Crime & Courts

Debra Laramore-Fenton, mother of Buck Laramore, who was killed in a shootout with a Thermopolis police officer, holds a sign memorializing her son at a protest.

Family Of Thermopolis Man Shot By Cop Gets $400K In Settlement

The family of a man shot to death in a shootout with a former Thermopolis police sergeant will receive $400,000 in a settlement agreement. A special prosecutor determined the sergeant entered the man's home illegally.

Clair McFarlandAugust 15, 2026

South Dakota Grandfather Identified As Man Killed In Multi-Vehicle Wreck Near Yellowstone

Terry Zaske, a grandfather from South Dakota, has been identified as the motorcyclist killed in a multi-vehicle wreck near Wapiti on Wednesday. The Wyoming Highway Patrol says the driver of a pickup truck caused the six-vehicle accident.

Andrew RossiAugust 14, 2026

Casper Woman Gets 12½ Years After Feds Tie Her To 11 Pounds Of Meth

Eight years after Casper police said Alysha Dahl faked a kidnapping and told officers she'd used meth since age 11, federal investigators tied her to more than 11 pounds of meth. She was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison.

Kolby FedoreAugust 14, 2026

Lander loaf jug with police cruiser 8 14 26

Driver In Wild Lander Crime Spree That Ended In Triple Stabbing Takes Plea Deal

A woman accused of driving during a Lander burglary spree that ended with a Loaf N’ Jug clerk getting stabbed three times pleaded guilty to a felony. She faces up to 10 years, while the man accused of the stabbing is headed to trial for attempted murder.

Kolby FedoreAugust 14, 2026

Screenshot of a lightning strike that came within 50-feet of two South Dakota Highway Patrolman on Wednesday.

South Dakota Troopers Nearly Struck By Lightning While On Manhunt

Two South Dakota Highway Patrol troopers were nearly struck by lightning while on a manhunt Wednesday evening. Body cam video captured the lightning strike followed an immediate yell. "That's one way to light up a manhunt," the patrol said.

Andrew RossiAugust 13, 2026

A former office manager for two Goshen County businesses is facing eight felony forgery charges after state investigators allege he siphoned nearly $700,000 from the companies over a four-year period.

Goshen County Man Charged With 8 Felonies For Allegedly Stealing $700k From Businesses

A former Goshen County office manager, already on probation for grand theft from a Wyoming credit union, is facing eight felony forgery charges after nearly $700,000 was lost from two local businesses. He faces up to 80 years in prison.

Kolby FedoreAugust 13, 2026

The mother and grandfather of a 2-month-old Manderson baby who died July 6 have pleaded not guilty to seven total charges, including child endangerment, reckless endangering and drug charges.

Mother, Grandfather Plead Not Guilty After Baby Dies In Hot, Feces-Filled Camper

The mother and grandfather of a 2-month-old Manderson baby who died July 6 have pleaded not guilty to child endangerment and other charges alleging unsafe living conditions and drugs in the home.

Kolby FedoreAugust 13, 2026

Gillette Man Accused Of Raping Woman, Calling Her His 'Little Beat Victim'

A Gillette man who allegedly raped a woman and called her his “little beat victim” was charged Tuesday with eight felonies. Investigators say the woman had a black eye, bite marks, bruises, and rib and abdomen pain.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 12, 2026

Debris is scattered across properties near South Highway 59 and Rattlesnake Road in Campbell County after a possible tornado Wednesday afternoon ripped roofs from buildings, damaged homes and overturned a camper

Suspected Tornado Rips Through Campbell County, Leaving Widespread Property Damage

A violent storm ripped through southern Campbell County on Wednesday afternoon, tearing roofs from buildings, demolishing a vacant mobile home, flipping a camper upside down and requiring emergency crews to rescue four people from a damaged home.

Kolby FedoreAugust 12, 2026

Michael Ray Watts, a 37-year-old Casper man, faces potential prison time for allegedly driving a Polaris UTV side-by-side while intoxicated and causing serious injury to a passenger who fell off while sitting in the back on a cooler.

Casper Man Charged With Driving UTV Drunk; Passenger On Life Support After Fall

A Casper man faces prison time after authorities say he drove a side-by-side while intoxicated and caused a passenger to fall off a cooler in the back. The passenger is on life-support after sustaining head injuries in the fall at Alcova Reservoir.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 12, 2026

Tinder Date Ends With Newcastle Man Shot Dead, S.D. Man Facing Murder Charge

A Tinder date gone horribly wrong ended with a Newcastle man dead with a hollow-point round in his chest and a South Dakota man facing a second-degree murder charge — and vastly different stories from the couple who had just met for a hook-up.

Greg JohnsonAugust 12, 2026

A multi-vehicle accident between Cody and Yellowstone National Park involving multiple motorcycles on Wednesday morning resulted in one confirmed fatality and five serious injuries, the Wyoming Highway Patrol tells Cowboy State Daily.

UPDATE: Fatality Reported In Crash Involving Four Motorcycles, WYDOT Truck Near Cody

An accident involving multiple motorcycles and a WYDOT truck has resulted in at least one fatality and serious injuries on U.S. Highway 14-16-20 near Cody. "I counted at least three bodies that I could see lying on the ground, not moving," one witness said.

Andrew RossiAugust 12, 2026

Glenrock Residents Want More Answers About Town’s Four 2-Year-Old Flock Cameras

Glenrock residents are asking more questions about who authorized the town’s four Flock cameras, where exactly they’re located and how the information they collect is used. The cameras have been in place on the outskirts of town for roughly two years.

Kate MeadowsAugust 11, 2026

Leather moccasins, Marlboro cigarettes and prescription sunglasses were among the items found on the bank of the Greybull River near where an unidentified young man's body was discovered in 1973.

Big Horn County Reopens Case Of Man Found Floating In Greybull River In 1973

The Big Horn County Coroner's Office is reopening the cold case of a man found floating in the Greybull River near Basin in 1973. Investigators still don't know his name or how he died, but have released photos of what are thought to be his belongings.

Kolby FedoreAugust 11, 2026

Colorado Man Faces Aggravated Homicide Charge In Fatal 100-MPH Chase Near Cheyenne

A Colorado man accused of leading a Wyoming state trooper on a 100-mph chase that ended with one of his passengers dead has been bound over to district court on aggravated homicide by vehicle. Investigators found fake urine and a sex toy in the wreckage.

Kolby FedoreAugust 11, 2026

A 38-year-old New York woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempting to defraud a Casper bank of funds as part of a scheme at banks across the state.

New York Woman Pleads Guilty To Trying To Defraud Wyoming Banks Over Drug Debt

A 38-year-old New York woman pleaded guilty Tuesday in Natrona County District Court to traveling to Wyoming and trying to defraud a Casper bank of funds using stolen and altered IDs. She arrived in Casper after defrauding a bank in Buffalo.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 11, 2026

Cheyenne Woman Who Allegedly Let Teenage Daughter Use Fentanyl Captured

A Cheyenne woman who has been wanted by the police since 2023 for child endangerment after allegedly letting her teenage daughter use fentanyl and acted as her mom's "lookout" was captured earlier this month and waived a preliminary hearing on Monday.

Kerry DrakeAugust 11, 2026

Colorado Woman Charged With Kicking Wyoming Highway Patrol Officer In Face

A Colorado woman faces up to 13 1/2 years in jail for allegedly kicking a Wyoming Highway Patrol officer in the face after a traffic stop in Laramie County last week. The woman was pulled over after reportedly punching her mother while driving.

Kerry DrakeAugust 10, 2026

'It's A Terrible Way To Live,’ Says Former Addict About Wyoming’s Fentanyl Crisis

Waking up in a hospital with a naloxone drip in her arm after an overdose finally scared Lisa sober, and she's now warning people about the growing access to fentanyl in Wyoming. "It's a terrible way to live, worse than anything else," she says.

Jen Kocher & Kolby FedoreAugust 09, 2026

Finding a job after prison is hard, and keeping it is harder, according to a Wyoming man who knows the corrections system and is helping felons get jobs. "It was the hardest I've ever worked for a job for the least amount of pay," says a fromer inmate.

From Prison To Paycheck: Wyoming Man Finds Jobs For Felons To 'Stay Free Forever'

Finding a job after prison is hard, and keeping it is harder, says one Wyoming man who knows the corrections system and helps felons get jobs. Clifford Fewel says new freedom has a lot of tripwires and his goal is to help these people "stay free forever."

Kolby FedoreAugust 09, 2026

Dylan Sparks of Buffalo open carries a large Ka-Bar (or K-Bar) fixed-blade knife with him wherever he goes. Wyoming law permits carrying such knives, but it’s illegal to carry them in some other states.

Knife Rights Advocates Say Second Amendment Should Apply To Blades, Too

Knife rights advocates say knives should be protected like guns as the Second Amendment doesn't say ‘firearms,' it says ‘arms’, says UW professor George Mocsary. Wyoming adults with clean records can carry almost every type of knife, a right not all states enjoy.

Mark HeinzAugust 08, 2026

After four customers dined and dashed the Sweet Zoey restaurant in Casper, the owner posted photos of them online instead of calling the police. “You come in and order this much, and just leave without paying? Who are these people?" asked the owner.

After Being Hit Again By Dine-And-Dashers, Casper Restaurant Skips Police

After being hit again by thieves who dined and dashed, the owner of Sweet Zoey restaurant in Casper posted photos of the offenders instead of calling the police. "They intended to steal,” she said, noting that calling the police in the past didn't work.

Zakary SonntagAugust 08, 2026

The cause of last a double fatal crash in remote Natrona County was due to a commercial tanker truck driver who failed to stop for traffic in a construction zone, the Wyoming Highway Patrol reports. The investigation is active.

No Arrest Or Charges Yet Six Weeks After Natrona County Double-Fatal Tanker Crash

Six weeks after a tanker slammed into seven vehicles stopped at a construction zone in remote Natrona County, killing two people and injuring eight, there has been no arrest or charges. "The crash remains under investigation," the Highway Patrol says.

Kolby FedoreAugust 07, 2026

Powell Man Accused Of Beating Woman When He Didn’t Believe How Many Steps She Walked

A 37-year-old Powell man could get 10 years in prison for allegedly attacking a woman when he got angry over not believing how many steps she walked that day. "Now you're going to see how it feels to be beat," the woman told police he said to her.