene say there’s one thing they love about their sport — hitting people. But there’s actually a method to the mayhem these divas on roller skates commit.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 10, 2024

Bobbi’s Classic Diner & Motel has recently opened in Glenrock and is the culmination of a dream for owner Bobbi Collins.

Eating Wyoming: Bobbi’s Classic Diner In Glenrock A Throwback American Burger Spot

A throwback 1950s and ’60s experience, Bobbi’s Classic Diner in Glenrock doesn’t go out of its lane. It’s simple and all-American — burgers, sandwiches, fries and thick milkshakes.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 10, 2024

Mark Jenkins jots his thoughts down in a notebook. He said his writing process on expeditions often involved writing while others slept.

From Top Of Everest To Biking Across Russia, Wyoming Adventure Writer Gets Around

Laramie’s Mark Jenkins still travels the world seeking adventure. The longtime National Geographic writer who has climbed Mount Everest, covered the war in Afghanistan, cycled through Russia, and kayaked inside glaciers plans to get back on his bike for a trek across Europe.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 10, 2024

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