Pine Bluffs Crop Duster's Shooting Death Ruled Self-Defense

An investigation into the June shooting death of a Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, crop duster and former university-level rodeo athlete that left friends puzzled for monthsis now closed, with the shooting deemed justifiable self-defense, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday.

That announcement refers to a decision by the Laramie County District Attorney’s Office that Patrick Gross acted in self-defense when he shot Kevin Hefley, 52, during a fight near Country Road 157 the afternoon of June 24.

Deputies responded at 4:22 p.m. that afternoon to a “disturbance” involving a shooting, says the sheriff’s office’s statement.

Earlier that day, Christine Hefley moved horses from the property she and Kevin shared to Patrick Gross’s property, “upsetting Kevin,” the statement says.

The two men had a recent history of conflict.

The sheriff’s office reports that on the morning of the shooting, Kevin Kefley threatened Gross via text message, saying, “I shoulda kicked your ass right in your own home.”

Later while Gross was parked in his own driveway, Kevin Hefley drove rapidly towards him, reportedly.

“Just prior to being rammed by Hefley, Gross shot Hefley’s radiator in an attempt to stop the vehicle,” says the statement, adding that later crash reconstruction indicated that Kevin Hefley hit Gross’s truck at 60 mph, “constituting the threat of deadly force.”

He Attacked Until The End

Kevin Hefley got out of his vehicle, approached Gross who was in his own truck, and punched him multiple times.

During the altercation, Gross shot Kevin Hefley, the statement says.

Though shot, Kevin Hefley kept attacking Gross while clinging to the driver’s door of Gross’s truck as Gross tried to drive away, the sheriff’s office reports.

Kevin Hefley kept attacking until he died of his injuries, the statement adds.

The sheriff’s office says investigators examined the scene “meticulously,” built advanced crash reconstruction analysis and analyzed evidence from phones and social media.

Kevin Hefley’s blood alcohol content was 0.143%, nearly twice the legal limit to drive, says the statement.

The statement says the Laramie County District Attorney’s Office has concluded that Gross acted in self-defense.

Wyoming’s self-defense laws say a person has the right to use reasonable force, including deadly force, when facing an imminent threat of death or serious injury.

“Gross believed he was in immediate danger and acted accordingly,” the statement says.

Wyoming is a stand-your-ground state, meaning a person attacked has no duty to retreat before defending himself.

“Based on this, no criminal charges will be filed against Gross," the statement concludes.

Comment Calls

Christine Hefley did not immediately respond to a voicemail request for comment.

A man who answered as “Patrick” at Gross’s listed number declined to comment.

District Attorney Sylvia Hackl could not be reached immediately for comment.

The Months

The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office was tightlipped about the investigation for months, reporting simply that a “shooter has been located” the day of the shooting.

The agency in late August issued an update saying the investigation was “complex” and ongoing, and that it had received “multiple inquiries” about Kevin Hefley’s death.

Hefley was a local pilot and owner of Airtime Aerial out of Pine Bluffs, and his sudden death came as a shock to friends and family.

Mark Clark of Stonewall, Oklahoma, was Hefley’s friend during their time attending Kansas State University, where they both were on the rodeo team.

He told Cowboy State Daily shortly after the shooting that Hefley’s death was hard to contemplate.

“We were on the K-State rodeo team together and Kevin was a bareback rider,” Clark said. “We just kind of kept in contact with one another. He hails from Walsh, Colorado, where he is originally from.”

Clark, a commodities broker in Stonewall, Oklahoma, said Hefley was a successful rancher with his brother and father in Walsh.

He also said Hefley always had a passion for flying and after his divorce got into a crop-dusting career.

That business took Hefley to spraying jobs in Wyoming, as well as Arizona, Texas, and other states.

“He got to where he really enjoyed it,” Clark said.

He said Hefley remarried in 2015 and moved to Wyoming, but he did not know much about his second wife, Christy, a professional barrel racer.

Clark said Hefley would reach out to him from time to time because he had bought a few cattle just to check on the markets. He characterized him as a “level-headed guy.”

Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.