Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
THERMOPOLIS – A Thermopolis man was sentenced to six to eight years in a Wyoming state penitentiary for aggravated homicide. The maximum penalty is 20 years.
In February, Cody Shinost was found guilty by a Washakie County jury of aggravated homicide by vehicle under intoxication of alcohol for the death of Madisen A. Price, driving a car while under the influence with serious bodily injury to Delanie Price and guilty of driving a car under the influence with serious bodily injury to Dylan Balstad. The charges stemmed from a crash in May 14, 2014.
The jury was pooled from Washakie County because of the extensive media coverage in Hot Springs County.
In addition to the six to eight years for aggravated homicide, Shinost also received a suspended charge of four to six years in Wyoming state penitentiary for the two bodily injury charges. Following his imprisonment for the aggravated homicide by vehicle Shinost will have to complete 400 hours of community service and be on supervised probation for 20 years for the serious bodily injury charges for Delanie Price and Balstad.
Prior to announcing sentencing, Hot Springs County Judge Robert E. Skar spoke directly to Shinost and said, “I see the town is divided for those who support you and those who support the Prices … and I’ve considered your efforts in making yourself better … but it does mitigate the seriousness of what happened.”
Shinost will also pay the amount of $27,922.02 in restitution to help cover funeral expenses and hospital bills for the Price family.
Court
During sentencing Hot Springs County and Prosecuting Attorney Jerry Williams, representing the State of Wyoming, gave his recommendation of eight to 15 years for the aggravated homicide charge in the death of Madisen A. Price and four to seven years for the serious bodily injury charges related to Delanie Price and Dylan Balstad, but the bodily injury charges to run concurrently and not consecutively, “because Cody is young and hopefully deserving.”
“While the sentence is very lenient is does provide a message to teens in the community. There is a price to be paid ... when you willing and knowingly violate the law,” Williams said.
Ultimately, the judge rejected that recommendation, but not before Senior Public Defender Richard H. Hopkinson, representing Shinost, brought in additional testimony from Justine Materia, Shinost’s girlfriend.
Materia said Shinost has turned his life around. “Since the accident he tried to turn his life around … He found Christ … and volunteers for things in the community, and he doesn’t drink or done drugs since the accident,” she said.
“He’s struggled with coping and accepting what happened. He didn’t get chance to mourn. He feels remorse and wishes he could take back his actions,” Materia said.
Chris Price, the mother of Delanie and the late Madisen Price, took the stand and directly spoke to Shinost.
“We wouldn’t be here if he were to have made a call [to 911] or told the truth. He kept lying until three weeks before the trial,” she said.
“Because of your actions you broke my baby and my family. You took away my life and everything good, and you were more worried about yourself.
“You never took responsibility ...you never made the call. You broke us and … I can’t forgive you,” Chris Price said.
Following the victim impact statement, Shinost addressed the court and spoke directly to the judge.
“I constantly run the choices I made through my mind. All four of us were friends and made a decision to go out that night … Since that day … I started seeing a counselor and continue to seek help after I was released on bond.
“I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and over time I have come to truly change and be the best I could be,” Shinost said. He ended by asking the judge to take his positive life choices into consideration.
A physically impaired Delanie Price was the last to take the stand Monday giving her victim impact’s statement, and with her mother and father by her side to help her stand, a barely audible “I hate you” could be heard before returning back to her seat.
Shinost was cuffed immediately after the trial and remanded to custody of the county sheriff.
The judge said he could be out in four years with good behavior.