Crime & Courts
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Case Against Star Valley Man In Wife’s Death Proceeds After Contentious Hearing
After a contentious hearing full of objections, debates over court rules and photographs of his injured wife before she died, the manslaughter case against a Star Valley man advanced to District Court on Thursday.
Clair McFarlandJune 27, 2025
Brief: ‘Shooter Has Been Located’ In Killing Of Pine Bluffs Crop Duster
The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday identified the 52-year-old Pine Bluffs crop duster who was shot and killed Tuesday. Little information is being released as the agency investigates, but officials report that “the shooter has been located.”
Dale KillingbeckJune 26, 2025
Bomb Squad Called For Device Found Near River In Lander — It Was A Fake Pipe Bomb
A bomb squad was called Wednesday to disarm what looked like a pipe bomb along Lander's Popo Agie River. An X-ray image showed the device to be a fake pipe bomb. It's the second time in three months people have found fake explosives in Fremont County.
Clair McFarlandJune 25, 2025
Four Arrested For Drag Racing ‘High-End Luxury Sports Cars’ In Grand Teton Park
Four people were arrested Tuesday, accused of drag racing "multiple high-end luxury sports cars" in Grand Teton National Park. A Wyoming auto writer says that’s foolish, and wonders “what would happen to a Lamborghini if it hit a black bear?”
Clair McFarlandJune 25, 2025
Drugs Fly Out Window During 40-Mile High-Speed Chase Through Carbon County
A more than 40-mile high-speed chase through Carbon County on Tuesday ended in Saratoga. During the chase, suspected drugs were flying out a window, and the driver and a passenger face felony drug charges.
Jen KocherJune 25, 2025
Wyoming Man Caught In YouTube Child Predator Sting Gets 10 Years
Sean Joseph Brennan of Hudson was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. Brennan was caught by an Internet vigilante who poses as minors to snag child predators.
Matthew ChristianJune 24, 2025
Gillette Man Who Admitted Child Sex Crimes While Applying For Deputy Job Gets Deal
A Gillette man is set to plead guilty to child molestation Monday. Prosecutors say he confessed to the crimes while applying for a job at the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office before he was to take a polygraph test.
Clair McFarlandJune 24, 2025
Cheyenne Teens Accused Of Torching Vacant Home Face Arson Charges
Three Cheyenne teens were charged with arson Monday for allegedly setting four fires inside a vacant home in the northeast part of the city. They and a fourth as-yet uncharged teen were found out after one of them talked about burning the house at school.
Dale KillingbeckJune 24, 2025
Riverton Car Chase Hits 130 MPH, Ends In Rollover
Authorities on Saturday arrested a Riverton man for DUI and felony eluding after he bolted northward through a construction zone, hitting 130 mph in a car chase. Wyoming troopers did a tactical intervention, and the car rolled repeatedly.
Clair McFarlandJune 24, 2025
Riverton Man Who Stole Car With Baby Inside Pleads Guilty
The 29-year-old Riverton man who stole a car with a baby inside in it in February pleaded guilty Friday to one count of felony kidnapping. He faces a sentence of between eight and 10 years in prison or could be sent to a “boot camp” program.
Clair McFarlandJune 23, 2025
Rock Springs Man Shot In Neck During Weekend Altercation, No Arrests Yet
Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office says no arrests have yet been made, but there is a person of interest in a Saturday evening altercation that left a man shot in the neck. An investigation continues, and there’s no threat to the public.
Clair McFarlandJune 23, 2025
Huge Service Areas, Tiny Departments Strain Wyoming’s Rural Law Enforcement
Rural Wyoming law enforcement is under the gun, battling crime with small departments, low pay, and tiny budgets while covering huge service areas. They’re now figuring out how to do it with less money with a new 25% property tax cut.
Jen KocherJune 22, 2025
2 Months Before Trial, Search On For Knife Used To Kill 4 Idaho College Students
There’s less than two months before the trial of the man accused of brutally murdering four Idaho college students. A private investigator hopes to recover a key piece of missing evidence this weekend: The knife used to kill them.
Jen KocherJune 21, 2025
Casper Woman Accused Of Shooting At Pregnant Mistress Of Friend’s Husband
A 26-year-old Casper woman faces five charges for allegedly shooting at a woman who claimed she was pregnant by a friend’s husband. She waived her preliminary hearing Thursday, and told police she only wanted to scare the other woman.
Dale KillingbeckJune 20, 2025
Cheyenne Man Arrested After Causing Panic At National Speech And Debate Tourney
A 22-year-old Cheyenne man with four national speech championship wins to his name was arrested Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, on claims he created a panic at the National Speech and Debate tournament that cleared the venue. He faces charges of disorderly conduct and drug possession.
Clair McFarlandJune 20, 2025
Wyoming Trooper Rolls Vehicle Stopping Colorado Homicide Suspect
A Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper rolled his vehicle Friday morning near Cheyenne while grappling the truck wheel of a homicide suspect who was fleeing Colorado, the local sheriff says.
Clair McFarlandJune 20, 2025
In ‘Extremely Rare’ Case, Rock Springs Woman Charged With Making Child Porn
In what authorities say is an “extremely rare” case, a Rock Springs woman is facing child pornography charges in Sweetwater County felony court. She’s scheduled to plead Monday on charges she made, delivered and possessed child porn.
Clair McFarlandJune 20, 2025
Idaho Woman Dies After 100-Foot Fall Into Snake River Near Alpine
An 89-year-old Idaho woman died Wednesday when she fell 100 feet into the Snake River near Alpine, Wyoming. She was picnicking with family when she “lost her footing,” authorities say. A drone located the woman, who was recovered less than a mile away.
Andrew RossiJune 19, 2025
Brief: Two Gillette Motorcyclists Killed In Head-On Near Wright
Two Gillette men died Wednesday when a work truck collided head-on with both their motorcycles on the highway between Wright and Newcastle. Fatigue for the truck driver is being investigated as the cause of the crash.
Clair McFarlandJune 19, 2025
Cheyenne Man Accused Of Threatening To Play ‘Russian Roulette’ With Women
A 38-year-old Cheyenne man is accused of pulling out a pistol Tuesday, showing it to two women and telling them he was going to play “Russian roulette.” He now faces a felony charge of aggravated assault.
Dale KillingbeckJune 19, 2025
Cheyenne Murder A Web Of Conflicting Statements And Admitted Lies
Investigators are trying to piece together how an 18-year-old was murdered just after midnight Friday at a Cheyenne mobile home park. The suspect and witnesses have given a convoluted web of conflicting statements and admitted lies.
Greg JohnsonJune 19, 2025
Judge Won’t Overturn Wyoming’s First Fentanyl Manslaughter Conviction
A Greybull man who was the first person in Wyoming to be convicted of manslaughter for selling fentanyl-laced drugs won’t get a new trial. A judge Wednesday rejected a motion that challenged his plea deal, which got him 15-20 years in prison.
Jen KocherJune 19, 2025
Gillette Nursing Home Ignored Signs Of Fatal Overdose, Family Claims In Lawsuit
A Tramadol overdose in November killed Rhonda Parker, 66, who was living at a Gillette assisted living center. Her family sued the care facility Wednesday, claiming caretakers ignored severe signs of her overdose for hours before she died.
Clair McFarlandJune 18, 2025
US Supreme Court Upholds Child Sex-Change Ban That’s Similar To Wyoming’s
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld Tennessee’s ban on medical treatments related to gender changes for kids. That smooths the way for Wyoming's similar ban to survive in federal court, though it's still unclear how it would fare in state court.
Clair McFarlandJune 18, 2025
Casper 19-Year-Old Gets 5-8 Years For Shooting Man In The Back At Park
A Casper 19-year-old was sentenced to 5-8 years in prison Tuesday for a 2024 Fourth of July shooting in a local park. He shot a 47-year-old dad in the back who confronted him about a bottle rocket shot at his children.
Dale KillingbeckJune 17, 2025
Bloody, Beaten Man Found In Wheatland Liquor Store Is Alive, Family Says
A man found bloody and beaten in a shuttered Wheatland liquor store Saturday night is alive, his family says. Meanwhile, a 39-year-old local man was charged Monday with aggravated burglary on the theory he broke into the store to attack the other man.
Clair McFarlandJune 17, 2025
Parents Suing State Claim Voucher Program Could Alienate Gay, Trans Students
The same judge who ruled against the state of Wyoming on funding public education has been assigned to a lawsuit challenging school vouchers. Some parents in the lawsuit claim vouchers can alienate “queer,” transgender and nonbinary students.
Clair McFarlandJune 17, 2025
Drunk Intruder Shot By 85-Year-Old Riverton Man Could Get Probation
A Riverton man who was shot by a homeowner after police said he broke into a home drunk pleaded no contest to unlawful entry last week in Fremont County District Court. He could get probation.
Clair McFarlandJune 16, 2025
19-Year-Old Cheyenne Man Allegedly Argued With 18-Year-Old Before Killing Him
A second-degree murder charge was announced Monday for a 19-year-old Cheyenne man. He’s accused of shooting an 18-year-old when they “had a disagreement” around midnight Friday.
Greg JohnsonJune 16, 2025
Brother Of Moorcroft Man Accused Of Touching Girls In Church Did The Same
The brother of a man accused of sexually touching girls in a Moorcroft church was convicted of doing the same in a church in Minnesota. He pleaded guilty to molesting young girls of about the same age in a church of the same denomination.
Clair McFarlandJune 16, 2025
Police Tight-Lipped About Burglary At Wheatland Liquor That ‘Went South’
Wheatland police are tight-lipped about what happened inside a vacant liquor store there overnight Saturday. One person was taken to the hospital, and another was hospitalized briefly then charged with burglary and taken to jail.
Clair McFarlandJune 16, 2025
Demoted Dean Who Fought With UW President Sues To Get Job Back
A University of Wyoming dean who fought with the UW president and was demoted after refusing to move state money earmarked for engineering education filed a lawsuit Thursday to get his position reinstated. He claims the demotion was illegal retaliation.
Clair McFarlandJune 13, 2025
Gillette Woman Last Seen Two Months Ago Turns Up In Colorado
A Gillette woman last seen two months ago after mysteriously disappearing from a trailer home in Gillette was located safe in Colorado on Thursday. Even so, her family and friends remain worried for her safety.
Jen KocherJune 13, 2025
High Court Hands LDS Church Win On Controversial 101-Foot Cody Temple
The Wyoming Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling Friday, denying a Cody group the chance to challenge the approval of a Latter-day Saints temple. The decision ends two years of controversy over the 101-foot-tall temple in a residential neighborhood.
Clair McFarlandJune 13, 2025
Two In Custody After Fatal Shooting South Of Cheyenne
The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office is piecing together what happened in the early morning hours Friday that left a person dead just south of Cheyenne. Sheriff Brian Kozak said two people have been detained and that “this is a homicide investigation.”
Greg JohnsonJune 13, 2025
Prosecutor Adds 78 New Felony Sex Charges On Former Wheatland Band Teacher
A former Wheatland band teacher accused of committing sex acts on a girl younger than 16 now faces another 78 felony charges on claims of near-daily sex acts with a different, 17-year-old student. Between the cases, he could get more than 1,500 years.
Clair McFarlandJune 12, 2025
Dubois Ranch Denies Wrongdoing After Woman's Foot Crushed By Bear-Sprayed Horse
A Dubois guest ranch in a Tuesday filing denies wrongdoing in a lawsuit of an Irish woman who accuses its lead wrangler of wrongfully bear spraying her horse during a ride, causing her foot to be crushed.
Clair McFarlandJune 12, 2025
Friends Of Gillette Woman Killed By Half-Brother Protest His Self-Defense Claim
Family and friends of a Gillette woman killed by her half-brother in January showed up in force at the Campbell County Courthouse on Wednesday. They were there to protest the man’s self-defense claim.
Jen KocherJune 11, 2025
Text Scammers Target Wyomingites Posing As State Agencies
As the latest example in a growing trend of text scams that impersonate state agencies, residents are being targeted by fraudsters posing as the Wyoming Department of Transportation. It’s a fake ticket scheme that highlights how hackers have gotten smarter.
Zakary SonntagJune 11, 2025
Teton County Prosecutor Drops Voyeurism Charge From Carnival Incident
A Teton County prosecutor dropped a charge against a Texas man who was accused of trying to photograph a young girl’s private area during the carnival in Jackson last year. It’s not clear why the charge was dismissed.
Clair McFarlandJune 11, 2025
Gillette Teen Posts Threat To ‘Bomb The Pentagon’ — Pentagon Notices
A Gillette 18-year-old learned that even joking about bombing the Pentagon is a bad idea. He got a visit from local deputies Tuesday night after a Pentagon agent asked them to investigate the teen’s X post that said, “It’s time to bomb the … Pentagon.”
Greg JohnsonJune 11, 2025
Trailer Where Big Piney Man Killed In Bow-And-Arrow Ambush Catches Fire
The trailer in which a 23-year-old Big Piney man was shot and killed in a bow-and-arrow ambush in February caught fire Tuesday afternoon, authorities say. The fire doesn’t appear suspicious, and an investigation continues.
Clair McFarlandJune 11, 2025
'I'm The Terrible One': Moorcroft Man Accused Of Touching Girls During Church
A Moorcroft man faces up to 81 years in prison for the alleged sexual touching of multiple girls during church services more than a decade ago. The suspect confessed to a counselor and told an investigator that, "I'm the terrible one," court records say.
Clair McFarlandJune 10, 2025
Gillette Man To Face Attempted Murder Charge For Stabbing Brother-In-Law 8 Times
A former Gillette high school track coach said Tuesday that he won't fight extradition to Washington state to face an attempted first-degree murder charge. He’s accused of stabbing his brother-in-law eight times.
Jen KocherJune 10, 2025
Still No Sign Of Missing Sheridan Man After Two-Day Search With Cadaver Dogs
There’s still no sign of a Sheridan man who went missing more than a month ago. A two-day weekend search that included five K-9 teams and cadaver dogs turned up no new clues.
Jen KocherJune 10, 2025
Laramie County Deputies Can Investigate ICE Cases Under Federal Agreement
The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office has empowered three jail deputies to conduct immigration investigations in coordination with federal authorities. It's the latest development in a larger trend of Wyoming sheriffs forging agreements with ICE.
Clair McFarlandJune 10, 2025
Three Women Left In Lawsuit Against Sorority Over UW Transgender Member
Three women renewed their lawsuit against a sorority Monday over a transgender member allowed in its Wyoming chapter. Seven women sued in 2023, one dropped out, and now three remain after an appeals court kicked it back to the lower court.
Clair McFarlandJune 09, 2025
Wife Of Suspected Fort Bridger Killer Not Guilty Of Helping Him Cover It Up
The wife of a man charged with killing another man in Fort Bridger last year said she was “scared” when she threw out the gun involved in the shooting. She talked to Cowboy State Daily on Monday, days after a jury found her not guilty of trying to help him cover it up.
Clair McFarlandJune 09, 2025
At Least 15 Union Pacific Railcars Off The Tracks At Walcott Junction
At least 15 Union Pacific railcars derailed Monday near Walcott Junction in central Carbon County, Wyoming, prompting responses from law enforcement, the railroad and the local power cooperative.
Clair McFarlandJune 09, 2025
Wyoming Supreme Court Kicks Cheyenne Hospital Lawsuit Back To Lower Court
The Wyoming Supreme Court on Thursday granted Cheyenne Regional Medical Center’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit over a little girl's death. The ruling sends the lawsuit against the hospital back down to district court.
Justin GeorgeJune 05, 2025
Attempted Murder Charge For Gillette Man Accused Of Stabbing Brother-In-Law
A former Gillette coach and driver’s ed teacher was arrested Wednesday, accused of driving to Washington state and stabbing his brother-in-law multiple times. He’s wanted there on an attempted first-degree murder charge.
Jen KocherJune 05, 2025
Rock River Man Arrested After Trying To Silence Rooster With A Shotgun
The Albany County Sheriff's Office on Thursday arrested a man for outstanding warrants in Rock River while responding to a "shots fired" call. The man was trying to silence a rooster with a shotgun at 6:18 a.m. The rooster escaped unscathed.
Andrew RossiJune 05, 2025
Judge Dismisses Suit Of Wheatland Man Who Suffered Brain Damage In Jail
A federal judge dismissed the case of a Wheatland man who sued Platte County Sheriff’s Deputies for sending him to jail rather than the hospital despite his 0.357% blood-alcohol content. The man suffered a seizure and subsequent brain damage, court documents say.
Clair McFarlandJune 05, 2025
Scammers Using Bitcoin ATMs To Steal Thousands From Wyomingites
A Jackson man scammed out of $7,500 wasn’t as lucky as a 78-year-old Gillette woman who narrowly avoided being taken for $22,000 at a bitcoin ATM on Saturday. Bitcoin is as easy to steal as cash, an expert says.
Greg JohnsonJune 04, 2025
Rock Springs Couple Accused Of Having Orgies With Teen To Plead No Contest
A Rock Springs man is facing life while his girlfriend could spend 35 years in prison after both agreed to plead no contest to charges that they had orgies and committed other sexual abuse with a teenager for more than a year.
Clair McFarlandJune 04, 2025
Campbell County Teen Who Stabbed Mom, Prompting Pig Raffle, Pleads Guilty
A Campbell County man faces 20 years to life in prison after he pleaded guilty last week to stabbing his mother in the back while she slept. To cover the cost of the $67,000 air ambulance ride, the family raffled off the man's pigs.
Clair McFarlandJune 03, 2025
Torrington Man Who Brutally Beat Ex As She Held Toddler Gets 20-25 Years
A Torrington man was sentenced to 20-25 years for the beating of his ex-girlfriend last year. She was holding the couple’s toddler when she was attacked. Also part of Andrew Atkinson's sentence was a strangulation charge pertaining to a different woman.
Clair McFarlandJune 02, 2025
North Dakota Woman Accused Of Stabbing Man In Neck While Driving
A North Dakota woman is facing attempted second-degree murder charges after Campbell County Sheriff's Investigators say she stabbed a driver twice in the neck. The woman was on her way to Las Vegas when the stabbing happened.
Jen KocherJune 02, 2025
Wyoming Supreme Court Considers Whether Cheyenne Hospital Liable For Girl’s Death
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center has challenged a lawsuit from the family of a 7-year-old girl, who died after being misdiagnosed. The hospital claims it has no liability because the doctors and nurses involved were contractors.
Justin GeorgeMay 30, 2025
Body Cam Video Shows Casper Woman Pointing Gun At Cops Before She Was Killed
A Casper woman opened her door with a gun in hand and raised it at police officers before she was shot and killed, according to Casper Police Department body cam video released Friday. “Where the **** are my children!” she screamed as she raised the gun.
Clair McFarlandMay 30, 2025
Judge Dismisses Man's Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Cheyenne PD
A judge last week dismissed a lawsuit of an African American man who claims racial discrimination and physical aggression during a traffic stop by Cheyenne Police Department officers. He said they accused him of driving drunk when he'd had "not a drop."
Clair McFarlandMay 30, 2025
He Almost Fell For It: Cheyenne Business Owner Exposes High School Sports Team Scam
The owner of a Cheyenne coffee shop almost fell for it, nearly buying a $310 sponsorship of a local high school sports team. But in checking out Elite Sports, he exposed it as a probable scam, even if a company rep insists it’s not.
Jen KocherMay 30, 2025
Husband Charged Six Months After Wife Found Dead In Their Star Valley Home
A Lincoln County man was arrested Tuesday after a six-month investigation into his wife's death. He's accused of attacking her during a drunken argument. The woman had secluded herself in her room after texting a friend that her husband had beaten her.
Clair McFarlandMay 30, 2025
Jury Takes 38 Minutes To Convict Montana Man Who Firebombed Neighbor With Truck
It took a jury 38 minutes to convict a Montana man who transformed his pickup into a firebomb on wheels. He drove it into his neighbor’s house in a deliberate attempt to kill.
David MadisonMay 30, 2025
Homeless Man Accused Of Stabbing In Bar Nunn After Bear-Sprayed During Fight
A 50-year-old homeless man pleaded not guilty Friday in Natrona County District Court to stabbing a 57-year-old Casper man. The violent confrontation included the suspect allegedly wielding a pipe, having several knives and getting bear-sprayed.
Dale KillingbeckMay 30, 2025
Riverton Man Gets 6-12 Years For Drunken Fight That Killed Cousin
A Fremont County man was sentenced Thursday to between six and 12 years in prison for drunkenly beating his cousin to death last March. “I was robbed,” wailed the mother of the victim during the court proceeding.
Clair McFarlandMay 29, 2025
Cody Mom Accused Of Seeking Hit Man To Murder Daughter’s Boyfriend Deemed Sane
A murder trial is set for August for a Cody woman accused of trying to have her daughter’s boyfriend killed. A judge ruled that Wendy Coe, whose last trial derailed when she asked for a mental health evaluation, is mentally fit to stand trial.
Clair McFarlandMay 29, 2025
Former Laramie High Schooler’s Lawsuit Over Masking Tossed For Second Time
A federal judge Wednesday dismissed the lawsuit of a former Laramie High School student who sued her local school district on claims that a 2021 mask mandate was unconstitutional. She was handcuffed and arrested on campus for refusing to comply with it.
Clair McFarlandMay 29, 2025
Child Porn Charges For Cheyenne Man Accused Of Sharing Videos Of Young Girls
A 27-year-old Cheyenne man who has an online handle of “the punk skater” faces child pornography charges. Court documents made available Tuesday say he allegedly had images and videos of young girls engaging in sexual acts with adults and an animal.
Dale KillingbeckMay 28, 2025
Cheyenne Man Repeatedly Put Gun To Teen’s Head Prior To Shooting, Court Records Say
A 21-year-old Cheyenne man repeatedly pulled a handgun from his waistband and put it to a 16-year-old boy’s head before shooting, according to court records. The man initially told investigators the discharge was a “fluke thing.”
Dale KillingbeckMay 28, 2025
Responders ‘Valiantly’ Tried To Save Man Who Died In Teton County Cabin Fire
The lone occupant of a cabin in Teton County was found dead early Wednesday morning after the cabin caught fire, authorities say. A sheriff’s deputy tried to rescue 28-year-old Rollie Wells Knori, but the fire and smoke wouldn’t let the deputy inside.
Clair McFarlandMay 28, 2025
Prosecutor: More Charges Coming For Former Wheatland Teacher Accused In Sex Case
A former Wheatland teacher accused of sex crimes against a girl under 16 is expected to be charged in another criminal case involving a second alleged victim, a prosecutor said Wednesday. A judge also chose to keep Evan Whitt Bradley's bond at $500,000.
Clair McFarlandMay 28, 2025