John Knox Bound Over For Trial On Attempted Second-Degree Murder Charge

A Casper man will be bound over for trial on three felony counts including attempted second-degree murder at a bar in Mills.

John Knox lost his bid to have the attempted murder charge dropped during his preliminary hearing in Natrona County Circuit Court on Thursday.

Knox was originally accused of aggravated assault and possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent after a fight at the Racks Gentlemen’s Club early Jan. 16.

He was later charged with attempted second degree murder.

During the hearing Thursday, Natrona County Sheriff's investigator Sean Ellis told Assistant District Attorney Dan Itzen that people saw Knox ejected from the bar.

Ellis said a bouncer heard Knox say "'get him out here, I'm going to get my banger,'" went to a vehicle in front of the bar, rummaged around the front and back passenger seats and found a pistol, racked the slide to put a round in the chamber, and tried to get back into the bar.

One witness heard Knox say he wanted to kill someone, Ellis said.

But Knox's public defender Kurt Infanger told Circuit Court Judge Michael Patchen there was probable cause for the aggravated assault and weapon charges, but not for attempted second degree murder.

Knox did not make a specific threat about anyone, and that getting a gun did not mean he was going to kill someone, Infanger said.

Patchen disagreed, saying Knox still made a substantial step to wanting to kill someone, and that was enough probable cause to bind him over for trial.