Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
WORLAND — On June 30, authorities were called to a residence north of Worland for a report that a man threatened another man with a gun. An affidavit filed in Washakie County Circuit Court states the incident stemmed from a dispute between Donald Orr and his then-ex-girlfriend.
Court documents state the ex-girlfriend’s father was helping her move out of the home north of Worland. The affidavit states Orr pointed a gun at the woman’s father at some point.
He claimed he was shooting at a small animal.
Orr was charged with and pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment. Washakie County Circuit Court Judge Ed Luhm sentenced Orr to 30 days behind bars on July 1.
At some point, the girlfriend moved back in with Orr after he was released from jail.
And on August 16, Washakie County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the same home where Orr was previously arrested. After deputies forced their way in, they found 22-year-old Carlene Dawn Brown dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Brown was pregnant with a boy.
The sheriff’s office says Orr shot Brown four times before turning the gun on himself.
Worland Crisis Prevention and Response Center Executive Director Karina Rice said she is unaware of any murder-suicides taking place in Washakie County, though they have happened in Wyoming and the Big Horn Basin.
Although the shooting incident north of Worland — a murder-suicide — is exceedingly rare in Washakie County, it highlights something that is common in the county.
According to court records, 45 domestic violence cases were filed in Washakie County Circuit Court from September 2018 through September 2021. Prosecutors filed an additional six stalking cases. Simply filing a case for prosecution does not equate to a conviction.
“I think (domestic violence rates are) really high,” Rice said. “It comes in waves. We could go a month without hearing anything other than just continuing to work with those who are already working with us.
“And then for two solid weeks we’ll have an influx of people coming.”
The Crisis Prevention and Response Center provides several resources for those seeking reprieve from domestic violence situations, Rice said. Those include working with victims and landlords to obtain shelter.
Rice cited financial needs as a primary reason for domestic violence victims returning to the same household as the perpetrator. In most instances, female domestic violence victims are victimized at the hands of a primary bread winner. There always seems to be a financial burden when leaving.
According to Rice, it takes domestic violence victims seven attempts to get out of their situation. Those seven attempts could happen over decades, as incidents could be separated by years at a time.
Sheri Meeks serves as the Victim-Witness Coordinator for the Washakie County Attorney’s Office. Like Rice, Meeks works with domestic violence victims — and other crime victims — when incidents find their way into the court system.
Both the CPRC and witness coordinator office treat victims’ safety as paramount. Meeks said she works with victims to have a safety plan. Both the CPRC and witness coordinator assist victims in getting a protection order.
“The main thing about a safety plan is ‘Always have your cell phone,’” Meeks said. “We listen to their concerns and see how we can address them.
“We make sure their home is secure or they have a hotel if we can’t find (the perpetrator) until they’re picked up.”
It’s standard for judges to make not having contact with the victim of a crime a standard bond condition once an alleged perpetrator has their initial appearance or arraignment. A protection order takes that a step further, Meeks said.
For example, under a protection order, if a victim merely sees a perpetrator in the same grocery store, the perpetrator must immediately leave the property.
Meeks also assists victims with preparing for their day in court. Among the most challenging times for a victim in a courtroom is facing their perpetrator and addressing them during a sentencing hearing.
Victim impact statements, Meeks said, are often re-traumatizing for the victim of a crime.
“We ask, ‘How has this crime impacted your life?,’” Meeks said. “A lot of times when they’re talking, I’ll type and help them write it out. All of it is 100% their words. They start thinking about how this has affected their life.”
Meeks said victims will often walk into her office with no loss for words regarding their experiences. When they get in a courtroom — in front of a judge and the person who victimized them — it’s easy to see why they may freeze.
What victims have to say to their perpetrator, be it verbally in a courtroom or in a written statement, will follow the perpetrator for the rest of their life. Should a perpetrator receive a prison sentence, the impact statement will be there for the parole board to read.
When a victim walks into a courtroom, be it their perpetrator’s trial or sentencing hearing, the victim-witness coordinator is there every step of the way, Meeks said. That could be translating legalese into English, or it could be as simple as making sure they have tissues on hand.
“We make them feel as comfortable as possible,” Meeks said.