K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For September 28th, 2018 – Morning

NEW DATA PULLED FROM CASPER BUSINESSMAN TONY CERCY'S IPHONE REBUTS HIS ASSERTION IN FEBRUARY THAT HE WAS ASLEEP WHEN A SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGEDLY HAPPENED AT HIS HOUSE LAST YEAR.

NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE BLONIGEN SAID DURING A MOTIONS HEARING THURSDAY THAT INFORMATION ON CERCY'S IPHONE'S HEALTH APP DIRECTLY CONTRADICTED HIS SWORN TESTIMONY OF INNOCENCE DURING HIS SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIAL IN FEBRUARY.

CERCY'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY PAMELA MACKEY OPPOSED THE INTRODUCTION OF THESE NEW FINDINGS, SAYING THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE DATA WOULD PREJUDICE THE JURY WITHOUT GIVING MUCH WORTHWHILE INFORMATION DURING CERCY'S UPCOMING TRIAL ON ONE COUNT OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT.

BUT DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DANIEL FORGEY RULED IN BLONIGEN'S FAVOR, SAYING THE ATTORNEYS CAN ARGUE THE MERITS OF THE DATA BEFORE THE JURY IN THE TRIAL SCHEDULED IN THERMOPOLIS IN NOVEMBER.

IN FEBRUARY, CERCY WAS ACQUITTED OF FIRST-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT, BUT FORGEY DECLARED A MISTRIAL ON THE COUNT OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT.
THE NEW TRIAL WILL INCLUDE MANY OF THE SAME ARGUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND WITNESSES FROM THE FIRST TRIAL INCLUDING DATA FROM THE CELL PHONES OF CERCY AND THE THEN 20-YEAR-OLD WOMAN ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED AT CERCY'S FORMER RESIDENCE AT ALCOVA LAKE IN JUNE 2017.

IT ALSO WILL INCLUDE THE NEW DATA, WHICH BLONIGEN SAID WASN'T NECESSARILY CONSISTENT BUT IT INDICATED CERCY WAS ACTIVE WHEN HE SAID HE WAS ASLEEP.

MACKEY CALLED A COMPUTER ANALYST WHO SAID THE HEALTH APP GIVES WILDLY INCONSISTENT RESULTS THAT IS OKAY FOR CASUAL INFORMATION, BUT NOT RELIABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR USE IN A CRIMINAL PROCEEDING.
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THE NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS LOOKING FOR THREE PEOPLE WHO ESCAPED FROM THE CASPER RE-ENTRY CENTER.

KRISTOFER COUNTS IS A 29-YEAR-OLD WHITE MALE, WEIGHING 175 POUNDS WITH BROWN HAIR AND HAZEL EYES. HE WAS ARRESTED IN 2017 FOR STRANGULATION OF A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER.

HE WAS FIRST LISTED AS MISSING AT 1:35 PM WEDNESDAY.

ALSO MISSING IS 32-YEAR-OLD IRENE WATKINS. SHE IS A A WHITE FEMALE, 5'2" TALL, 145 LBS WITH BROWN HAIR AND BLUE EYES. SHE WAS ARRESTED IN CAMPBELL COUNTY FOR FORGERY AND OBTAINING PROPERTY BY FALSE PRETENSES.

SHE WENT MISSING ON WEDNESDAY AT 1:35 PM.

AND THEN THURSDAY, THERE WAS YET ANOTHER ESCAPE FROM THE CASPER RE-ENTRY CENTER. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS THAT HER NAME IS WILEMINA JEANETTE LONGTINE. HER DESCRIPTION,

AGE 38, WHITE FEMALE, 5 FOOT 4 INCHES TALL, 140 POUNDS, GREEN EYES, BROWN HAIR.

WILEMINA WAS SENTENCED OUT OF THE 7TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT. HER ORIGINAL CHARGE WAS FOR DELIVERY OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.

AT THIS TIME IT IS BELIEVED ALL THREE ESCAPEES MAY BE TOGETHER.

IF YOU SEE OR KNOW THE WHEREABOUTS OF ANY OF THESE PEOPLE, PLEASE CONTACT THE NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
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THE BOARD OF THE CHEYENNE ANIMAL SHELTER ACCEPTED THE RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENT CHLOE ILLOWAY WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

ILLOWAY'S RESIGNATION COMES JUST THREE WEEKS AFTER AN 80 POUND PIT BULL NAMED TANNER WAS PEPPER SPRAYED AT THE DIRECTION OF THE SHELTER'S CEO, BOB FECHT A DAY AFTER BITING AN EMPLOYEE.

POLICE INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND DETERMINED FECHT AND ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS ERIC SMALE (SMAIL) AND RYAN JOHNSON "DID COMMIT ANIMAL ABUSE BY UNNECESSARILY TORMENTING THE DOG WHEN IT WAS SPRAYED WITH PEPPER SPRAY."

THEY ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY MORNING THEY WERE RECOMMENDING CHARGES OF MISDEMEANOR ANIMAL ABUSE FOR THE THREE, BUT AS OF THURSDAY MORNING THE LARAMIE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAD YET TO FILE CHARGES IN THE CASE.

THE BOARD DISCUSSED THE RECOMMENDED CHARGES FOR FECHT, BUT BECAUSE SOME MEMBERS WERE NOT PRESENT, DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION ABOUT HIS FUTURE AT A SPECIAL MEETING TO BE HELD IN MID-OCTOBER.

FECHT WAS SUSPENDED FOR 60 DAYS WITHOUT PAY LAST WEEK.
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A WILDFIRE IN WYOMING HAS DESTROYED OVER 55 HOMES, AND FIREFIGHTERS HAVE CLOSED A HIGHWAY WHILE THEY SET THEIR OWN FIRES TO TRY TO STOP THE MAIN FIRE'S SPREAD.

SOME OF THE HOMES BURNED SUNDAY. BUT SHERIFF'S OFFICIALS WEREN'T IMMEDIATELY ABLE TO GET CLOSE TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE IN A SUBDIVISION OF WIDELY SPACED MOUNTAIN RETREATS.

AS OF WEDNESDAY, AUTHORITIES CONTINUED TO ASSESS DAMAGE IN THE HOBACK RANCHES DEVELOPMENT NEAR BONDURANT IN WESTERN WYOMING. OVER 300 PEOPLE REMAINED EVACUATED FROM THE AREA.

FIREFIGHTERS SAY THEY'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF FAVORABLE CONDITIONS TO CONDUCT A BACK-BURN NEAR U.S. HIGHWAY 189/191. AUTHORITIES HAVE CLOSED THE HIGHWAY FOR THE OPERATION, WHICH INVOLVES BURNING AWAY BRUSH TO DEPRIVE THE MAIN FIRE OF FUEL.

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CASPER, WYO. (AP) - PROSECUTORS HAVE ACCUSED A FORMER CORRECTIONS CENTER EMPLOYEE IN WYOMING OF HAVING SEX WITH AN INMATE AND HELPING HIM ESCAPE...