Crime and Courts Reporter

Clair McFarland

Clair McFarland is a general assignment reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Riverton, Wyoming. She specializes in crime and court reporting and social issues coverage. Clair also writes a twice-monthly column on motherhood and country living.

Previously, Clair wrote for The Ranger, the Lander Journal and the Wind River News. She is an award-winning journalist, columnist and poet, who joined Cowboy State Daily on Valentine's Day, 2022.

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Latest from Clair McFarland

Evanston Woman Accused Of Driving Off With Arresting Cops In Her Truck

An Evanston, Wyoming, woman will be in court Thursday after being accused of driving off with two cops in her truck. She was mad that a local grocery store wouldn’t sell her prescription drugs, and even called 911 to report the cops were harassing her.

Clair McFarlandMarch 06, 2025

Denver Mayor Mike Johnson, inset, testified for a congressional committee Wednesday, March 5, 2025, about his city's sanctuary policies. Meanwhile in Wyoming, a bill banning sanctuary cities hit Gov. Mark Gordon's desk.

Wyoming Ban On Sanctuary Cities Hits Gordon's Desk

A law banning sanctuary city immigration policies in Wyoming awaits a signature or veto from Gov. Mark Gordon after the Legislature approved it Wednesday. Meanwhile, four U.S. mayors were grilled by Congress over their immigration-friendly policies.

Clair McFarlandMarch 05, 2025

One of two bills targeting transgender use of bathrooms in Wyoming would include most public spaces in the state, including the Wyoming Capitol.

Wyoming Governor Signs Trans Bathroom, Changing Room Ban Into Law

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed a bill that allows people to sue the state if they encounter a biologically born male in a female-designated restroom or changing room in a public facility, and vice versa.

Clair McFarlandMarch 05, 2025

The Dick Cheney Federal Building has been put on a list of “non-core” properties for the General Services Administration to dispose of according to a website post.

Dick Cheney Federal Building In Casper Shows Up On Federal Hit List To Be Sold

Dick Cheney has been on President Donald Trump’s political hit list for some time. Now a federal building named for the former vice president was on a Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) hit list to be sold amid a federal downsizing frenzy.

Clair McFarland & Dale KillingbeckMarch 05, 2025

Wyoming Governor Signs Government DEI Ban Into Law

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed into a law a bill banning DEI programs at government agencies, while also vetoing another similar bill. The bill he vetoed, he said, was ill-defined and overly broad.

Clair McFarlandMarch 05, 2025

Former Roommate Of Wyoming Man Accused Of Murdering Woman Says He's Not Insane

The former roommate of Joseph Underwood, who’s accused of killing a woman and dumping her body in a Park County, Wyoming, ravine, says he isn't insane. He says Underwood is probably trying to cheat justice with his insanity plea.

Clair McFarlandMarch 05, 2025

To address pressing concerns in her county, Sen. Stacy Jones, R-Rock Springs, sponsored Senate File 132, which will now give local law enforcement agents the ability to recommend criminal charges against drone operators who fly over critical infrastructures, with some exceptions. Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed the bill late Monday, but Tuesday afternoon, the Legislature overturned his veto.

Wyoming Legislature Overrides Governor’s Mystery Drone Veto

The Wyoming Legislature on Tuesday afternoon overrode the governor’s veto of a bill that gives local officials authority to deal with mystery drones over critical infrastructure. That includes allowing law enforcement to bring them down.

Clair McFarlandMarch 04, 2025

Women's sports rights activist Riley Gaines is blasting U.S. Senate Democrats who voted down a federal bill that would ban males from female-designated sports. She's seen here in May 2024 rally for a handful of University of Wyoming women suing their sorority for admitting a transgender member.

Barrasso Says Senate Democrats Who Killed Federal Trans Sports Law 'Out Of Touch'

Sen. John Barrasso says Senate Democrats are "out of touch" in blocking a federal bill Monday to ban males from female school sports. The move came days after two bills that would have expanded Wyoming’s state-level trans sports ban died, while one remains viable.

Clair McFarlandMarch 04, 2025

Dones have been reported flying over the Jim Bridger Power Plant, usually at about 2 or 3 a.m.

Gordon Vetoes Bill To Fight Mystery Drones, Wyoming Sheriff Still Worried

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed a bill late Monday meant to give state law enforcement more options to deal with mystery drones over critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, one Wyoming sheriff says the mysterious aircraft are still being reported.

Clair McFarlandMarch 04, 2025

The only survivor of a Casper-area drunk-driving crash that killed three people in 2022, Tahayla Kohtala says she still replays the scene in her head every day.

Lone Survivor Of Triple-Fatal Drunk Driver Crash 'Wouldn't Wish It On Anyone'

The drunk Casper man who killed three people in a crash in May 2022 has been sentenced to 18-20 years, according to a court order filed Friday. Meanwhile, the only survivor of that crash says she still replays the horrific scene in her head every day.

Clair McFarlandMarch 03, 2025

Clair McFarland: Sure, False Spring, I’ll Fall For You

Columnist Clair McFarland writes, "I’m not blind to the fact that it’s going to snow tomorrow. This warm spell was a trickster and a flirt, designed to put me off my guard. And it succeeded."

Clair McFarlandMarch 03, 2025

Man Applying To Be Jail Officer Allegedly Admits Molesting Kids During Polygraph

A Gillette, Wyoming, man who tried to get a job as a detention officer is now incarcerated in the jail where he’d hoped to work. That’s because during a pre-employment polygraph, he confessed to molesting children, court documents allege.

Clair McFarlandMarch 03, 2025

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FBI Seeks Ethete Man Accused Of Working With 'Probable' Drug Cartel Member

The FBI is seeking information regarding the whereabouts of Collie Judson Warren, 49, who is wanted on suspicion of dealing meth. Court documents say Warren worked with a man with "probable" Mexican drug cartel ties near the Wind River Reservation.

Clair McFarlandMarch 02, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Wyoming Delegation Backs Trump After Tense Meeting With Zelenskyy

Wyoming’s congressional delegation voiced strong support for President Trump after his explosive Friday meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. “It’s nice to have a president who puts America first,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis said.

Clair McFarlandMarch 01, 2025

Wyoming Close To Outlawing Buying And Selling Of 'Sexual Contact'

After surviving a close vote Thursday and getting approval from the Senate on Friday, a bill that would criminalize the sale and purchase of “sexual contact” in Wyoming is closer to becoming law.

Clair McFarlandMarch 01, 2025

Interstate 80 is one of the busiest — and most dangerous — east-west routes across Wyoming and the nation.

Trucking Fatalities Have Increased Since Feds Stopped Suspending Truckers Who Can’t Read English

Fatalities involving large commercial trucks have been on the rise since 2016. That was the year the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a memorandum telling safety inspectors not to suspend commercial drivers for failing to communicate well in English.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 28, 2025

Ross Schriftman, from left, and state Reps. Tamara Trujillo, R-Cheyenne, Ben Hornok, Sarah Penn, R-Fort Washakie, Jeanette Ward, R-Casper, and Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, protest outside the Wellspring clinic in 2023.

Hours After Governor Signs New Abortion Law, Pro-Choice Group Files Lawsuit

Hours after Gov. Mark Gordon signed a new law regulating abortion clinics, with another heading to his desk, a pro-choice group has sued to block them. The lawsuit, filed at 1 a.m. Friday, claims the laws target Wyoming’s only abortion clinic.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 28, 2025

Man With ‘Probable’ Drug Cartel Ties Could Get Life For Dealing Meth In Wyoming

An illegal immigrant with “probable” Mexican drug cartel ties was in federal court Thursday. Through an interpreter, he was told he could get 10 years to life in prison if convicted of dealing meth on the Wind River Reservation.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 28, 2025

PETA says a settlement with the airport in Rock Springs, Wyoming, allows the animal advocacy group to post an anti-leather ad and collect $35,000 in legal fees. The group had sued after the ad had been rejected.

PETA To Get $35K Settlement After Denied Anti-Leather Ad In Rock Springs Airport

PETA says a settlement with the airport in Rock Springs allows the animal advocacy group to post an anti-leather ad and collect $35,000 in legal fees. The group sued after the ad had been rejected.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 28, 2025

Senate Majority Floor Leader Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, said she'd vote in favor of HB 72 because of the “fervor” surrounding it, but she criticized it as a poorly-written enticement to a litigious society.

Wyoming Trans Bathroom Bans Headed To Governor's Desk

Wyoming legislators passed a bill Thursday that allows people to sue local governments if they allow biologically-born males to use women’s restrooms in public facilities, and vice versa.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 27, 2025

Lyman Man Accused Of Shooting Man 10 Times Pleads Insanity

The Wyoming State Hospital has about a month to offer an opinion on whether a Lyman man was too insane to know what he was doing when he allegedly killed another man last summer. The victim was shot 10 times near Fort Bridger.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 27, 2025

Sage Valley Junior High School in Gillette, Wyoming, in this file photo.

Judge Tells Wyoming Legislators To Buy More Computers And Fund Schools Better

A Laramie County District Court judge ordered Wyoming lawmakers Wednesday to fund schools better to satisfy the state Constitution. The ruling calls for more computers, school resource officers and mental health counselors, among other underfunded needs.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 27, 2025

Agents raided a house in the Phillipines and made a handful of arrests while rescuing eight or nine children who were being trafficked for live sex streaming over the internet. The case began with the arrest of Kelly Jasperson of Afton, Wyoming, on child pornography allegations.

Wyoming Child Porn Case Ends With Raid Of Philippines Sex House

What started as a child pornography bust in Lincoln County, Wyoming, ended this month with the rescue of nine children from sex trafficking in the Philippines, authorities say. Local agents got to watch the bust via Zoom as the raid unfolded.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 26, 2025

FBI agents Tuesday arrested an illegal immigrant they say has ties to a transnational drug cartel and is suspected of dealing large quantities of meth around Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation. Two more people, including one illegal immigrant from Mexico, were also arrested. The FBI released this photo with the faces of agents and a suspect blurred out.

FBI, ICE Nab Suspected Mexican Cartel Member Working On Wyoming Reservation

FBI agents arrested Tuesday an illegal immigrant they say has ties to a drug cartel and is suspected of dealing meth around Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation. Two others, including an illegal immigrant from Mexico, were also arrested.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 26, 2025

Stephen Craig Campbell was arrested in New Mexico on Feb. 19, 2025, after being on the lam since 1982, suspected in a Green River bombing.

Man Accused In 1982 Green River Bombing Caught In New Mexico After Standoff

A man accused of sending a bomb to his ex-wife’s new boyfriend’s house in Green River, Wyoming, in 1982, has been caught in New Mexico after more than 40 years, allegedly living under a dead classmate's identity. The blast blew off one of the woman’s fingers and caused other injuries.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 26, 2025

Lummis, Barrasso Not Happy With iPhone Voice To Text That Replaces ‘Racist’ With ‘Trump’

When some iPhone users tried to voice-dictate the word “racist” on Tuesday, the word “Trump” appeared momentarily. U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis said the apparent software issue “sets a dangerous precedent" and Sen. John Barrasso called it "appalling."

Clair McFarlandFebruary 26, 2025

The front patio at Alina Gaona’s apartment complex, where she says her estranged husband Oscar waited for her while baiting her to go home Oct. 9.

Man Accused Of Firing Shotgun At Fleeing Wife Agrees To 3-5 Years In Prison

A Sheridan man pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated assault, following claims he fired a shotgun toward his wife as she ran and took cover in a ditch. Prosecutors are seeking a three-to-five year prison sentence.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 25, 2025

Casper Man Charged With Illegal Gambling Says Wyoming's Ban Is Unconstitutional

A man accused of running a professional gambling operation out of three businesses is challenging the law with which he is charged. Scott Schroefel of Casper claims the state’s statute against illegal gambling is vague, confusing and unconstitutional.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 25, 2025

Powell Resident Shoots At Hawk With Fireworks

Though they were called to an active shooter incident, the Powell police quickly learned it was actually a person trying to blast a hawk with a roman candle. Meanwhile, the responding officer accidentally discharged a gun.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 25, 2025

Donald W. Wright, 59, of Worland, Wyoming, has been charged with cruelty to animals, accused of shooting his own dog, Axel, six times. He reportedly said he hoped the dog would "bleed out."

Worland Man Charged With Shooting Own Dog Six Times, Hoping He'd 'Bleed Out'

Axel, a border-collie mix, is recovering after being shot six times by his owner. Donald W. Wright, 59, of Worland, Wyoming, was in court Monday, charged with cruelty to animals and saying he hoped the dog would "bleed out."

Clair McFarlandFebruary 24, 2025

Thermopolis Woman Accused Of Taking At Least $15,000 From FFA Alumni Pleads Guilty

A Thermopolis woman accused of stealing at least $15,000 from a Future Farmers of America (FFA) alumni group pleaded guilty last week to felony charges. The special prosecutor on the case is now asking for no more than 30 months in prison.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 24, 2025

Douglas Man Gets 48-62 Years For Killing Green Beret Cousin

Mark Helms has been sentenced to 48-62 years in prison for killing his cousin Nicholas Velazquez, a special forces Green Beret. The pair had been drinking overnight at Helms' home in 2023.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 24, 2025

Green River Tunnel Survivor Still In Hospital, Family Grateful For Support

The 20-year-old woman who was severely hurt in the Feb. 14 tunnel collision outside of Green River, Wyoming, remains hospitalized. She’s in the care of "incredible medical teams," her family says.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 22, 2025

Cody McCalla pleaded no-contest Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, to fatally punching a local hockey coach in the head and killing him after a dispute about a parking space last summer. He agreed to a sentence of four to six years in prison.

Sheridan Man Agrees To 4-6 Years For Punching Hockey Coach To Death

A Sheridan man pleaded no-contest Wednesday to fatally punching a local hockey coach in the head after a dispute about a parking space last summer. He's agreed to a prison sentence of four to six years.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 21, 2025

UW Volleyball Players Want Judge Off Case For Making Them Call Trans Player ‘She’

Three University of Wyoming volleyball players are among those who sued over a transgender player being allowed on a rival team. They’re now asking a Colorado judge to recuse himself from their case for making them refer to the trans player as “she.”

Clair McFarlandFebruary 21, 2025

The pornography industry did not show up challenge a Wyoming bill that would require porn websites to verify ages with IDs before allowing access. After unanimously passing out of committee Feb. 20, 2025, the bill will be debated by the full Senate.

Wyoming Closer To Requiring ID To Verify Age To Access Porn Sites

The pornography industry did not show up to challenge a Wyoming bill that would require porn websites to verify ages with IDs before allowing access. After unanimously passing out of committee Thursday, the bill will be debated by the full Senate.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 21, 2025

Two Dead In Latest Green River Crash ID'd; Semi Truck Went Straight On Curve

A fatal crash outside Green River that killed two people Wednesday happened when a semitruck failed to navigate a curve and collided with a Honda Odyssey, the Wyoming Highway Patrol reports.