K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For February 8, 2018 – Evening

A WASHINGTON STATE MAN ARRESTED LAST MONTH TRAVELING WITH TWO TEENAGE GIRLS HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SEX TRAFFICKING.

FEDERAL COURT RECORDS SAY SIXTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD DAVID PETER VIER HEARD THE CHARGE DURING HIS INITIAL APPEARANCE IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT IN CHEYENNE ON WEDNESDAY.

U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE KELLY RANKIN ORDERED VIER, IN THE CUSTODY OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, HELD WITHOUT BOND.

IF CONVICTED, VIER FACES 10 YEARS TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES SAY VIER WAS ARRESTED WEST OF GREEN RIVER ON INTERSTATE 80 ON JANUARY 20TH, AFTER THEY RECEIVED A REPORT FROM A LITTLE AMERICA EMPLOYEE ABOUT TWO GIRLS IN A RESTAURANT HIDING FROM A MAN.
EARLIER THAT DAY, AN UNIDENTIFIED PERSON FROM KANSAS REPORTED THE GIRLS WERE BEING TAKEN FROM WASHINGTON TO KANSAS.

OFFICERS FOUND THE GIRLS AND VIER AT THE RESTAURANT.

VIER WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND QUESTIONED, AND THE 12- AND 14-YEAR-OLD GIRLS WERE PLACED IN PROTECTIVE CARE.

THE GIRLS TOLD OFFICERS THEIR MOTHER RECENTLY HAD KICKED THEM OUT OF THEIR HOUSE IN SEATTLE, AND THEY MET VIER AT A STORE WHERE THEY WERE ASKING FOR RIDES.

HE TOLD THEM HE WOULD TAKE THEM TO THEIR GRANDMOTHER IN KANSAS ONLY IF THEY WOULD BE HIS SEX PARTNERS, BUT THEY THOUGHT HE WAS JOKING.

WHILE THEY WERE TRAVELING VIER TOLD THE GIRLS HE WAS GOING TO HAVE SEX WITH THEM WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT LITTLE AMERICA.

THE GIRLS AGREED THEY HAD TO RUN WHEN THEY ARRIVED BECAUSE THEY FEARED THEY WOULD BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.

AFTER VIER'S ARREST, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SEARCHED HIS PICKUP WHERE THEY FOUND HANDCUFFS AND OTHER RESTRAINTS, KNIVES, AND BOTTLES OF ANESTHETICS.
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THE NATRONA AND TETON COUNTIES' SHERIFF'S OFFICES, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, ARE INVESTIGATING SIMILAR BOMB THREATS RECEIVED TUESDAY IN WYOMING AND ELSEWHERE NATIONALLY.
NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SPOKESMAN SERGEANT AARON SHATTO SAID WEDNESDAY THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT DOESN'T BELIEVE THE THREATS POSE A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC.

THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED THE REPORT OF THE THREAT AT 7:35 P.M. TUESDAY, BUT SHATTO DECLINED TO GIVE DETAILS ABOUT THE THREAT INCLUDING THE LOCATION.

THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ACTIVATED ITS BOMB TEAM AND SEARCHED THE UNIDENTIFIED AREA.

SHATTO ALSO DECLINED TO SAY WHETHER THERE ARE ANY SUSPECTS IN THE CASE OR WHO OR WHAT WAS THE OBJECT OF THE THREAT.

MEANWHILE, THE TETON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED A SIMILAR THREAT, AND SIMILAR THREATS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ELSEWHERE.
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AUTHORITIES HAVE IDENTIFIED THE WYOMING TRIBAL MEMBER WHO DIED IN A PEDESTRIAN-VEHICLE COLLISION.

26-YEAR-OLD VERONICA MOSS DIED AS A RESULT OF THE SUNDAY COLLISION NEAR RIVERTON.

FREMONT COUNTY CORONER MARK STRATMOEN SAID THE EXACT CAUSE OF HER DEATH WILL BE RELEASED WHEN THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE.

THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION AND BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS ARE IN CHARGE OF THE INVESTIGATION BECAUSE THE INCIDENT INVOLVED A TRIBAL MEMBER ON THE WIND RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION.

STRATMOEN SAYS THE INCIDENT IS THE COUNTY'S FIRST TRAFFIC FATALITY SINCE SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR..
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THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS MOVING TOWARD PROVIDING HOUSING FOR ITS EMPLOYEES IN TETON COUNTY, IN PARTICULAR ITS FIRST RESPONDERS.

THE DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONED A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND PRELIMINARY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS TO EXAMINE HOW MANY HOUSING UNITS COULD FIT ON ITS PROPERTY IN JACKSON.

PRELIMINARY DESIGNS UNDER REVIEW SHOW BETWEEN 14 AND 27 UNITS. BUT FUNDING IS A KEY FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE SCALE OF THE POTENTIAL PROJECT, ALONG WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S NEEDS.

THOUGH ALL EMPLOYEES WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE HOUSING, THE MOST PRESSING NEED IS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE STATE HIGHWAY PATROLLERS, MAINTENANCE WORKERS, SNOW PLOW DRIVERS AND AVALANCHE MITIGATORS - ROLES THAT OFTEN ARE REQUIRED TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO AFTER-HOURS INCIDENTS AND CAN HAVE DIFFICULTY COMMUTING BACK INTO JACKSON.