Wyoming News Briefs

Man sentenced for stabbing son-in-law with scissors

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A man convicted of an assault in which he stabbed his son-in-law with scissors was sentenced recently in Laramie County District Court. 

Laramie County District Judge Thomas Campbell sentenced Kevin Dale Brown on July 25 to three years supervised probation, with a suspended sentence of three to five years in prison. The sentence followed one laid out in a plea agreement. 

Brown pleaded guilty in March to felony aggravated assault and battery, bodily injury with a weapon. 

The Laramie County District Attorney’s Office, Brown and his counsel had agreed that Brown should be released on his own recognizance, or on no-cost bail, after the change-of-plea hearing so Brown could seek treatment. 

Brown admitted last October that, during a physical altercation, he stabbed his son-in-law in the lower back with a pair of scissors during an altercation. The injury required three to four stitches, a probable cause affidavit said.

Avoid Harmful Cyanobacteria Blooms on Shoshone National Forest

JACKSON (WNE) – The Shoshone National Forest advises recreationists to be careful at Brooks Lake and certain other lakes in the Wind River Ranger District because of harmful cyanobacterial blooms in the water.

Where blooms are present, people and their dogs should avoid any contact with the water, a forest press release said.

Advisories are in effect for Brooks, Upper Brooks, Upper Jade and Rainbow lakes. Other water bodies are being investigated for possible blooms: Pelham Lake, Scouts Pond, some lakes in the Dunoir area and small lakes off the Burroughs Loop Road, Forest Service Road 510.

“HCBs may be green, brown or blue green in color and may appear as discolored water, small grass clippings, scum, floating mats or spilled paint,” the forest release said. “HCBs can occur on or in the water, either floating or attached to plants, rocks or other material.”

According to the Wyoming Department of Health, “people or animals that have direct contact with the contaminated water by swimming, breathing in aerosols or swallowing the contaminated water can experience symptoms.”

Symptoms vary depending on the method and length of exposure and the particular toxin involved. 

People may experience skin, eye, throat and respiratory irritation. In pets, the symptoms may be more severe: excessive salivation, vomiting, fatigue, staggered walking, difficulty breathing, convulsions, liver failure and death within hours to days of the exposure, the Health Department’s website says. 

Its suggested precautionary steps include the following:

• Avoid contact with water in the vicinity of the bloom, especially in areas where cyanobacteria are dense and form scum.

• Do not ingest water from the bloom. Boiling, filtration or other treatments will not remove toxins.

• Rinse fish with clean water and eat only the fillet portion.

• Do not allow pets or livestock to drink water near a bloom, eat bloom material or lick fur after contact. If people, pets or livestock encounter a bloom, rinse the affected area with clean water.

‘Star Trek’ collectibles up for grabs at the library

CASPER (WNE) — Do you speak Klingon? Lie awake at night trying to decide on your favorite Federation starship? Or maybe just think space is cool? 

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Friends of the Natrona County Public Library will be selling an assortment of “Star Trek” collectibles in the library’s Crawford Room. 

In addition to a treasure trove of books, comics and games, more obscure items — like a “Star Trek” clock and Barbie and Ken dolls — will be up for grabs, too. 

The group is also putting other sci-fi reading materials not related to “Star Trek” up for sale. 

The Friends of the Natrona County Public Library raises money for the library and promotes literacy around the community — by donating books to schools, for instance. As part of its fundraising efforts, the group organizes seasonal sales where visitors can buy books from the library’s collection for cheap. 

But it’s never hosted a sale dedicated to a single franchise, said Sharyle Good, co-president. 

The collection was donated by an estate, Good said. Its owner had been amassing “Star Trek” memorabilia for 30 or 40 years. 

By late July, Friends of the Library already had 45 boxes worth of it — with “several more” boxes on the way, she said. 

Anyone interested in attending the sale must register for an appointment beforehand. Friends of the Natrona County Library started out with 90 appointment slots. Good ended adding up ten more. As of Thursday evening, only 20 remained.

Coronavirus continues grip on Wyoming

LYMAN (WNE) — Although the number of active cases are not growing as fast as they did in the past, the virus still maintains a good grip on Wyoming as the total number of confirmed and probable coronavirus cases in Wyoming grew by 1,137 on Tuesday, according to the Wyoming Department of Health’s (WDH) weekly update. 

The WDH also said there were 493 active cases, and hospitalizations have grown from 31 last week to 39 this week. 

However, there were no increases in deaths due to the virus so the total deaths in Wyoming are still 1,856. 

The majority of deaths in Wyoming have occurred in people whose health was compromised by other health conditions or were residents of long-term health facilities. 

A total of 678,207 vaccine doses have been administered in Wyoming. 

In addition the number of first pediatric Pfizer doses given to children (5-11 years old) in Wyoming is 8,661. The number of second pediatric Pfizer doses given to children ages 5 to 7 is 7,073. 

While some parents are choosing to have their children vaccinated, a considerable number has said they will not have their children vaccinated.

Separate trials asked for in child murder case

CODY (WNE) –- Moshe Williams’ attorneys filed a motion last week objecting to a joint trial and making a motion to sever the trial from codefendant Carolyn Aune.

The two Cody residents are charged with first-degree murder in the death of Williams’ daughter, 2-year-old Paisleigh Williams.

Senior assistant public defenders Dylan Rosalez and Curtis Cheney acknowledged most cases involving two defendants charged with the same crime have one trial, but they said as part of the motion to sever that Williams “asserts that a joint trial will result in prejudice.”

The main argument revolved around another felony case involving Aune, who is alleged to have assaulted a deputy in the Park County Detention Center.

“There is a risk that the jurors could convict Mr. Williams based on his association with Ms. Aune,” the motion reads in part. “However, should Mr. Williams seek to introduce this evidence against Ms. Aune, there is a risk that the jurors could convict Ms. Aune based on the assault she inflicted on the jail guard. Should Williams be denied the opportunity to present this evidence, he may suffer prejudice denying him an important part of his defense.”

The attorneys also noted in the motion that severing the trials would limit the possibility of either defendant being called as a witness against the other, which could result in both of them “pleading the fifth,” and could negatively affect the perception of the jury.

Paisleigh died April 4, 2021, and signs of long-term physical abuse were found on her body.

Aune and Williams each are accused of causing the death of the toddler through their possible actions or lack thereof, qualifying as child abuse that caused her death.

State reveals evidence for trial

CODY (WNE) — The state is preparing to display evidence against a couple charged with first- degree murder in the death of a 2-year-old — evidence that is meant to establish the relationships between the victim and both adults, individually.

It submitted a notice Friday of intention to use specific evidence in the case.

Moshe Williams and Carolyn Aune were both charged with first-degree murder in the death of Williams’ daughter Paisleigh Williams, who died April 4, 2021. Signs of long-term physical abuse were found on her body. Both Aune and Williams are accused of causing the death of the toddler through their possible actions or lack thereof, qualifying as child abuse.

The specific evidence the state submitted Friday is intended to prove “the defendants’ knowledge and intent,” wrote Park County Deputy Attorney Jack Hatfield.

“The key question in this prosecution is identity, or who is responsible?” he wrote. “Which defendant(s) physically abused PW?”

“PW’s injuries are unquestionable evidence of prior abuse and are relevant to the questions of 1. who inflicted the fatal injuries; 2. when were these injuries sustained; and 3. who had knowledge of PW’s abuse, yet failed to act with reckless disregard,” Hatfield wrote.

Evidence proposed for possible submission includes:

• An interview with Williams’ ex-wife discussing his physical behavior with his children

• A jail cell discussion with Aune’s cellmate who told authorities that Aune said she frequently would go out to her vehicle to smoke and drink when watching her and Williams’ children.

• Comments Williams made to family members about Aune’s not appearing to be caring for his children.

“The serious nature of this little girl’s injuries would have been evident to any present adult, especially when inexplicable bumps and bruises began to appear on her head and body while suffering from persistent nausea and vomiting,” Hatfield wrote. “PW’s autopsy report revealed a number of injuries in various stages of healing that can only be characterized as non-accidental.”