Good morning, and welcome to Cowboy State Daily Radio News for Tuesday, April 9, 2024!
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is fielding outraged comments over an incident in which a Sublette County man allegedly captured and tormented a wolf before killing it; and three underage boys are suspects in the stabbing death of another young male at Eastridge Mall in Casper Sunday.
We’ll take a look at these stories and more today from Wyoming’s largest news organization. I’m Wendy Corr, for Cowboy State Daily.
There’s been a firestorm of public outrage over a Sublette County man allegedly capturing and tormenting a wolf before killing it.
The incident involving a wolf in Daniel, Wyoming was already generating angry blowback, but the scope of livid reactions from all over the country — and world — went to entirely new levels Saturday when Cowboy State Daily obtained and published a photo showing local resident Cody Roberts on Feb. 29 posing with the wolf, which had its muzzle taped shut.
Much of that public outrage has been directed at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, with a perception that the agency was too lenient with Roberts.
But Cowboy State Daily’s Mark Heinz spoke to Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik on Monday, who said the agency is in a precarious position - and the statutes related to releasing information about wolf hunting are complex.
“When the wolves were delisted, the legislature passed a statute saying that information about people who take wolves legally during wolf hunting seasons, their identities have to be kept confidential. And the reason for that is as they were worried about blowback, people getting vetted docs, possibly even getting stalked by animal rights extremists or whoever, in other parts of the world that really isn't fond of us shooting wolves here in Wyoming… The illegal part was when an individual decided to keep a wolf alive for an extended period of time, take it to other locations before killing it. That is why the individual was charged with illegal possession of a live wolf, the penalty for which was decided by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission.”
Nesvik is publicly condemning the alleged torment of the Sublette County wolf, as is Wyoming’s Governor.
“Governor Mark Gordon also released a statement this morning saying it also he finds that the cruelty to animals completely disgusting, and says that it tarnishes Wyoming's reputation - and I also spoke to some animal welfare wildlife advocate people and they're saying the same thing, that really this has put Wyoming unfortunately, it's put Wyoming in the national and even international spotlight, but in a really unfortunate manner.”
Other angry comments, along with threats of physical harm and violence, have been directed at Cody Roberts, the man who allegedly tormented and ultimately killed the wolf at the center of the controversy.
But Heinz reports that innocent bystanders are being put in the crosshairs of the angry public – namely, the other Cody Roberts that live in Wyoming.
“I spoke personally with two other Cody Roberts, one from Kimmerer and one from Thane and they told me that they've found out that there's at least five there's a grand total of at least seven Cody Roberts in Wyoming. And apparently they are all getting mean harassing, sometimes threatening, sometimes just purely demented - like, ‘I'm going to cut you to pieces’ type of threats.”
A pair of underage boys have been arrested in connection with the stabbing death of another young male outside Eastridge Mall on Sunday afternoon.
Cowboy State Daily’s Dale Killingbeck reports that there are three suspects in the incident at the mall, including the two who have been arrested and another, who for various reasons, has not been taken into custody. But he says police are keeping tight-lipped about the investigation.
“All we know right now is that there were those three involved. There was a lot of people that witnessed the scene… one woman with her little toddler was up there doing some exercise and playing and she said that she thinks the mall changes a lot when school gets out. Another couple said that they have seen a difference at the mall since the first of January with lots of young men that show up during school time.”
Additionally, the police department has increased its presence around Natrona County schools in response to a threatening social media post that has been debunked, but yet has caused some students to fear going to school.
And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming’s only statewide newspaper by hitting the subscribe button on CowboyStateDaily dot com
I’m Wendy Corr, for Cowboy State Daily.
Radio Stations
The following radio stations are airing Cowboy State Daily Radio on weekday mornings, afternoons and evenings. More radio stations will be added soon.
KYDT 103.1 FM – Sundance
KBFS 1450 AM — Sundance
KYCN 1340 AM / 92.7 FM — Wheatland
KZEW 101.7 FM — Wheatland
KANT 104.1 FM — Guernsey
KZQL 105.5 FM — Casper
KMXW 92.5 FM — Casper
KBDY 102.1 FM — Saratoga
KTGA 99.3 FM — Saratoga
KJAX 93.5 FM — Jackson
KZWY 106.3 FM — Sheridan
KROE 930 AM / 103.9 FM — Sheridan
KWYO 1410 AM / 106.9 FM — Sheridan
KYOY 92.3 FM Hillsdale-Cheyenne / 106.9 FM Cheyenne
KRAE 1480 AM — Cheyenne
KDLY 97.5 FM — Lander
KOVE 1330 AM — Lander
KZMQ 100.3/102.3 FM — Cody, Powell, Medicine Wheel, Greybull, Basin, Meeteetse
KKLX 96.1 FM — Worland, Thermopolis, Ten Sleep, Greybull
KCGL 104.1 FM — Cody, Powell, Basin, Lovell, Clark, Red Lodge, MT
KTAG 97.9 FM — Cody, Powell, Basin
KCWB 92.1 FM — Cody, Powell, Basin
KVGL 105.7 FM — Worland, Thermopolis, Basin, Ten Sleep
KODI 1400 AM / 96.7 FM — Cody, Powell, Lovell, Basin, Clark, Red Lodge
KWOR 1340 AM / 104.7 FM — Worland, Thermopolis, Ten Sleep
KREO 93.5 FM — Sweetwater and Sublette Counties
KGOS 1490 AM — Goshen County
KERM 98.3 FM — Goshen County
Check with individual radio stations for airtime of the newscasts.
