Wyoming News Briefs

Case of toddler’s murder sent to district court

CHEYENNE (WNE) — The case of a man accused of killing a local two-year-old and then putting his body in a dumpster was found to have probable cause Friday morning and will be heard in Laramie County District Court. 

Wyatt Dean Lamb appeared in Laramie County Circuit Court for a preliminary hearing, with Judge Sean Chambers finding cause to bind the case over to district court, which handles felony criminal cases. 

During the hearing, Cheyenne Police Detective Jeremy Walker testified as the witness for the prosecution, led by Laramie County District Attorney Leigh Anne Manlove. He was later cross-examined by Lamb’s attorneys, State Public Defender Diane Lozano and Brandon Booth.

Lamb’s bond remained at $1 million cash, originally set at his initial court appearance in June.

His next appearance will be his arraignment in district court, but the time and date have yet to be announced.

Lamb is currently charged with first-degree murder and 10 felony counts of child abuse with injury. 

The murder charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison or death, with each child abuse charge carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison or a $10,000 fine. 

Athian Rivera, 2, was reported missing by his mother, Kassandra Orona, around 1 p.m. Feb. 19. His body was discovered around 3 that afternoon in a dumpster just outside an entrance to Orona’s apartment, located in the 400 block of Desmet Drive. 

The toddler died from brain swelling caused by blunt force trauma, restriction of oxygen or both, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Eviction freeze covers Wyoming

CASPER (WNE) — Nearly all Wyoming counties fall under the eviction moratorium extension enacted last week. 

The extension covers counties with substantial or high-level community transmission of COVID-19. In Wyoming, that includes all counties but Hot Springs, which has moderate levels of transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID data tracker. 

Washakie County is experiencing substantial spread of the virus. The remaining 21 counties all have high levels, the CDC tracker shows. 

The number of counties that qualify for the moratorium could change over time along with transmission rates, said Rachel Girt, a spokeswoman for the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

The CDC issued a new eviction ban Tuesday. The latest moratorium does not apply as broadly as past ones have. Instead, the CDC tied this version to COVID transmission rates, reasoning that a wave of evictions would exacerbate the rapid increase in cases brought on, in part, by the delta variant. 

“We encourage Wyoming renters who are behind on rent or who believe they are at risk of eviction to submit a declaration to their landlord, apply for emergency rental assistance and, if necessary, seek help from Legal Aid of Wyoming,” Korin Schmidt, Wyoming Department of Family Services director, said in a statement. 

The department is administering Wyoming’s rental assistance program, which is available to tenants who face the prospect of eviction because they can’t afford rent. The state received $180 million for the program, which launched in April. 

Vanguard settles with Campbell County

GILLETTE (WNE) — After spending three years and nearly $1 million in litigation, Campbell County Commissioners have agreed to a settlement in a case with a mineral producer that was trying to claw back taxes it already had paid.

In August 2018, Houston-based Vanguard Natural Resources was going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and it filed complaints against Campbell, Sublette, Park, Natrona, Johnson, Carbon and Sweetwater counties, claiming that those counties should return $5.2 million in taxes that it had already paid.

Vanguard, an oil and gas firm, had been trying to get back $447,595 from Campbell County, which it had paid for 2016 and the first half of 2017. It also argued that it shouldn’t have to pay $178,000 in production taxes for the second half of 2017.

Campbell County filed a counterclaim of $524,898. The other six counties filed counterclaims as well, and all seven have been involved in litigation with Vanguard — which has since gone under restructuring and is now known as Grizzly Energy — in Texas since 2018.

County Administrative Director Carol Seeger said that a couple of weeks ago, attorneys for Vanguard and the seven counties participated in mediation and came out with a solution.

In the settlement, Vanguard will pay the seven counties $2.3 million total. Campbell County will be paid $163,366.

The commissioners voted in favor of the settlement at their regular meeting Tuesday.

“It never sits good with anybody, but it does get us out of this thing, and we can quit spending money on attorneys’ fees,” said Commissioner D.G. Reardon.

Powell man accused of throwing boy into wall

CODY (WNE) — A Powell man is facing charges of child abuse, accused of throwing an 8-year-old child against a wall by the child’s throat and lifting the child up by ears.

Rudy DeHaan, 38, is currently in custody with a $10,000 cash-only bond set during his initial hearing last Tuesday. If found guilty for the felony, DeHaan could receive up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

“The safety of this child is very concerning to the state,” said Saige Smith, Park County prosecuting attorney.

Investigators spoke with Dr. Aaron Billin, a Powell Valley emergency physician and the county health officer, whom the minor made claims to. Billin and Park County Sheriff’s Deputy Neal Corr said there were bruises and scratches on the child’s forehead and ligature marks on the child’s neck consistent with the child’s story. Billin said this incident “is as clear as it gets” regarding abuse.

Department of Family Services Caseworker April Patterson said the child attributed the injuries to DeHaan, and the child’s aunt said this story was consistent with what she heard from the child’s four siblings who were all at home during the incident.

During an interview with deputies, DeHaan admitted to striking the child in the face. He said he hit the child when he became defiant about being asked to clean his room. DeHaan did not admit to any of the accusations involving grabbing of the throat or ears.

Teen who died in lake identified

RIVERTON (WNE) — A 15-year-old youth who was found deceased in Morton Lake on July 27 has been identified as Dagon McWhorter. 

The teen became the subject of a Fremont County Search and Rescue call July 25 while tubing with other teens in the lake, which is also known as Pilot Butte Reservoir. 

Search efforts that Saturday and Sunday were unsuccessful, and sophisticated sonar equipment from the Sublette County Sheriff was deployed July 27 by Fremont County Sheriff Ryan Lee and local Search and Rescue personnel. 

The teen’s body was pulled from the lake just before noon that day. 

Fremont County Coroner chief deputy Erin Ivie said the investigation has been undertaken by her office and Lee’s office, and is ongoing. 

McWhorter was from Evanston. Scanner traffic on July 25 indicated that he was a resident of the Riverton Group Home for Boys at the time of his death.