Crime & Courts
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Man Who Scammed Ranchers Desperate For Hay During Drought To Pay Back $100K
A Kansas man who scammed ranchers in Wyoming and Montana desperate for hay during a drought was sentenced to probation Wednesday. He also must pay back more than $100,000 to his victims.
David MadisonNovember 21, 2024
Mexican Cartel Tied To Real-Life “Breaking Bad” Meth Bust On Crow Reservation
A former Montana college dean was identified last week as the alleged queenpin of a meth ring on the Crow Reservation with ties to a Mexican cartel. The case details read like a real-life episode of “Breaking Bad.”
David MadisonNovember 21, 2024
Judge Won't Dismiss Case After Duck Hunter Claims Friend's Death Was Accident
The question of whether a Wyoming college student recklessly shot and killed his friend during a winter duck hunt is too big for just one judge to decide and should go to a jury instead, a judge ruled Monday.
Clair McFarlandNovember 20, 2024
Mountain West Says Lawsuit Made Up “Emergency” To Oust Transgender Player
The Mountain West Conference on Tuesday asked a federal court to leave its upcoming volleyball tournament alone. It also accuses the women who sued the MWC of making up their own “emergency” to remove a transgender player from the tournament.
Clair McFarlandNovember 20, 2024
Judge Backs Gordon, Denies Casper Doctor's Pitch To Get Back On Medicine Board
A judge ruled Thursday that Gov. Mark Gordon acted appropriately when calling for Dr. Eric Cubin to step down from the Wyoming Board of Medicine due to his "bias." Cubin had criticized a doctor and medical group for lobbying against child sex-change bans.
Clair McFarlandNovember 20, 2024
Punch That Killed Sheridan Hockey Coach Not Self-Defense, Prosecutor says
Cody McCalla says he acted in self-defense when he fatally punched Sheridan hockey coach Patrick Mudd in July. But the Sheridan County attorney argued Monday that McCalla's self-defense filing is missing some key details.
Clair McFarlandNovember 19, 2024
Cody Man Accused Of Stabbing Mother Claims She Had “Little People” Annoy Him
A Cody, Wyoming, man was arrested Monday on claims he stabbed his mother in a bloody struggle. He told police she brought “little people” to her house to annoy him and added, “I don’t know why I am so happy," court documents say.
Clair McFarlandNovember 19, 2024
Wyoming Will Appeal “Frustrating” Ruling To Block Abortion Bans, Gordon Says
Gov. Mark Gordon calls a Monday ruling to strike down Wyoming’s abortion bans “frustrating” and announced Tuesday the state will appeal. “It just sickens me,” says one leading supporter of the bans, while opponents hail the ruling as a victory.
Clair McFarlandNovember 19, 2024
Thermopolis Woman Pleads Not Guilty To Stealing From FFA Alumni
A Thermopolis, Wyoming, woman pleaded not guilty Monday to charges she stole $15,000 to $18,000 from the local Future Farmers of America Alumni. But in interviews with the police chief, she admitted skimming the group’s bank accounts, according to an affidavit.
Clair McFarlandNovember 19, 2024
Saratoga Man's Tailgate Falls Off During Chase, Charged With Littering And Meth
A Saratoga, Wyoming, man got a 7-foot-long list of citations last week after leading deputies on a chase and crashing in a ditch. Among those are allegations of having meth and littering for when his tailgate fell off.
Clair McFarlandNovember 18, 2024
Jury Finds Fremont County Man Guilty Of Killing His Disabled Landlord
A jury found Burdick Nelson Seminole guilty Friday of first-degree murder for gunning down his disabled landlord in August 2023. Court documents say Seminole was evicted for bringing young females to the home and getting them high.
Clair McFarlandNovember 18, 2024
Proposed Law Would Allow Permanent, Lifetime Protection Orders In Wyoming
Legislators will consider a new law allowing Wyoming judges to issue permanent, lifetime protection orders. Victims of sex assault, stalking and domestic violence say it could save them from repeatedly being re-victimized.
Jen KocherNovember 17, 2024
The 30-Year-Old Cold Case Of “Coal Train Carlos,” Found Frozen In A Railcar
It’s been nearly 30 years since the body of a mysterious unidentified man was found frozen in a railcar at a Wyoming coal mine. Dubbed "Coal Train Carlos,” authorities are no closer to identifying him, but a citizen sleuth has taken up the cold case.
Jen KocherNovember 17, 2024
Trying To Get Away With Murder By Staging It As A Bear Attack Is A Bad Idea
A number of recent human-on-human crimes — including murder — have attempted to be covered up by blaming them on bear attacks. But law enforcement and wildlife officials say it’s a really bad strategy.
Jen KocherNovember 16, 2024
Mountain West Denies It Snuck In New Rule To Punish Boycott Of Trans Player
The Mountain West Conference told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday that it didn't suddenly edit its rules to punish schools for boycotting a women's volleyball team with a transgender player. The women suing the conference claim it did.
Clair McFarlandNovember 16, 2024
Tearing Up Luxury Cars In A Bear Suit To Scam Insurance “Really Stupid”
Tearing up a Rolls Royce and other luxury cars in a cheap bear suit in an attempt to scam California insurance companies was “really stupid,” industry and wildlife experts say. Four suspects were arrested Wednesday in the ill-conceived scheme.
Mark HeinzNovember 16, 2024
Rural Wyoming Police Chief Accused Of Helping Girlfriend Evade Meth Arrest
Manderson, Wyoming, Police Chief Brandon “BJ” Kidgell is accused of tipping off a woman he was dating to drug searches of her house and attempts to arrest her. The six charges, which include neglect of duty, were filed Thursday.
Clair McFarlandNovember 15, 2024
Utah Woman Climbs On High-Voltage Substation, Causes Power Outage
800 homes in Salt Lake City lost power on Thursday when a woman bypassed security fencing and climbed onto the high-voltage bushings of a substation transformer. A similar incident happened in Cody, Wyoming, except it was caused by raccoons.
Andrew RossiNovember 15, 2024
Cody Man Accused Of Stalking Ex, Hoarding Homemade Explosives
Though Randall Bailey, 64, does not appear to be charged with possessing explosives, court documents say police found homemade explosive devices in his Cody, Wyoming, home. He remains in jail on suspicion of stalking his ex-wife.
Clair McFarlandNovember 15, 2024
Vandalism Forces Cheyenne Frontier Days To Close Grounds To Public
A rash of vandalism at the Cheyenne Frontier Days grounds has caused an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 worth of damage and prompted the organization to close the area to the public.
Greg JohnsonNovember 14, 2024
Utah Man Says He Was Hired To Cash $13K In Fake Checks In Wyoming
A Utah man is the Lincoln County, Wyoming, jail on claims that he drained the Alpine Standard gas station's bank account of $13,000. He’s accused of cashing fake checks, but claims he was hired to cash them and had no idea they were fake.
Clair McFarlandNovember 14, 2024
Wyoming, Colorado DUI Patrols Will Be Watching Highway 287 For Border War
Wyoming and Colorado will increase DUI patrols for Friday’s annual Border War football game between Wyoming and Colorado State universities. Highway 287 between Laramie and Fort Collins has been nicknamed the "highway of death."
Justin GeorgeNovember 14, 2024
Multiple Law Agencies Investigate Homemade Explosives Found At Home Near Cody
The discovery of homemade explosive devices at a home on Musser Road in Park County east of Cody has prompted a multiagency response from local, state and federal law enforcement Thursday morning. The investigation remains active.
November 14, 2024
3 UW Volleyball Players Part Of Bombshell Lawsuit Over Trans Player
Three University of Wyoming student-athletes are part of a bombshell lawsuit over a transgender player competing for San Jose State University. Among other things, they claim the Mountain West Conference tried to silence player boycotts.
Clair McFarlandNovember 14, 2024