Brandtly Bedsaul Bound Over For Trial On Rape, Attempted Murder Of Girl
A man accused of raping and attempting to murder a girl two weeks ago will go to trial in Natrona County District Court.
Brandtly Bedsaul, through his attorney, waived his preliminary hearing in Natrona County Circuit Court that was scheduled for Thursday morning.
Bedsaul, 19, made his initial appearance in circuit court on Oct. 3, and is in custody on a $1 million cash bond.
His arraignment will be scheduled later.
According to the second amended criminal information document filed Wednesday, he is charged with attempting to murder the girl, who is probably 4 years old, by strangulation; which is punishable by up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
This was amended from the original charge that included perpetration or attempted perpetration of a sexual crime along with strangulation during an attempted murder.
The three other charges remain the same in the amended criminal information: One count of first-degree sexual assault (rape), which is punishable by up to 50 years imprisonment; one count of aggravated assault, which is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, and one count of aggravated child abuse, which is punishable by up to 25 years imprisonment.
Bedsaul already was on probation for a previous felony. Other court records say he had been hospitalized at the Wyoming Behavioral Institute.
The case started the evening of Sept. 28 when police responded to a residence in Casper, according to the police affidavit filed with circuit court. The affidavit is heavily redacted, and details including names and addresses are blacked out.
People told police they were having a gathering with family members and children. One resident realized a child was missing, called for her but was unable to find her.
He went outside and saw Bedsaul with his hands around the girl’s neck. He was naked from the waist down, and her shirt was pulled up to her neck and she was covered in blood.
The victim’s father came outside and jumped on Bedsaul as he was trying to run away.
When police arrived, they found the victim’s mother cradling her daughter, “and was hysterical yelling at the firefighters to ‘please help her baby girl.'”
A Wyoming Medical Center physician said the child suffered trauma to the genitals, and injuries suggesting strangulation. She was taken by air ambulance to Denver Children’s Hospital for treatment.
Court documents do not indicate her condition.
A search warrant stated Bedsaul had pin-point pupils, could not sit still, and fidgeted with uncontrollable movements. "The suspect's actions are consistent with the indications of being under the influence of a controlled substance."