🚧 Crime & Courts | Cowboy State Daily

Hockey sticks put up along a fence near Sheridan in memory of Patrick Mudd, a longtime coach who was killed in an altercation this past summer.

Sheridan Man Accused Of Punching And Killing Hockey Coach Claims Self-Defense

A Sheridan man accused of punching a longtime hockey coach so hard it killed him is arguing that he acted in self-defense. He claims the hockey coach first repeatedly punched and attacked him outside a rodeo this past summer.

Clair McFarlandNovember 14, 2024

Marquis Hayman was arrested for shooting five bullets into a North Durbin Street mobile home in August.

“I Hope I Killed One”: Casper Teen Accused Of Shooting Into Homes Pleads Not Guilty

A 15-year-old Casper, Wyoming, boy pleaded not guilty Wednesday to allegations he shot into two homes on the city’s north side. He allegedly told friends, “I hope I killed one” after an Aug. 12 shooting.

Dale KillingbeckNovember 13, 2024

Torrington Man Accused Of Throwing Ex’s Guns And Computers In Canal

A Torrington man already accused of brutally pistol-whipping and disfiguring his ex-girlfriend has been charged with yet another felony. He’s accused of throwing his victim’s phone, laptop and guns in a canal.

Clair McFarlandNovember 13, 2024

Hunter DeVries, right, walks down the steps of the Fremont County District Court moments after pleading guilty Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, to molesting a child at least four times this past year.

Riverton School Board Candidate Pleads Guilty To Molesting Child For Months

A recent candidate for the Riverton, Wyoming, school board, Hunter DeVries pleaded guilty Tuesday to molesting a child for months. He faces up to 30 years in prison if the judge accepts his plea agreement.

Clair McFarlandNovember 12, 2024

Companies Say Explosions That Hurt Wyoming Oil Field Workers Were Their Own Fault

Two Wyoming energy companies being sued over a pair of explosions that hurt two oil field workers say they’re not at fault. In court filings, they say the injuries “were caused by their own negligence and the negligence of their employer.”

Clair McFarlandNovember 11, 2024

FBI Asks For Help To Find Crow Tribe 13-Year-Old Girl Missing More Than A Month

The FBI is asking for help to find Sa’Wade Birdinground, 13, a member of the Crow Tribe in Montana who was last seen Oct. 6 at a home near the Wyoming border. Searchers have used dogs, divers, drones and helicopters to find her, but no luck so far.

Jen KocherNovember 09, 2024

Man Gutted Dead Uncle's Wyoming Oil And Gas Company To Start His Own

A Green River, Wyoming, man who worked for his uncle’s oil and gas company for 38 years got probation Thursday for stealing from the company after his uncle’s death. When he couldn’t buy the company, he took its equipment and employees, court documents show.

Clair McFarlandNovember 09, 2024

Off-Duty Casper Cop Who Shot At Deputies During Standoff To Face 6 Felonies

An off-duty Casper police officer involved in a 17-hour standoff in August waived his preliminary hearing in Casper Circuit Court on Thursday. He faces six felony charges for allegedly threatening and shooting at deputies. He's no longer a Casper cop.

Dale KillingbeckNovember 08, 2024

Lenea Brown, 17, of Casper was shot in the head and killed near Buckboard Park on May 14. Her ex-boyfriend, Eavan Castaner, has pleaded guilty to killing her.

Casper Teen Pleads Guilty To Second-Degree Murder For Shooting Ex-Girlfriend

A Casper 16-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Friday, admitting he shot his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend in the head. The plea means he’ll get 20 years to life in prison, but the father of his victim says that isn’t justice for his daughter.

Dale KillingbeckNovember 08, 2024

3D imaging of a John Doe whose badly decomposed remains were found in Cheyenne in November 2023. The imaging recreates what the man may have looked like, and with various features like with or without facial hair.

3D Imaging Helps Recreate Face Of John Doe Found In Cheyenne A Year Ago

DNA from a badly decomposed man found in Cheyenne in November 2023 hasn’t so far helped identify him. But the Laramie County coroner hopes new 3D imaging of what he may have looked like will.

Jen KocherNovember 08, 2024

The driver's side of this Cambpell County Sheriff's Office patrol car shows where the windshield took a shotgun blast from a suspect on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. The deputy wasn't hurt, but the suspect was killed.

Campbell County Deputy Who Killed Shooter Acted In Self-Defense

A Campbell County, Wyoming, deputy who shot and killed a Wright man who'd fired a shotgun at his patrol vehicle acted in self-defense. That’s the determination of the county attorney after reviewing an independent state investigation into the incident.

Clair McFarlandNovember 08, 2024

Prosecutor Disputes Wyoming Hunter's Claim Friend's Shooting Death Was Accident

A 20-year-old Wyoming hunter says the gunshot that killed his best friend while duck hunting was an accident. But a prosecutor responded this week saying the death was the result of recklessness and the case against the hunter should move forward.

Clair McFarlandNovember 07, 2024

Casper Teen Accused Of Stabbing Girl Said The Victim “Walked Into The Blade”

A 17-year-old Casper, Wyoming, girl had a preliminary hearing Thursday on allegations she stabbed another teen Halloween night. An investigator testified the suspect claimed the victim “walked into the blade.”

Dale KillingbeckNovember 07, 2024

Interstate 25 approaching exit 191 near Bar Nunn, Wyoming.

Juvenile On The Run Hit And Killed Trying To Cross I-25 Near Bar Nunn

A juvenile was hit by a vehicle and killed while trying to cross the southbound lane of Interstate 25 near Bar Nunn, Wyoming, on Wednesday night. The juvenile allegedly assaulted a family member, then ran from the home before deputies could respond.

Dale KillingbeckNovember 07, 2024

Gillette Woman Charged With Domestic Abuse Claims Boyfriend Punched Himself

A Gillette, Wyoming, woman charged with beating up her boyfriend told police he punched himself in the face Monday night. Police say her fists, not his, were scuffed.

Clair McFarlandNovember 07, 2024

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.

Wyoming Woman Says She Was Too Patient With Husband Accused Of Shooting At Her

A woman whose estranged husband is facing felony charges, on claims that he leveled a shotgun at her and fired it as she fled, says she wishes she hadn’t been so nice for so long.

Clair McFarlandNovember 06, 2024

Willow Wagner says she tries to “think of the positives” following a stabbing incident that nearly cost her her life.

Casper Girl, 17, Thought Machete-Like Knife Was Fake, Then She Was Stabbed

A 17-year-old Casper, Wyoming, girl was almost killed Halloween night when another teen stabbed her with a machete-like knife. Willow Wagner told Cowboy State Daily she first thought the knife was fake — until it was in her body.

Dale KillingbeckNovember 06, 2024

Sheridan Man Accused Of Shooting At Wife, Threatening Man Who Drove Her Home

A man from Sheridan County is facing arraignment Thursday on claims that he fired a shotgun toward his wife as she ran away on foot last month. He's also accused of pointing the shotgun at a man who drove his wife home.

Clair McFarlandNovember 06, 2024

Nationally Notorious Serial Graffiti Vandal “Ciga” Targets Cody

A serial graffiti artist who lives in Wyoming and has been spray-painting “Ciga” onto public and private property across the country for a decade is wanted again, this time in Cody, court records show.

Clair McFarlandNovember 05, 2024

Wyoming Duck Hunter Says Fatal Shooting Was Accident, Not Crime

Gaige Zook, 20, is asking a judge to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge in the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old. He says the gun fired accidentally while both he and the victim were on a duck hunt.

Clair McFarlandNovember 04, 2024

The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center parking lot became the scene of the latest teen violence in Casper on Halloween night.

Girl Kicked SUV, So Casper Teen Allegedly Stabbed Her With Machete-Style Knife

The 17-year-old Casper, Wyoming, girl charged with stabbing another 17-year-old girl on Halloween was mad because the victim kicked her SUV. So, she allegedly got out and stabbed her with a machete-style knife.

Dale KillingbeckNovember 04, 2024

'Wish They Would Stop': False Threats Prompt Lockdowns At Schools Across Wyoming

School shooting threats at multiple Wyoming schools, including in Cheyenne, Gillette and Riverton, prompted lockdowns and police searches Monday. The threats were unfounded, authorities have said, adding they “wish they would stop.”