BIG PINEY — Sitting in their living room on South Mickelson Street Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 11 Dakota Farley’s parents Ray and Pamela clutch photographs of their only son, age 23, their …
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BIG PINEY — Sitting in their living room on South Mickelson Street Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 11 Dakota Farley’s parents Ray and Pamela clutch photographs of their only son, age 23, their eyes brimming with tears. Behind them is a window through which Dakota’s trailer — where he lived and died — is perfectly framed. The police tape that surrounded their son’s home is gone and the door is open; Ray has been cleaning it out. It’s gut-wrenching for the father to go through Dakota’s worldly possessions, but the grief-stricken parents know they have to move, and soon.
Dakota Farley pictured in his 2007-08 yearbook photo.
Farley family photo
‘Impaled’ by arrows fired from a compound bow
The Farleys are haunted by the place where their son was brutally murdered in the early morning hours of Feb. 2. Pamela hasn’t been inside Dakota’s house — one she was so proud of him moving into only a year ago — since Sublette County Sheriff’s deputies showed up at her door on Feb. 5 to inform her they had found the young man dead in his living room next door.
The autistic boy — who was born months premature and weighed just over 3 pounds, who had spent five months in the hospital and overcome so many obstacles — had been impaled through the chest with two broad-tipped arrows fired by a compound bow at close range. Deputies found him lying face down on his living room floor in a pool of dried blood after they received a call about “a possibly deceased person.” Eight BBs were lodged in his skull, fired from a BB-style pistol after he died.
Police tape hangs around Dakota Farley's home on Feb. 5, the day his body was discovered. He was shot through the chest with a compound bow and two broad-head tipped arrows. His two 'closest, most trusted friends,' Rowan Littauer and Orion Schlesinger are in custody at the Sublette County Detention Center, charged with first-degree murder in connection to the autistic man's death.
Cali O'Hare photo
‘Dakota is gone’
Ray was on his way home from work when Pamela called him and uttered the painful words, “Dakota is gone.” She didn't want to tell him over the phone that their son was murdered. Distraught and in disbelief, Ray went straight to his son’s house but deputies wouldn’t let him enter the crime scene or see Dakota’s body.
Rowan Littauer and Orion Schlesinger pose together near Big Piney in this April 1, 2024 photo posted to Littauer’s Instagram account. Both boys were students at Big Piney High School. They are now being held on $5 million cash-only bonds in the Sublette County Detention Center, charged with the first-degree murder of Big Piney man Dakota Farley.
Rowan Littauer Instagram
With friends like these
The suspects, Orion Schlesinger, 18, and Rowan Littauer, 19, are described by Ray and Pamela as Dakota’s “closest” and “most trusted friends.” They met Dakota about a year ago at group counseling sessions that were meant to offer a safe place for people to talk about their feelings and he befriended them.
Court records indicate Schlesinger and Littauer communicated with each other in the evening hours of Feb. 1 to establish a plan to go to Dakota’s house with the express purpose of ending his life. In the early hours of Feb. 2, they walked the 1.4 miles to Dakota’s, entered his home and shot him through his right arm and into his chest, “resulting in his nearly instantaneous death.”
Littauer sent a text bragging that he’d, “Shot Dakota with a bow and 2 arrows in the arm and in the head.”
A person who learned of Litter’s alleged actions contacted law enforcement and made a report, leading to the discovery of Dakota’s body on Feb. 5.
Disbelief and anguish are etched across Pamela’s face Tuesday as she recounts Schlesinger sitting in this very living room, carrying on a casual conversation with her family. She’d interacted with him on multiple occasions over the last year.
Born months premature and weighing only 3 pounds, Dakota Farley had overcome so many obstacles in his short life. He was killed by a compound bow and arrow in his living room on Feb. 2.
Farley family photo
Due to some developmental delays, Dakota functioned mentally more like a 17-year-old than a 23-year-old, his parents explain. Pamela recalls a long history of kids being cruel about her son’s autism, bullying him, and misunderstanding certain behaviors like his frequent desire for hugs. Deep pressure therapy, which can be achieved through hugs, weighted blankets, and other means, is a common and proven technique used to help people with autism spectrum disorders feel calm and soothed. The deep pressure triggers the body’s calming reflex, reduces the stress hormone cortisol, and releases dopamine chemicals which help improve mood.
On more than one occasion when Dakota was younger, the Farleys planned birthday parties and sleepovers for their son — only for no one to show up.
Despite being described as kind, loving, and pure-hearted, Dakota struggled to make friends throughout his life and was especially excited about his friendship with Schlesinger and Littauer.
Since Dakota owned a vehicle and had a driver’s license, he often drove Schlesinger and Littauer around, Ray said. They played video games together on Dakota’s gaming consoles. Dakota was an avid gamer. After graduating from Pinedale High School in 2019, he enrolled at Colorado State University, where he was taking online courses to become a video game developer.
‘$5 million each, cash-only’
Now, the lives of three young men are forever destroyed. Littauer is charged with Dakota’s first-degree murder, punishable by death, life imprisonment without parole or life imprisonment, and mutilation of a dead human body, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both. Schlesinger is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, punishable by death, life imprisonment without parole or life imprisonment, and felony theft of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both. Schlesinger was found in the possession of a grey and purple .22-caliber revolver that had belonged to Dakota.
“It was the first gun Dakota had ever purchased and he was so proud of it,” Ray confirmed.
Deputies executed a search warrant at Littauer’s residence on Feb. 5, where they seized a black compound bow, black arrows, broad-head arrow tips, and a BB gun pistol, among other items.
The teens, who were both enrolled at Big Piney High School, made their initial appearances via video in Sublette County Circuit Court on Friday, Feb. 7. They appeared via video, dressed in orange uniforms from two separate rooms at the Sublette County Detention Center.
Sublette County Prosecutor Clayton Melkinovich argued before Judge John LaBuda and Dakota’s parents and coworkers that the teens should be denied bond because “I cannot think of anything more dangerous than two individuals who would gather supplies, make a plan and march over on a mission to accomplish their plan, over a mile, in the middle of winter. … They’d then enter that home without that person’s permission, see the person and kill him in his own home.”
Melinkovich told the court Littauer and Schlesinger had been in Big Piney for no more than two years. “They came here, were welcomed here and welcomed into a school setting where they could continue their education and they were met with patience. They were met with a community who saw they needed help after what was likely a traumatic upbringing.”
Rowan Littauer (left), 19, and Orion Schlesinger (right), 18, are being held at the Sublette County Detention Center in Pinedale on $5 million cash-only bonds in connection to the first-degree murder and mutilation of Dakota Farley, 23, who they had met a year ago in a group counseling session. Farley, who had autism and some developmental delays due to being born months premature, had the …
Sublette County Sheriff's Office mugshots
Their ties to Sublette County are not strong enough to keep them from fleeing, Melinkovich argued. He told the court that neither defendant should be granted bond, but that if the court saw fit to set it, he would request it be set at $1 million each, cash only.
At his words, the gravity of their situation appeared to strike the two young men, just old enough to be tried as adults in their death penalty cases. Littauer grabbed the back of his head with both his hands and doubled over into his lap. He never sat back up. Schlesinger began to hyperventilate and cry. Their responses were so visceral, it’s unclear if they even registered Judge LaBuda’s decision to set their bond at $5 million cash, each.
A female voice off-screen, likely a detention deputy, asked Schlesinger if was okay, to which he responded, “No.”
Dakota’s loved ones were not okay either. They sobbed and held one another inside the courtroom.
Earlier in the hearing, Schlesinger requested the court paperwork for a public defender and Littauer told the judge, “My grandma is getting me an attorney.”
According to records from the Stanley Most Courthouse in Los Angeles, Calif., Littauer’s grandmother Shirley Littauer filed for guardianship of him in February 2021 and his parents Eli and Rena Littauer were notified.
On social media, a Big Piney woman who goes by Leah Leisure claims Schlesinger and Littauer as her sons. Her public profile is peppered with photographs of them at important milestones and moments, like when Littauer was issued his learner’s permit and attended junior prom. The pair are seated next to each other on the couch opening Christmas presents — each having received a blanket embroidered with a quote that reads, in part, “We watch our children age and grow. As seasons come, then quickly go. But our God has a perfect plan to shape a boy into a man.”
In a public post from April 21, 2024, Leah Leisure tagged both Littauer and Schlesinger in a photo. Littauer is pictured holding a cardboard box that’s filled with broken-down pieces of more cardboard. A bull’s-eye is taped to the front of the box and a black arrow is piercing its center. The haunting caption reads, “Great shot Rowan!”
Unless they choose to waive their probable cause hearings, Littauer and Schlesinger will next appear in court on Thursday, Feb. 13, the day before Dakota’s funeral.
Cali O'Hare photo
Cali O'Hare photo
An outpouring of small-town love
“It will be a closed casket,” Ray tells a friend who drops by during our interview to deliver a casserole and veggies and ask about the funeral plans.
“It’s too… it was too bad… too long…,” Ray’s voice trails off.
It was three days before Dakota’s body was found by deputies.
“I’ll be there,” the man says with a gentle smile and sees himself out.
“There’s been a lot of that,” Pamela says, referring to folks in the town with a population of 396 dropping off food, plants, and flowers, checking on them, and rallying around her family.
At the Fast Stop gas station around the corner from Dakota’s house, his former coworkers Erika and Preston have organized multiple fundraisers including a raffle, donation bucket, and a GoFundMe with all proceeds helping offset the cost of Dakota’s funeral.
“People are in shock. Things like this don’t happen around here. But people have been so generous, so kind. They are slipping some big bills into this bucket. People are coming in just to donate,” Ana Castillo, a cashier at Fast Stop, said on Tuesday. “Everyone loved him.”
A note on the bucket reads, “… Dakota Farley … was a loved member in our community and part of the Fast Stop Family. … We are putting up a fundraiser and raffle in his honor to try and help lay him to rest.”
Folks who donate more than $20 to Dakota’s fund at Fast Stop are automatically entered into a raffle to win gift certificates to local businesses and other great prizes. The GoFundMe has raised more than $9,700 through 95 donations in the five days since it was started.
‘Why?’
When asked why anyone would want to hurt their son, Ray and Pamela are at a loss.
“He would do anything for anyone. He was so kind. He would give you the shirt off of his back even if he wasn’t wearing one,” Pamela says as she traces her son’s photo on a plaque next to a quote from Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as god for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
“Tender-hearted,” “a kind kid with an amazing heart,” “a sweet guy,” and a “good kid full of life,” are how Dakota’s family, coworkers, teachers, and other loved ones remember him.
“He was the opposite of what those boys said he was,” a teary-eyed Ray said, referencing a text message sent by Littauer in the wake of the killing that accused Dakota of being a pedophile. Littauer’s claim appears to be nothing more than a slanderous rumor started by an accused murderer. Dakota has no criminal record and the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office says it has no verified information that Dakota was ever engaged in any such conduct.
Dakota lived alone, was sober at the time of his death, and was not known to use drugs or alcohol. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dakota completed a service mission designed to accommodate his special needs, from January 2021 to January 2023. In addition to gaming, Dakota loved hunting, fishing, swimming, camping, and spending time outdoors. He was the middle child, sandwiched between two sisters. He loved styling his hair, helping people, and spending time with his family’s pets, including two sugar gliders, three dogs, and a goose with whom he shared a special bond.
“Almost every day they would hug. Geese can be mean but these two had such a bond. He would see Dakota coming and run up with his wings out and they would hug,” Pamela said.
When Dakota wasn’t working, studying for school, volunteering with the elderly at the senior center, bowling at Flicks N Pins, or hanging out with his parents, he was with Schlesinger and Littauer. Dakota had less time to spend with his friends in recent weeks since starting a new job at The Daniel Junction. Ray opines that Littauer and Schlesinger might have been using his son and become upset with him for prioritizing his new work schedule over their wants.
If Ray could say anything to Littauer and Schlesinger, he’d ask, “Why?”
As for Pamela, “I wouldn’t say a word to either of them right now.”
A family’s last day together
Even though they lived next door, like many parents of adult children, Ray and Pamela would occasionally go several days without hearing from or seeing their son. The Farleys were proud of Dakota’s independence and comforted by the fact that they were still nearby in case he needed them.
They thought nothing of it when they didn’t hear from the 23-year-old between Feb. 2 and February 5. The last time Ray and Pamela saw their son, everything was normal. Dakota had come over to borrow a little gas money from his dad so he could get to work, and talk about the upcoming Super Bowl. Blissfully unaware of what was to come, the father and son finalized their plans and recipes for Super Bowl Sunday — a day they always spent together — and then said their goodbyes so Dakota wouldn’t be late for work.
Instead of indulging in the meals they planned to make and enjoying the game, Ray and Pamela spent the day of the big game the same way they have spent every day since they learned of Dakota’s death: planning his funeral and their next court appearances, cleaning out his house, and sorting through photos of their bright-eyed boy whose life was tragically and senselessly cut short.
Justice for Dakota and a legacy of love
Sitting in their living room, discussing their hopes for what happens next, Ray and Pamela are careful not to go into specifics. The grieving parents just “want justice for Dakota.” They’ll be at every court hearing and engaged in every step of the judicial process to help ensure that happens for their boy.
Once they’re able to catch their breath, the Farleys plan to organize “some sort of group or foundation that advocates” for folks with autism spectrum disorders to help people better understand, accept, and embrace people like their son, who “loved everyone and just wanted to be loved in return.”
Outside of the living room window, Dakota’s goose starts honking, and for the first time in the nearly two hours we’ve been together, a hint of a smile flashes across Pamela’s face.
Parents want answers
Ray and Pamela Farley aren’t the only ones who want to know why and how this happened. Parents of Sublette County School District No. 9 students who shared classrooms with Littauer and Schlesinger are demanding answers from school officials. Unconfirmed rumors and comments on social media hint at a pattern of troubling behavior by the teens since they relocated to the tight-knit community.
In response to an influx of questions from parents as well as this reporter, SCSD9 released the following statement on Feb. 11:
“The school district can confirm that the two men arrested were enrolled as students at Big Piney High School. State and federal laws prohibit the School District from releasing any other information about the students.
“The School District is also aware that some people have made comments or suggested that there were reports that the two individuals had made threats at school. Information about reports of alleged student conduct, any investigations into those reports, and any action taken by the school district is confidential and protected by law. The School District cannot confirm or deny any reports related to student conduct, or action taken with regard to student conduct.
“The School District takes the safety of all of its students and staff seriously. Any reports regarding alleged threats are investigated, and school district staff conduct a threat assessment to determine what action, if any, should be taken. The School District also works with local law enforcement in matters where there are threats to student or staff health or safety.”
The SCSD9 Board of Trustees will hold its next public meeting scheduled for Monday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Fine Arts Center Boardroom, 115 S. Nichols St. in Big Piney.
