Crime & Courts
News

54-Year-Old Wyoming Man Confesses To Molesting Boy 40 Years Ago
A 54-year-old Wyoming man has confessed to molesting a boy 40 years ago, according to court documents. A proposed plea agreement would drop the man’s conviction if he completes treatment and three years of probation.
Clair McFarlandDecember 17, 2024

Former Cheyenne Family Gets $375K In Lawsuit Against Sheriff's Deputy
The state of Wyoming and the Wyoming Association of Risk Management are paying $375,000 to settle a lawsuit against a Laramie County Sheriff’s deputy and school resource officer accused of injuring an 8-year-old in 2022.Â
Clair McFarlandDecember 17, 2024

Shooting A Drone In Wyoming Could Lead To 10 Years In Prison, Loss Of Gun Rights
The legal consequences for shooting down a drone in Wyoming range from a misdemeanor to a felony charge that could result in up to 10 years in prison and the loss of gun rights. Â Â
Clair McFarlandDecember 17, 2024

12 Years In Prison For Fugitive Montana Meth Trafficker With Massive Arsenal
A Montana man who became a fugitive after he was caught with a massive cache of weapons and meth has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. He also was breaking into storage units while running his drug dealing business from an upscale neighborhood.
David MadisonDecember 16, 2024

Cheyenne Man Accused Of Stabbing Estranged Wife's Boyfriend To Death
A Cheyenne man was in court Monday on claims he stabbed his estranged wife’s boyfriend to death in the home they shared. “I did the stabbing,” he reportedly told police after the act Thursday. Â
Clair McFarlandDecember 16, 2024

Man Burned Escaping Gillette Apartment Fire By Fleeing "Very Close" To Blaze
A fire that engulfed an apartment unit in Gillette, Wyoming, Sunday morning left one man burned and injured from smoke-inhalation. He escaped by rushing “very close” to the flames before firefighters arrived, the local fire marshal says.
Clair McFarlandDecember 16, 2024

Part 3: Who is D.B. Cooper? After 53 Years, Push To Solve Notorious Crime In Overdrive
Cowboy State Daily's story about a parachute found by a high profile investigator has kicked the stalled investigation of one of America’s most notorious mysteries into overdrive. The new evidence has rekindled ex-FBI agents and others to finally solve the D.B. Cooper case.
Jen KocherDecember 15, 2024

Upton Man Arrested And Charged With Planting Homemade Bomb At Oil Field Company
A 39-year-old Upton, Wyoming, man had his first court appearance Friday, accused of planting a homemade propane bomb in the tool shed of an oil field company. The bomb didn’t go off, but was “the real deal,” the local sheriff has said.
Greg JohnsonDecember 14, 2024

In Wake Of CEO Slaying, Wyomingites Not Spooked Over 3D Printed “Ghost Guns”
3D printed “ghost guns” are back in the news, as one might have been used in the ambush killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. Wyomingites say plastic 3D printed guns aren’t worth the trouble.
Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2024

Sheridan Assistant Principal Convicted For Having Sex With 18-Year Old Student
A now-former Sheridan High School assistant principal was found guilty by a jury Tuesday of having sex with an 18-year-old student. That's illegal in Wyoming when there's an age gap of more than four years.
Clair McFarlandDecember 13, 2024

Riverton Firefighter Charged With Sexually Attacking Women Faces More Accusers
A retired Riverton, Wyoming, firefighter accused of sexually attacking multiple women when he offered them rides asked Monday for more time to prepare for trial. He needs the time to contest claims from more women who have come forward to accuse him.
Clair McFarlandDecember 13, 2024

Worland Police Officer Charged With Child Sex Crimes
A former Washakie County Sheriff's deputy and recent hire of the Worland Police Department has been accused of sex crimes with multiple children. He was charged Monday with two felonies.
Clair McFarlandDecember 12, 2024

Police Arrest Man Suspected Of Trying To Burn Down Lander Bar
The Lander Police Department on Wednesday evening apprehended a 33-year-old Lander man suspected of trying to burn down the popular Lander Bar two days earlier.Â
Clair McFarlandDecember 12, 2024

Western Colorado Ranchers Missing Nearly 200 Head Of Cattle
The Montrose County Sheriff’s Office on Colorado's Western Slope is investigating nearly 200 cattle missing from federal grazing land reported by ranchers. The cattle is worth an estimated $300,000 to $400,000.
Dale KillingbeckDecember 12, 2024

Feds Deporting Three Illegal Immigrants Who Committed Crimes In Wyoming
Federal authorities are deporting three illegal immigrants out of Wyoming after one was caught with 170 pounds of marijuana and the other two were driving drunk.
Clair McFarlandDecember 12, 2024

Casper Man Who Blurted Out “I Killed Somebody” In Court Found Guilty
A jury took two hours to convict a 44-year-old Casper man who blurted out “I killed somebody” in a prior court hearing of second-degree murder Wednesday. James Mavigliano was found guilty of beating and strangling a man at a local motel.
Dale KillingbeckDecember 11, 2024

Montana Supreme Court Keeps Child Sex Changes Legal During Lawsuit
The Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s decision blocking a state ban on child sex-change treatments. Sex change treatments on children will remain legal while a lawsuit plays out.
Clair McFarlandDecember 11, 2024

Wyoming Bitcoin Company Gets $4.1 Million In Chinese Crypto Mine Settlement
Wyoming-based Bison Blockchain will receive $4.1 million in a settlement over a Chinese-owned cryptocurrency mine in Cheyenne. The Chinese company was shut down by President Joe Biden earlier this year over national security risks.
Leo WolfsonDecember 11, 2024

Illinois Trucker Rams Gillette Man's Pickup Off The Road, Police Say
A semitruck driver from Illinois is accused of side-swiping a Gillette man's pickup so hard he crippled it and drove it off the road west of Gillette, Wyoming. His case rose to felony-level court Monday. Â Â
Clair McFarlandDecember 11, 2024
Casper Man Denies Firing Crossbow Bolts Through Ex’s Window
A Casper man accused of firing crossbow bolts at his ex-girlfriend’s home, including through a window, pleaded not guilty Wednesday. He also reportedly texted a threat, saying he was going to do something that “will definitely be in the news.”
Dale KillingbeckDecember 11, 2024

Casper Murder Suspect Told Police He Wanted Victim To “Chill,” Not Die
Testimony continued Tuesday in the murder trial of a 44-year-old Casper man accused of killing a man at a local motel. In a video interview with police, James Mavigliano said he just wanted the victim to “chill.”
Dale KillingbeckDecember 11, 2024

California Transient Who Called Machete Attack Self-Defense Gets Probation
A California man who was passing through Green River, Wyoming, when he had a fight with four transients and cut two of them with a machete was sentenced Friday to probation. He maintained during the case that he was acting in self-defense.Â
Clair McFarland & Hunter McDaniel for Cowboy State DailyDecember 11, 2024

Bureau Of Indian Affairs Agent In Crash On Reservation, Agency Not Talking
The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs did not respond to questions Tuesday about one of its own agents involved in a car crash on the Wind River Indian Reservation early Sunday. The BIA is investigating the incident "internally," authorities say.Â
Clair McFarlandDecember 11, 2024

Police Seek Whoever Tried To Burn Down Lander Bar
Police are seeking help to identify who tried to burn down the popular Lander Bar in Lander, Wyoming, early Monday morning. The attempt failed, but the bar’s owner says the potential for a “catastrophic” result “was literally the flip of a coin.”  Â
Clair McFarlandDecember 10, 2024
