Wyoming news briefs for May 11

Posted 5/11/22

News from across Wyoming.

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Wyoming news briefs for May 11

Posted

Gillette man found guilty of six counts of aggravated child abuse

GILLETTE — Tyler Martinson has been found guilty of six counts of aggravated child abuse.

The jury deliberated for more than seven hours before coming to the guilty verdict shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday. The jury had begun deliberating Monday afternoon and took a break for the evening before resuming deliberations at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Martinson, 29, had been charged with 10 counts of aggravated child abuse stemming from Jan. 2, 2021, when his 3-month-old son was taken to the hospital and found to have 31 fractures.

The jury found that Martinson recklessly, not intentionally, inflicted harm on the child. The six counts he was found guilty of included the five acute rib fractures, as well as a right femur fracture.

The jury found him not guilty of four corner fractures in the boy’s right and left legs.

Aggravated child abuse in Wyoming carries a penalty of up to 25 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

District Judge Stuart Healy III has allowed Martinson to remain out on bond as he waits for his sentencing.

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Curt Meier announces he will seek re-election

TORRINGTON — LaGrange native and Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier announced last week that he is seeking re-election in a second term. 

After serving Wyoming for 24 years as a state senator, Meier was elected state treasurer in 2018. 

According to a news release, Meier has since grown the state’s investments from $20.12 billion to more than $25 billion and provided hundreds of millions of dollars each year to Wyoming’s general fund. 

“Over the past two years, the investment team at the state treasurer’s office has repeatedly beaten their investment benchmarks and it appears likely that they are about to do so for a third straight year,” Meier explained. “I think that is really impressive when you consider that over 80% of investment professionals fail this level of achievement for just one year, let alone three.”  

According to a state report, some of the funding Meier’s office helped secure enabled the state to reduce homelessness and the percentage of individuals living at or below the poverty line.

Meier also said that due to his office working closely with the Wyoming Community Development Authority (WCDA), the state was able to move roughly 1,000 single home houses and roughly 3,000 multi family homes into low-income housing for residents near the national poverty line. 

Meier said his office has also focused on educating Wyoming residents about the Unclaimed Property Division of the State Treasurer’s Office.  According to a news release, Meier’s team has issued 5,487 checks and more than $7.42 million in unclaimed property to its rightful owners. 

Meier graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor’s degree in animal science. He still owns and operates a farm and ranch in LaGrange.

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Co-defendants from Sheridan County enter guilty pleas to charges in Worland

SHERIDAN  Sheridan County residents Cody and Niles Veal pleaded guilty to various charges before 5th Judicial District Court Judge Bobbi Overfield during a change of plea hearing April 6. 

The Veals’ criminal cases stem from a September 2021 incident in which the father and son duo allegedly breached the peace and attempted to elude police custody before stealing and fleeing in a Washakie County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle. 

Niles Veal was initially indicted for aggravated burglary, a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison, a $50,000 fine or both; two counts of theft of property worth more than $1,000; escape from official detention by violence or while armed; and accessory before the fact to escape. 

Cody Veal faced a similar slough of charges. In addition to littering, breach of peace, interference with a peace officer and escape from official detention charges he shared with his father, Veal was also charged with burglary of the patrol vehicle, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. 

According to an order after the change of plea recently filed with the 5th Judicial District Court, Niles Veal pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, escape from official detention, littering and interference with a peace officer. 

In exchange for the defendant’s guilty pleas to those charges, the prosecution recommended a sentence of five to 10 years suspended for three years supervised probation and three to six years suspended for three years supervised probation, respectively. 

In exchange for Niles Veal’s guilty pleas to littering and interference with a peace officer, the prosecution will recommend a $500 fine. 

Court documents state Cody Veal pleaded guilty to burglary, breach of peace and interference with a peace officer charges. The prosecution agreed to recommend a deferred prosecution — due to Cody Veal’s first-time offender status — and three years of supervised probation in exchange for the defendant’s guilty plea to the burglary charge and a $500 fine for the misdemeanors. 

The Veals’ sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

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Two deaths reported at Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution 

TORRINGTON — The State of Wyoming Department of Corrections reported two inmate deaths at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution (WMCI) in Torrington over the weekend. 

On Friday, WDOC reported the death of David Tarver, who was serving an 18 to 20-year sentence for Second Degree Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Tarver was convicted in the First Judicial Court in Cheyenne on Nov. 15, 2010. 

Tarver was born on June. 19, 1960 in Fort Worth, Texas. 

On Saturday, WDOC reported the death of Francis Eckman who was serving a 15 to 20-year sentence for Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Minor. Eckman was convicted in the Seventh District Court in Casper on Nov. 12, 2014. 

Eckman, a native of Casper, was born on Aug. 20, 1972. 

According to the reports from WDOC, autopsies will be conducted to determine cause of death. WDOC does not release protected health information.