In Wake Of Teen’s Stabbing Death, Casper Works To End ‘Culture Of Violence’

CASPER — More than two weeks removed from the sudden and shocking stabbing death of a local 14-year-old middle school student, the tragedy of the loss continues to tear at the emotions of this central Wyoming city even as it works to heal.

Support for the family of Bobby Maher continues to flood in for the teen who died the afternoon of April 7 at Eastridge Mall. He was stabbed multiple times, allegedly by a pair of 15-year-olds, while defending his girlfriend from being harassed.

The murder also has brought to light an underlying culture of youth violence that local leaders say can’t be kept as an unspoken dark secret any longer.

Casper turned out 4,000-strong last Thursday to honor the memory of Maher. The following day, representatives from the city, schools, and county commission gathered at a press conference to denounce the murder and call for change.

Maher’s death was on minds and hearts at the Natrona County Commission meeting Tuesday. Vice Chairman Jim Milne said it was a privilege representing the county at the Friday press conference where he called the murder as a “godless act” and for a new direction in the community.

“It is upsetting that something like that would happen in this community. But we all need to take and address this,” he said. “We all have tasks that we can do to try and help bring about in our community so this does not happen again.”

Milne referenced the “culture of violence” and social media fight videos that have surfaced since the stabbing, saying his pastor spoke about the issue Sunday from the pulpit.

“We all need to address it,” he said. “And I ask that each of you do something as well.”

Moment Of Silence

Commission Chairman Peter Nicolaysen called for a moment of silence as the meeting began for Maher and later added his own thoughts.

“It has hit the community hard, and I don’t want us to forget that moment and that vigil that I attended,” he said. “It was remarkable and well put together. You could just see on the faces of the youth how so many of them probably had not stopped crying for four days.

“But there was also a lot of support. Those kids had each other’s backs, and I was super impressed with that and that’s what we need to grow.”

Nicolaysen agreed with Milne that “we can each do something” whether in private, public, at home and elsewhere to help the community move in the right direction.

“We owe it to the kids in our community to do better,” he said.

The funeral location for Maher, set for 9 a.m. Saturday, has been changed from Wolcott Galleria to Highland Park Community Church at 5725 Highland Drive. Information at the Bustard & Jacoby Funeral Home website states the funeral also will be broadcast live via the church’s YouTube livestream.

Meanwhile, nearly 30 small businesses have come together to raffle off packages of products to further support the Maher family as they move forward.

Idea Takes Wing

Casper photographer Terina Mirae Fredricksen said she didn’t know the family, but has children of her own and wants to do something. She put the idea for the raffle out on her Facebook business page and it took off.

“The family has a long road of healing ahead and I just wanted them to be able to see that the community has their back, that we care, and that we are here for them,” she said. “I’m hoping that this helps them to heal peacefully … and do all the things they need to do without skipping out on things because of money.”

A list of the raffle packages, all worth at least $700, is at the Multi-Business Raffle For Bobby’s Family page on Facebook. Various businesses also have the actual packages with various products in their stores as well, Fredricksen said.

Tickets for the raffle are $20 or six for $100. All money will go directly to the family, she said. The raffle is set up so that those who want to buy tickets through Facebook actually pay the Maher family directly and then send a screenshot to be entered in the drawing.

Tickets also can be bought at Buckin’ Brew locations in Casper or at Mountain View Discount Liquor.

“It’s amazing the way community has pulled together. It’s so sad that it’s under these circumstances but it’s absolutely beautiful that they did it nonetheless,” she said.

A GoFundMe campaign for the family has raised nearly $54,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

The two 15-year-olds charged in Maher’s death await a preliminary hearing in Casper Circuit Court. The hearing is tentatively set for Thursday.

Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.