Good morning! Welcome to Cowboy State Daily News. I’m Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from around Wyoming for Thursday, April 11th.
In response to a public records request, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on Wednesday evening released two short video clips of a wolf that had been captured and tormented by a Wyoming man before being killed. Please be aware, some viewers may find this video disturbing.
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Cowboy State Daily’s Mark Heinz reports that the video confirms some of the details of earlier reports of a wolf being captured, having its mouth taped shut and displayed in a bar before being killed.
“The report says that the wolf was first taken to Cody Roberts house and then to a local business. We've been told that was a bar but Game and Fish did not confirm that detail. I think it's pretty straightforward, pretty self explanatory. It's extremely difficult to watch. Just it's just just a pathetic, exhausted looking animal on the floor. Somewhere. You can hear people talking in the background, but this is I mean, I think this this is just kind of the epicenter what of what everybody really not only around Wyoming, but around the nation and even around the world have been talking about.”
The Sublette County Sheriff has received more than 7,000 emails about the incident, and according to crime and courts reporter Clair McFarland, some of those have been threats.
“DCI director Rodney Jones told me on Wednesday that the agency which is a statewide policing agency is aware of threats made toward Wyoming Game and Fish personnel in the wake of a viral news story about a man reportedly torturing and shooting a wolf that he captured. The Sublette County Sheriff's Office also said that Sheriff's and county personnel have been receiving threats and the sheriff's office has been dispatching extra patrol and just hackles up during this whole situation. Sheriff Lear also said that Roberts' family has been receiving threats, and the Green River bar as well.”
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office says they are working with the County Attorney and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to investigate the allegations against Daniel resident Cody Roberts, which may result in additional charges.
Helping students struggling with the sudden and violent death of a 14-year-old classmate has been a main focus at Dean Morgan Middle School in Casper this week.
A Sunday confrontation at Eastridge Mall ended with the stabbing death of Bobby Maher Jr., and two other teens facing adult first-degree murder and attempted-murder charges.
Cowboy State Daily’s Dale Killingbeck reports that for school administrators, a priority has been to make sure counseling services are available for any of the 600 students at the school.
“I talked to the principal of the middle school where the victim of Sunday's stabbing attended. And he said that since Monday, they've had ongoing additional counselors available. counseling students, he said at first, it was pretty heavy. The amount of counseling going on, it's kind of up now. But they're going to be still available as there continues to be a need.”
While the school is not a sponsor of the planned vigil for Maher on Thursday evening, the principal said the school will be ready Friday with help for students if needed.
And a Wisconsin woman walked into a Cheyenne bank, faked someone else’s identity and tried to cash a nearly $1 million check from the federal government.
Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that 55 year old Pamela Kubesh has been charged with forgery against the United States.
“The Federal investigator who was alerted to this situation went and found via IRS and other records that the federal US Treasury Department had cut a nearly $1 million check to Los Angeles residents going by that name. In the meantime, Kubesh is in jail with the federal prosecutor asking permission to keep her in jail because the prosecutor fears that Kubesh can be a flight risk.”
Kubesh could face up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines if convicted.
And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming’s only statewide newspaper by hitting the subscribe button on CowboyStateDaily.com
I’m Wendy Corr, for Cowboy State Daily.