Wyoming News Briefs

Man who burglarized Old Trail Town is sentenced

 CODY (WNE) — The man charged with burglarizing five buildings at Old Trail Town in August of 2021 pleaded guilty Nov. 28 to aggravated burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent.

Initially, Zakary Asher Diller, 25, faced six separate charges, but two counts of theft and one count of property destruction and defacement were dropped as part of a plea agreement.

After pleading guilty to three felonies, Diller was sentenced to state prison for nine to 12 years for aggravated burglary, two to three years for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two to four years for possession of a deadly weapon.

These sentences will be served concurrently.

Diller was charged with burglarizing a wide assortment of items from the Old Trail Town stores, including antique firearms, custom-made knives, and various articles of clothing on Aug. 23, 2021, according to the Cody police affidavit. 

The owner of Eagle Towing called Cody Police just three days after hiring Diller, believing that Diller had stolen guns and sold them, the affidavit said.

“[The owner of Eagle Towing] questioned the legitimate ownership of such items because he knew Diller was homeless and had been living on the streets in Cody...with no job for some time,” the affidavit said.

Upon his arrest on Aug. 24, 2021, Diller at first denied burglarizing Old Trail Town, but “after some encouragement to tell the truth,” Diller admitted to it, the affidavit said.

Officers recovered most of the items Diller allegedly stole.

Diller, who moved to Cody in July of 2021, was convicted in 2018 in Colorado of aggravated assault after holding a knife against a woman’s throat and threatening her life. In 2019, he was charged with misdemeanors for theft and false identification. 

Webber pleads not guilty to reckless endangerment charge

 POWELL (WNE) — A prominent Wapiti resident who stands accused of recklessly firing a rifle during a November elk hunt has formally denied the allegation. 

Through her attorney, Nina Webber pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment during a Friday appearance in Park County Circuit Court. 

The charge stems from a Nov. 30 incident, in which witnesses and authorities allege errant bullets whizzed over the heads of two residents near the North Fork Highway. 

A group of people had been hunting elk that morning, but then-Park County Sheriff Scott Steward said evidence at the scene indicated Webber was the only person in position to fire the bullets in question. 

For her part, Webber has said the allegations against her are false. 

Circuit Court Judge Joey Darrah tentatively set the case for a June 1 trial. While she awaits further proceedings, Webber will remain free on her own recognizance. 

In addition to standard bond conditions like obeying the law, Judge Darrah is requiring Webber to put all of her rifles in a gun safe and leave them there while the case is pending. 

Deputy Park County Attorney Jack Hatfield initially asked that Webber be prohibited from possessing any firearms until the matter is resolved. He cited public safety concerns, noting the allegations that Webber fired toward the highway and over a person’s head. Additionally, when a sheriff’s deputy approached Webber at the scene, Webber pointed the barrel of her gun at him, Hatfield said. 

However, Webber’s defense attorney, Tim Blatt, objected, noting that his client is contesting the allegations and that she’s hunted for a long time and has handled firearms all her life. 

As a compromise, Hatfield suggested that Webber only be prohibited from possessing rifles, acknowledging this is the only time she’s been accused of mishandling firearms. 

Webber is currently the national committeewoman for the Wyoming Republican Party.

Hightman case headed for trial that could move out of county 

GILLETTE (WNE) — The man accused of stealing from a bank account, charging credit cards and deleting a Gmail account of his missing fiancée is headed for a potential 10-day trial that may change locations away from Campbell County.

Nathan J. Hightman, 39, appeared in the Campbell County Courthouse Wednesday afternoon for his pre-trial conference on five felony charges, including two counts of theft, two counts of crimes against intellectual property and unlawful use of a credit card.

Hightman was charged in May with stealing thousands of dollars from the bank account of Irene Gakwa, 33, who had been living with him in Gillette prior to the alleged thefts. He also allegedly ran up two of her credit cards and deleted a Gmail account of hers, sometime between when she was last heard from Feb. 24 and reported missing by family March 20, according to court documents.

Because of the “magnitude” of the case, County Attorney Nathan Henkes and Hightman’s public defender, Dallas Lamb, each asked the judge to set a 10-day trial, rather than the five trial days tentatively scheduled to begin Feb. 6.

Lamb said that a pre-trial motion that would affect scheduling may be coming before the trial occurs.

Without specifying exactly what the motion would be, Henkes said that the motion Lamb files could impact where and how the trial is held, noting that finding a jury may be difficult when controlling for neutrality and pre-trial exposure to the case.

In Wyoming, a trial may be transferred outside of the county if the court finds enough prejudice against the defendant within the county that it decides the defendant can’t get a fair and impartial trial there.

UW seeking agriculture interns

 SHERIDAN (WNE) — The University of Wyoming’s GrowinG Internship Program for beginning farmers and ranchers seeks prospective hosts and interns for summer 2023.

The ten-week internships pair those eager to get started in ag with experienced producers across the state. The goal is to help beginning farmers and ranchers obtain the hands-on experience and skills required to successfully manage their own operations.

“It is hard to learn and comprehend all that goes into a ranching or farming operation unless you see it firsthand and work with people who have made it their lifestyle and depend on it for their livelihood,” said a 2022 program host.

Applications for both interns and hosts are due Feb. 3. 

The GrowinG team will continue to review applications on a rolling basis after this deadline, but placement is not guaranteed.

Interns must be 18 years or older and identify as ready to begin farming or ranching and/or have been involved in farming or ranching for fewer than ten years.

In addition to participating in daily activities on their host ranch or farm, interns are required to attend at least one educational event, such as the Wyoming Stock Growers summer meeting or a UW Extension workshop.

Program hosts provide a safe, educational internship experience as well as adequate housing and meals. The GrowinG Internship Program awards interns a $5000 stipend as compensation for their work.

Host applications can be found at bit.ly/growing-host-app and intern applications are available at bit.ly/growing-intern-app. Interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to ensure optimal host/intern matches.

For more information, see GrowinG-WY.org. Contact Kendra Faucett at [email protected] or 307-760-6247 with questions.

Proposed abortion intervenors appeal Teton County’s denial

JACKSON (WNE) — Three anti-abortion advocates have appealed the decision of a Teton County judge not to let them assist in defending Wyoming’s law criminalizing abortions.

The seven-page appeal, which was filed last Thursday in Teton County District Court, seeks to overturn District Court Judge Melissa Owens’ Nov. 30 order denying the parties’ motion to intervene.

The proposed intervenors are state Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody; state Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett; and Right to Life of Wyoming. Rodriguez-Williams and Neiman sponsored the bill, signed into law in March, that triggered a ban on most abortions when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June. The law allows narrow exceptions for rape, incest or physical risk to the mother’s life.

In their request filed Aug. 16, the parties provided three reasons why they should be allowed to intervene: The legislators have a protectable interest in enacting legislation that regulates the medical profession; they were themselves involved in sponsoring the bill; and they personally support enactment of their legislation.

In her November order, Owens weighed whether the interests of the three abortion opponents rose to the level of a “significantly protectable interest.” She found that they did not.

The notice of appeal does not automatically halt the larger case from continuing in Teton County District Court. Follow-up filings are expected to determine whether the case will be paused, pending the appeal ruling.

Abortions up until viability, between 22 and 24 weeks, remain legal in Wyoming for now, while the case continues to play out in Teton County District Court.

Cheyenne Police investigate stabbing of minor

CHEYENNE (WNE) — The Cheyenne Police Department is investigating a stabbing that occurred around 11 p.m. Friday at Cheyenne’s South High, 1213 West Allison Road. 

A 16-year-old male victim suffered multiple stab wounds and was transported to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center for treatment, according to a Saturday evening news release from CPD.

The preliminary investigation suggests a physical altercation happened near South’s front entrance. 

A suspect has not been identified. 

School resource officers and Detective Pendleton are investigating. 

Tips can be reported to Pendleton at 307-633- 6666, or anonymously on the Safe2Tell hotline 1-844-996-7233 or www. safe2tellwy.org.

Police: man entered school grounds, tried to grab 6-year-old

LANDER (WNE) — A Fort Washakie man was arrested Thursday in Riverton after he allegedly entered Saint Margaret’s school grounds and attempted to grab a six-year-old girl and her backpack. 

He was scared off after the girl’s mother began yelling, according to the Riverton Police Department.

According to the preliminary report, the man, Martin Harris, 57, whom police described as a “transient” person from Fort Washakie, also attempted to open the back door of the victim’s mother’s truck. He was again scared off before leaving the area, according to the report. 

Officers searched the area and later found a man matching the description. They took Harris into custody. The victim’s mother reportedly watched a video taken by police and positively identified Harris as the suspect. 

Harris was arrested on charges of criminal entry, with other charges pending, according to the preliminary police report. 

Local artists add six more snowmen to winter attraction

ROCK SPRINGS (WNE) — A dozen sunshine-resistant snowmen will grace downtown Rock Springs in the city’s Snowman Stroll, scheduled to begin on Monday, Jan. 9. The artistic snowmen will be on display from Jan. 9 to Feb. 28.

In 2021, six Wyoming artists were commissioned to design and paint life-sized snowmen. Another six snowmen created by local artists were added this year.

The second annual Snowman Stroll was created by the Rock Springs Main Street/URA in partnership with the Community Fine Arts Center.

“The goal is to brighten downtown Rock Springs during the darkest and often most dreaded part of the year,” said URA Chairwoman Maria Mortenson. “It’s hard to get out during those first few months, but we hope to liven that time and give the community something to look forward to—that not only represents our local experience, but celebrates it!” 

As part of the 2023 Snowman Stroll, the Rock Springs Main Street/URA collaborated with the Rock Springs Library to create a snowman scavenger hunt. Participants who think they’re snowman-spotting pros can test their skills and find them all. 

In addition to the scavenger hunt, the Rock Springs Library has a host of snowman themed activities throughout January and February. Participants can also find a list of additional activities on the Rock Springs Main Street/URA’s website at downtownRS.com/snowman-stroll. 

USS Cheyenne recognized as the best submarine

CHEYENNE (WNE) —The city’s namesake submarine USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) has been awarded the Battle Efficiency “E” award for 2022. 

The Battle “E” is awarded only once per year and only one award per squadron. It is the most important Command Excellence Award a ship can earn. 

Competition for this decoration is fierce, and city officials said the namesake has earned the award multiple times in her life of service. 

“We are proud of the officers, chiefs and crew of our submarine and congratulate her for being the best,” said city officials in a statement.

Yellowstone answers foul play question about foot investigation

JACKSON (WNE) — Yellowstone National Park officials say we’ll probably never learn what happened to Il Hun Ro, the 70-year-old Los Angeles man whose foot was found floating in a park hot spring this past August.

“Because this incident was unwitnessed, we’ll likely never know the exact course of events,” Linda Veress, a public information specialist for the park, told the Jackson Hole Daily on Tuesday. “However, there are no signs of foul play or circumstances that would lead us to believe this involved more than just the individual.”

Three days after finding the foot, park officials issued a statement saying they suspected that no foul play was involved in Ro’s disappearance and death. 

The Daily had asked Veress about how officials determined that there was no foul play. 

The investigative report released Tuesday via a Freedom of Information Act request offered no evidence or explanation about how park officials reached that conclusion.

Until now, park officials have also said little about how they did so.

The 36-page report notes that Ro’s family was contacted, and a family member provided a DNA sample to help identify his remains. 

But the document doesn’t say much else about interactions with the family, including whether they were able to shed light on Ro’s travel plans or his state of mind. Law enforcement officers searched for but didn’t find evidence of a suicide note.