
State hospital to evaluate Casper man facing life sentence in domestic violence case
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of harming themselves, please call 911. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text “WYO” to 741-741 for the Crisis Text Line.
CASPER, Wyo. — A Casper man facing possible life imprisonment for alleged aggravated kidnapping has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness or defect. The NGMI plea was entered along with a traditional not guilty plea before Judge Josh Eames on Friday, Jan. 17.
Gavin Eric Niemeyer, 28, will now be evaluated by the Wyoming State Hospital. The NGMI statute states that Niemeyer would not be responsible for the crime if, at the time, he “lacked substantial capacity either to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law” due to a mental illness or deficiency.
Niemeyer is presumed innocent unless proven or pleading guilty.
Around 3:30 a.m. Aug. 2, 2024, a resident of a neighborhood off Robertson Road called 911 after her neighbor, the victim, came to her door. The neighbor said the woman appeared to have been hit in the face, had zip ties on her wrists and said Niemeyer was unconscious and had possibly overdosed.
Police responded to the victim’s home and found Niemeyer unresponsive, having apparently taken a large number of over-the-counter sleeping pills, according to the charging document filed in district court. Niemeyer was handcuffed at the scene and both he and the victim were taken to Banner Wyoming Medical Center.
The on-call detective investigated the home and found broken zip ties around a wall stud in the basement, the affidavit said. The ends appeared to have been stretched and twisted, indicating that the victim had been able to free herself while Niemeyer was unresponsive at the bottom of the stairs.
Another set of zip ties that appeared to have been cut were found near the pipes behind the washer and dryer. The woman said Niemeyer had first zip-tied her neck to the pipe then cut them with nail clippers. She recalled that before she was handcuffed and restrained, Niemeyer had punched her and lifted her up from behind by wrapping his arm around her throat, causing her to lose consciousness.
The woman told police they were drinking earlier that evening and had gotten into a fight. She said they’d both had about four shots, which was less than usual for them.
Niemeyer reportedly recalled performing some of the alleged actions to police, but didn’t recall drinking or the topic of the fight.
Neimeyer is charged with:
- Aggravated kidnapping, punishable by 20 years’ to life imprisonment
- Aggravated assault, a felony punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment
- Strangulation of a household member, a felony punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment
- Domestic battery, a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail
In October 2022, Niemeyer was charged with misdemeanor crimes of domestic battery and false imprisonment against the same victim and pleaded guilty in February 2023, the affidavit notes. In that case, Niemeyer was accused of tying the woman up before threatening to commit suicide, and investigators found evidence of similar circumstances in this case.
The aggravated kidnapping charge carries a minimum penalty of 20 years in prison.
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