State Briefs

Cheyenne woman sentenced for throwing two-month-old daughter

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A woman who pleaded guilty to throwing her two-month-old daughter in a ditch was sentenced Monday to seven to ten years in prison, suspended for five years probation, by Laramie County District Judge Steven Sharpe.

Lillian Jeffrey was charged with one count of aggravated child abuse in connection with the incident in December 2017. She was also ordered to pay $17,260 and given credit for 538 days of jail time.

On Dec. 9, 2017, Jeffery is accused of throwing her baby in a ditch to “cleanse her.” Officers found the child lying on rocks in her shirt and diaper in December. There was a windchill of about 30 degrees Fahrenheit that night, according to court documents.

Medical professionals said the child had several abrasions, a skull fracture, a collapsed lung and internal bleeding, according to court documents. Jeffrey told officers that “K.J. (the child’s initials) was a demon and that she cleansed her.”

Jeffrey also admitted to officers that she had been using methamphetamine, according to court documents.

Sharpe said people may never know what motivated this crime, but he suspects it was done due to an altered mind – whether it was from postpartum depression or drug use is unknown.

At her sentencing, Jeffrey, and her attorneys, said she was diagnosed as schizoaffective – which is a mix of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression and other symptoms – and she is now being medicated for those mental illnesses. She has also been successfully living at a sober living facility.

State’s first jury trial since pandemic goes smoothly in Gillette

GILLETTE (WNE) — The state’s first jury trial since the coronavirus pandemic took hold was in Gillette last week, and it went smoothly.

This spring, all jury trials were suspended until Aug. 3. The 6th Judicial District was picked as the testing ground for jury trials in a world with social distancing and held a criminal trial last week.

“We expect this pilot trial to help us set standards for resuming jury trials throughout the state,” said Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael K. Davis in a press release earlier this month. “We’re very grateful to the judges and the citizens of Campbell County for their meticulous planning.”

District Judge Thomas Rumpke said the trial took three days to complete. It got done about half a day later than it would have under normal circumstances.

Because of the pandemic and social distancing, jury selection had to be done in two groups. Two sets of 18 potential jurors were brought in, and the selection process took about four and a half hours, starting at 8:30 a.m. July 13 and finishing at about 1 p.m. that same day.

The potential jurors were all given masks and hand sanitizer, and they “seemed to be very supportive” of the process, Rumpke said.

“It was a new experience for us,” he said. “There’s a lot more for the judge to keep track of.”

The trial took place in Courtroom 1, the largest courtroom at the Campbell County Courthouse.

The jury found William Wilde guilty of possession of marijuana and possession of meth with intent to deliver.

Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies sets up mobile pantry in Guernsey

GUERNSEY (WNE) — Almost 300 families were served Saturday, July 18, as the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies mobile food pantry was set up and fully staffed with volunteers at First State Bank in Guernsey. 

“We’re excited to do this,” said local pantry coordinator Pat Russell. “It’s for anybody and there is no income guidelines, restrictions or anything like that.” 

People receiving the food donations were asked to give their names and where they lived, according to Russell. After giving the information, the cars drove through where each family was given a bundle consisting of a box of meat, a box of produce, a box of canned goods, a box of lightbulbs and a bag with snack bags of cookies and juice boxes. 

There were somewhere between 15 to 20 volunteers, according to Russell, and all the volunteers were asked to wear masks and gloves when handling and distributing and loading food to the people’s cars. 

Those who drove up were asked to stay in their cars, maintaining a safe social distance. 

For more information about the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies, please visit: wyomingfoodbank.org/contact.

Firefighters contain more than 17,500-acre blaze south of Worland

POWELL (WNE) — A wildlife burned across 17,554 acres of short grass and brush south of Worland over the past week, but crews expected to have it fully contained by Monday night. 

The Neiber Fire started on July 14 along the Neiber Road, about seven miles south of the City of Worland on Bureau of Land Management and private property. While the official cause is listed as “unknown,” the BLM’s initial report on the fire said to “please do your part to prevent human-caused wildfires.” 

Fueled by hot, dry conditions, the fire threatened critical sage grouse habitat, grazing areas and equipment in the Murphy Dome Oil Field. 

However, fire managers said effective use of resources from the air and on the ground led to no oil and gas structures being lost. 

Firefighters from Washakie and Hot Springs counties, the BLM and the Bighorn and Shoshone national forests were among the first to respond to the fire. 

By Saturday morning, the Neiber Fire was 85% contained and some resources were released for other operations. After working to build a fire line in rugged terrain over the weekend, 100% containment was expected by the end of the day on Monday. 

“Although threats from active fire on the Neiber Fire have passed, recreation in the affected area can still pose risks,” Wyoming Type 3 Incident Management Team cautioned in Monday’s release. “Loss of vegetation loosens soils and increases the risk of flash floods in rough terrain after rainfall. Ash settles and disguises natural ruts or holes in tracks, trails, and rangeland.” 

They added that “fire danger in the area remains high and residents are encouraged to use caution.”