After throwing liquid bleach in the face of a man he accused of being with his wife, a North Casper man pled guilty to one count of aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

Recently, the defendant, Glenn Tyrone Green, appealed his conviction, asserting that his plea wasn't supported by a sufficient factual basis that bleach is a deadly weapon.

According to court records, Green entered the victim's residence through a sliding glass door without an invitation on July 29, 2023.

"Suprise mother****er," said Green as he approached the victim in his recliner. “I know you’ve been with my wife.”

Unprovoked, Green then threw liquid bleach from a paper Pepsi cup at the victim, splashing him in the face.

Green also struck the man in his face with a BB gun and said “Now you are going to die slowly, bitch.” He then left the residence.

The victim washed his face, flushed his eyes, and called 911.

He described the pain as feeling “like his body was on fire” and the “most pain he has ever gone through.”

Detectives noted that his eyes were red and inflamed. The left side of his face showed swelling. Staff at the hospital later documented that his back showed signs of chemical irritation.

Detectives also found the Pepsi cup next to his recliner with clear liquid inside that smelled like bleach.

Green was later arrested and accepted a plea deal with the state in exchange for them dismissing the BB gun allegations and putting a "six-year cap" on sentencing with a cold plea provision. Green violated terms of the agreement and the provision was revoked; he was ultimately given a six to eight year sentence.

In his appeal, Green questions bleach as a "deadly weapon," as the term is defined in the Wyoming Criminal Code, arguing that there is no factual basis for finding that is is "reasonably capable of producing death or serious bodily injury."

The Supreme Court has discussed the definition in similar cases. Per state statute, it is not limited to "a firearm, explosive or incendiary material, motorized vehicle, an animal or other device, instrument, material or substance...[the law] states that a person is guilty of aggravated assault and battery if he '[t]hreatens to use a drawn deadly weapon on another unless reasonably necessary in defense of his person, property or abode or to prevent serious bodily injury to another."

The legislature did not limit the types of deadly weapon that can be used to commit the crime set out in § 6-2-502(a)(iii).

There's a first time for everything. This case points out that the Supreme Court had not previously considered whether or not bleach counted as a deadly weapon, but pointed to other states that came to the conclusion earlier.

The court had, however, already made the determination about several other items including a chair, a frying pan, and a jack handle.

"Even shoes can be deadly weapons depending upon how they are used" they add.

The court decided that bleach, undoubtedly, could be considered a deadly weapon.

Their exact words: "In short, there is no doubt that bleach can constitute a deadly weapon under § 6-2-
104(a)(iv) and § 6-2-502(a)(ii)."

According to the FBI, looking at aggravated assault offenses across the nation, 26 percent were committed with "personal weapons," such as hands, fists, or feet. Firearms were used in another 24 percent, and knives or other cutting instruments were used in 18 percent.

But in most cases (32%) it's not guns, knives, or fists. The weapon falls under the "other" category.