Crime & Courts | Cowboy State Daily

A multi-agency rescue effort was launched Saturday and continued Sunday to recover an ATV with two people inside that had broken through the ice of Glendo Reservoir.

Two Die After Side-By-Side Breaks Through Ice On Glendo Reservoir

Two men died on Saturday after their UTV broke through the icy waters in Glendo Reservoir. A brother of one of the victims told Cowboy State Daily that the first responders were heroes. “Thank you for your service in the bitter cold," he said.

Andrew RossiFebruary 17, 2025

With the westbound lane of Interstate 80 through the Green River Tunnel closed, a lot of commercial truck traffic is moving through the small southwest Wyoming city.

Green River Flooded With Semis With Tunnel Closed After Devastating Crash

The small city of Green River, Wyoming, lies next to Interstate 80, one of the busiest commercial truck routes in the U.S. After Friday’s devastating crash that closed the busy Green River Tunnel, thousands of vehicles are driving through town instead.

Zakary SonntagFebruary 17, 2025

From the charred westbound lane of the Green River Tunnel on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.

WYDOT Director Says Green River Tunnel Crash Started Outside Tunnel

The 26-vehicle fatal crash inside the Green River Tunnel on Interstate 80 started outside of the tunnel, WYDOT Director Darin Westby told Cowboy State Daily on Monday. Work crews continue to clear debris from the roadway.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 17, 2025

Burned vehicles inside Green River tunnel on Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Third Fatality Confirmed In Green River Tunnel Crash, 26 Vehicles Involved

A third person has been confirmed dead in Friday’s devastating multivehicle crash in the westbound lane of the Green River Tunnel, officials reported Sunday. It’s believed 26 vehicles were involved.

Zakary Sonntag & Greg JohnsonFebruary 16, 2025

Quinn Blackmer with his two daughters Brailey, right, and Olivia. Both were shot Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. Brailey, 9, died, while Olivia, 7, at left, has died after fighting for her life in a Salt Lake City hospital for nearly a week.

Olivia, 7-Year-Old Lone Survivor Of Byron Murder-Suicide, Dies In Utah Hospital

Olivia Blackmer, 7, was the lone survivor of a Feb. 10 murder-suicide in Byron, Wyoming, by which her three sisters and mother died last week. Olivia pulled through a brain surgery early last week, but ultimately died Saturday, her family has confirmed.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 16, 2025

Gov. Mark Gordon speaks to state Sen. John Kolb following a press conference on the Green River tunnel

Responders Still Putting Out Fires, Clearing Vehicles At Green River Tunnel

At a press conference on Saturday, officials said emergency responders were still working to extinguish fires and clear piled-up vehicles, after a wreck in the Green River tunnel killed at least two people and sparked a raging blaze.

Zakary SonntagFebruary 15, 2025

A long-haul trucker who makes TikTok videos was involved in Friday's horrific Green River Tunnel crash and posted three videos about it.

Trucker In Deadly Green River Tunnel Crash Describes Harrowing Escape

A trucker who narrowly escaped Friday’s explosive pileup in the Green River Tunnel described the horror inside and shared video footage of him kicking out the window of his truck to escape.

Greg JohnsonFebruary 15, 2025

Nobody has seen or heard from Natasha Requejo since last July, leaving family and friends desperate for news of the missing mom of seven from Lusk, Wyoming. Her boyfriend at the time says she just walked off one day, leaving him and her kids behind.

Family, Friends Desperate For News Of Lusk Mother Of 7 Missing Since July

Nobody has seen or heard from Natasha Requejo since last July, leaving family and friends desperate for news of the missing mother of seven from Lusk. Her boyfriend says she just walked off one day, leaving him and her kids behind.

Jen KocherFebruary 15, 2025

Emergency crews worked around the clock responding to a massive crash and fire in the Green River Tunnel on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.

Massive Response To Green River Tunnel Crash, Death Toll May Rise

The Wyoming Highway Patrol on Saturday said fatalities could rise as the number of vehicles involved in a massive crash inside a tunnel on I-80 near Green River has not yet been confirmed. First responders worked through the night to fight the fire inside the tunnel.

Zakary SonntagFebruary 15, 2025

An investigation is underway at the Green River Tunnel along Interstate 80 after a fatal multi-vehicle crash sparked explosions and an intense fire inside Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.

Fire, Weakened Structure Keeps Responders Out Of Tunnel For Hours; Motorists Run For Safety

Fire and rescue crews at an explosive tunnel collision outside Green River could not enter the tunnel for hours Friday after the initial crash. The fire inside was too intense, and the tunnel’s structure had been weakened. Motorists inside the tunnel had to run for safety.

Clair McFarland, Jimmy Orr & Andrew RossiFebruary 14, 2025

Smoke pouring out of the westbound Green River Tunnel on I-80 on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.

Response Shifts To Recovery After “Huge Explosions,” Multiple Fatalities In Crash In Green River Tunnel

Heavy, black smoke billowed out of both ends of the Green River Tunnel along Interstate 80 after a fatal multivehicle pileup and fire inside Friday afternoon. Witnesses report feeling and hearing “huge explosions.” By late Friday night, the response had shifted from rescue to recovery.

Andrew Rossi, Clair McFarland & Jimmy OrrFebruary 14, 2025

Luka Rasmussen, 18, appears in Casper Circuit Court on Feb. 13, 2025, charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a 16-year-old.

Affidavit: After Casper Teen Killed, Homeowner Told Shooter To “Get Rid Of The Gun”

After a 16-year-old Casper boy was accidentally shot in the head and killed while smoking pot and playing a video game with friends, the homeowner and dad of one of the teens told the shooter to “get rid of the gun,” a court affidavit says.

Dale KillingbeckFebruary 14, 2025

Gillette Man Charged With Murder For Killing Half-Sister Pleads Not Guilty

The Gillette man accused of shooting his half-sister in the head and killing her last month pleaded not guilty Thursday. Vincent Hackett faces a second-degree murder charge.

Jen KocherFebruary 13, 2025

It's Been A Year Since Sheridan Police Sgt. Nevada Krinkee Was Killed On Duty

Feb. 13 will always be a day the Sheridan Police Department will never forget. It was a year ago Thursday that Sgt. Nevada Krinkee, a popular veteran of the police force, was killed in the line of duty. His sacrifice is being remembered in Sheridan and around Wyoming.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025

Probation For Accused Jackson Flasher Who Claimed His Pants Accidentally “Fell Down”

A man accused of flashing his genitalia at women and girls in Jackson and telling police his pants accidentally "fell down" was sentenced to one year probation, mental health treatment and community service.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025

Teen Arrested After 16-Year-Old Shot, Killed At Casper Home

An 18-year-old Casper man has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter after a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed Wednesday night. It’s the third teen-on-teen fatal incident in the town in less than a year.

Dale KillingbeckFebruary 13, 2025

Staff and students at Rocky Mountain Elementary School in Cowley, Wyoming, are coping with a Feb. 10, 2025, murder-suicide that killed Brailey Blackmer, 9, and has left her 7-year-old sister Olivia fighting for her life. Both are students at the school.

Shooting Of Classmates Has School Coping, Praying After Byron Murder-Suicide

The Rocky Mountain Elementary School has brought in four extra counselors and a support dog to help its 171 students in the aftermath of a Monday murder-suicide that killed one of its students and left another in critical condition.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025

The Wyoming Refining Co. refinery in Newcastle, Wyoming.

Explosion at Newcastle Refinery Leaves Town Without Electricity, 911 Service

An explosion at an oil refinery in Newcastle on Wednesday night, unleased a power surge that killed the town’s electricity and 911 service. One person said the explosion was like something out of a “horror movie.”

Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025

Olivia Blackmer, 7, continues to cling to life in a Salt Lake City hospital recovering from brain surgery. She was the lone survivor of a murder-suicide that claimed the lives of her three sisters and mother on Feb. 10, 2025, in Byron, Wyoming.

7-Year-OId Survivor Of Byron Murder-Suicide Clings To Life After Brain Surgery

The father of the only survivor of a Monday murder-suicide that claimed the lives of three girls and their mother says 7-year-old Olivia Blackmer is “still fighting.” Her brain swelling has been spiking, but she's still responding to medication, he said.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025

Riverton Woman Gets 3-5 Years In Prison For Shooting Boyfriend's Foot

A Riverton woman was sentenced to between three and five years in prison Tuesday for shooting off part of her boyfriend's toe during an argument. Jordan Weliever also was ordered to pay about $6,100 to the state to reimburse the victim’s medical expenses.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025

A pilot walked away from making an emergency landing on Wyoming Highway 789 on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, near Rawlins. One longtime pilot calls it the “best-case scenario” for a forced landing in freezing temperatures.

Pilot Makes Emergency Landing On Wyoming Highway Near Rawlins

A pilot walked away from making an emergency landing on Wyoming Highway 789 on Wednesday near Rawlins. One longtime pilot calls it the “best-case scenario” for a forced landing in freezing temperatures.

Andrew RossiFebruary 12, 2025

Cliff Harshman, husband of Tranyelle Harshman who died with three of her four daughters in a murder-suicide Monday, says his wife suffered from depression and had other mental struggles.

Husband Of Woman In Byron Murder-Suicide Says She Was Depressed, Struggling

The Wyoming woman who shot her four daughters then herself Monday suffered from depression and other struggles, her husband told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday. He said his wife's break has been both heartbreaking and shocking, because she “was not a monster.”

Clair McFarlandFebruary 12, 2025

Quinn Blackmer with his two daughters Brailey, right, and Olivia. Both were shot Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. Brailey, 9, died, while Olivia, 7, is fighting for her life in a Salt Lake City hospital.

Dad Of Two Girls Shot In Byron Murder-Suicide Pleads, “Pray For My Baby”

The father of 7- and 9-year-old girls shot Monday in a murder-suicide in Byron, Wyoming, is praying frantically for the one of four young children who survived. He pleads for the world as well to “pray for my baby.”

Clair McFarlandFebruary 12, 2025

Sheriffs deputies described walking in on a nightmare scene Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in a home where a mother is suspected of shooting her four children, then herself. A next-door neighbor says they were blindsided and never saw any outward signs the mom was struggling.

No Outward Signs Byron Mom Suspected Of Shooting Kids Was Struggling, Neighbors Say

Sheriffs deputies described walking in on a nightmare scene Monday in a home where a mother is suspected of shooting her four children, then herself. A next-door neighbor says he was blindsided and never saw any outward signs the mom was struggling.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 12, 2025

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