K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For May 14th, 2018 – Morning

A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE REGIONAL JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER IN CASPER WAS ARRAIGNED FRIDAY MORNING IN DISTRICT COURT ON CHARGES ALLEGING HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A FEMALE INMATE.

JOHN R. GALLAGHER, WHO WORKED AS A SHIFT SUPERVISOR AT THE DETENTION CENTER, PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO ONE COUNT EACH OF SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR AND THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT. HE COULD FACE UP TO 35 YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED ON BOTH COUNTS.

ACCORDING TO THE AFFIDAVIT FILED IN THE CASE, AN INVESTIGATOR WITH THE NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE BEGAN INVESTIGATING IN LATE NOVEMBER AFTER A JUVENILE FEMALE INMATE ALLEGED THAT GALLAGHER HAD MADE INAPPROPRIATE ADVANCES TOWARD HER AND GRABBED HER BREAST WHILE SHE WAS HOUSED AT THE FACILITY.

A SECOND ALLEGED INCIDENT WAS SAID TO HAVE OCCURRED ON NOV. 24 IN THE FACILITY'S NURSING STATION, WHERE GALLAGHER ALLEGEDLY UNZIPPED HIS PANTS BUT THE VICTIM SAID HE DID NOT EXPOSE HIMSELF TO HER.

IN A SECOND INTERVIEW WITH THE INVESTIGATOR, GALLAGHER ADMITTED TO TOUCHING THE VICTIM'S BREAST AFTER THE VICTIM EXPOSED HERSELF. HE SAID IT ONLY HAPPENED ONCE, AND HE KEPT HIS DISTANCE AFTER THAT.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR CORY MILLER, WHO RUNS THE FACILITY, SAID FRIDAY THAT GALLAGHER IS NO LONGER EMPLOYED BY CORNERSTONE PROGRAMS, WHICH IS THE GROUP THAT RUNS THE FACILITY.

GALLAGHER REMAINS FREE ON $5,000 SURETY BOND. HIS CASE IS ON THE TRIAL STACK FOR JULY 30.
=================================

A MAN CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO A 30- TO 50-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR SECOND-DEGREE MURDER LOST ANOTHER APPEAL FRIDAY AFTER A JUDGE TURNED DOWN HIS REQUEST TO COLLECT DNA EVIDENCE OF THE VICTIM.

NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE THOMAS SULLINS DENIED JOHN KNOSPLER JR.'S MOTION TO OBTAIN POSSIBLE DNA FROM HIS GUN BEFORE THE SHOOTING AT RACK'S NIGHTCLUB WEST OF CASPER IN 2013.

THIS MOTION WAS PRELIMINARY TO FILING A MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL, EVEN THOUGH OTHER ATTEMPTS TO APPEAL HIS CONVICTION HAVE FAILED.

AFTER A SEVEN-DAY TRIAL IN DECEMBER 2014, A JURY CONVICTED KNOSPLER OF SHOOTING BALDWIN.

HE WAS SENTENCED IN APRIL 2015.
KNOSPLER, THROUGH HIS ATTORNEY GERALD SOUCIE, ARGUED THAT SKIN CELL EVIDENCE THAT MAY BE ON THE PISTOL IS NECESSARY TO SHOW BALDWIN MAY HAVE GRABBED THE PISTOL, AND THAT TESTING FOR THE DNA MAY CLEAR KNOSPLER.

SOUCIE ALSO ARGUED THAT KNOSPLER'S DEFENSE ATTORNEYS WERE INEFFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET THIS EVIDENCE.

BUT ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY DAN ITZEN RESPONDED THAT WYOMING LAW DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THIS KIND OF TESTING WHEN THE PERPETRATOR IS KNOWN.

ITZEN SAID KNOSPLER UNDENIABLY WAS THE SHOOTER, ACCORDING TO THE EVIDENCE AT THE TRIAL AND THE JURY'S VERDICT.

JUDGE SULLINS AGREED WITH ITZEN, SAYING THERE WAS NO ISSUE THAT KNOSPLER WAS THE SHOOTER, THE LAW IS NARROW AND WOULD NOT FACTOR IN A SELF-DEFENSE ARGUMENT, KNOSPLER'S DEFENSE ATTORNEYS WERE EXCELLENT, AND THE EVIDENCE POINTED TO HIS GUILT.
=============================

A 46-YEAR-OLD CHEYENNE WOMAN ACCUSED OF STABBING HER BOYFRIEND'S WIFE TO DEATH HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THE CHARGES AGAINST HER.

TANYA PEARSON ENTERED THE PLEA THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING IN LARAMIE COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.

PEARSON IS CHARGED WITH INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IN THE APRIL 16 DEATH OF 45-YEAR-OLD JENNIFER PRATT.

POLICE SAY THE TWO WOMEN GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT AT THEIR HOME, THEN DROVE TO MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARK WHERE THEY CONTINUED TO ARGUE AND PEARSON ENDED UP STABBING PRATT.

PEARSON'S ATTORNEY, ONCE AGAIN, ASKED THAT HER CLIENT BE RELEASED ON HER OWN RECOGNIZANCE, ARGUING THAT SHE "WASN'T A FLIGHT RISK," BUT JUDGE THOMAS CAMPBELL DENIED THE REQUEST.

CAMPBELL DID, HOWEVER, LOWER PEARSON'S BOND FROM $10,000 CASH OR SURETY TO $5,000 CASH OR SURETY.

PEARSON'S JURY TRIAL WAS SET FOR AUG. 13. SHE COULD FACE UP TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED.
==============================
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYO. (AP) - THE WORLD'S LARGEST ACTIVE GEYSER HAS ERUPTED AGAIN IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.

THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAID THE STEAMBOAT GEYSER ERUPTED JUST BEFORE 4 A.M. SUNDAY, ITS FIFTH ERUPTION SO FAR THIS YEAR.

IN A SERIES OF TWEETS , THE AGENCY SAID THERE'S NO INDICATION OF ANY VOLCANIC ACTIVITY IN THE PARK AND THAT MOST GEYSERS ARE INTERMITTENT. HOWEVER, IT SAYS THE STRING OF ERUPTIONS IS A GOOD SIGN THAT SUMMER VISITORS WILL GET TO SEE SOME "SPECTACULAR GEYSERING."

STEAMBOAT HAS GONE DORMANT FOR AS LONG AS NINE YEARS. ITS FIRST ERUPTION SINCE 2014 OCCURRED IN MID-MARCH, FOLLOWED BY TWO OTHER ERUPTIONS IN APRIL AND ANOTHER ON MAY 4.

EARLIER THIS MONTH SCIENTISTS DEPLOYED 28 SEISMOGRAPHS AROUND THE GEYSER TO GATHER DATA IN HOPES OF CATCHING IT ERUPTING AGAIN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STEAMBOAT.