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Prosecutor: Two deputies justified in fatal shooting of woman at Gem State Park – East Idaho News

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Prosecutor: Two deputies justified in fatal shooting of woman at Gem State Park – East Idaho News


IDAHO FALLS — Two Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office deputies were justified in the fatal shooting of a woman at Gem State Park last year, according to the investigating prosecutor.

The shooting happened in March and was initially investigated by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force.

RELATED | Deputies, woman identified in fatal shooting at Gem State Park

According to Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal, the review of the incident was assigned to former Bingham County Prosecutor Paul Rogers last year. He completed his investigation in May, and published a memorandum, which found the deputies involved were correct in their use of deadly force.

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Background on what happened

On March 30, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputy Patrick Crapo checked on a vehicle — a white Lincoln MKZ — at the Gem Lake boat launch on South 35th West in Bonneville County at around 3:30 a.m. The car belonged to 38-year-old Nicolle Lynn Lockyer of Bonneville County and she was the vehicle’s only occupant.

Crapo approached the parked Lincoln at the passenger’s side front window. The vehicle was not running, according to the memorandum. He talked to Lockyer, who said she was at the location because of a fight with her boyfriend.

She said her car failed to restart because of a dead battery, the memorandum said.

Crapo asked her if she was on probation, and she said she was not. She told him that she had gone to prison and finished her sentence.

He checked in with dispatch about Lockyer’s status and was told that she had a felony warrant out of Bingham County.

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Bonneville County Sheriff Deputy Kyle Penney then arrived. Crapo and Penney both approached the parked Lincoln to arrest Lockyer for the warrant.

Crapo went to the passenger door and Penney stood in front of the car “offset to the driver’s side.”

Crapo spoke to Lockyer, and it appeared to him that she had begun reaching for something. He then requested she come out of the vehicle. She hesitated and asked why, the memorandum said. Crapo said he would explain the reason as soon as she got out. She said she would.

Lockyer then instantly put the car into drive, drove forward, and directed the vehicle at Penney, the memorandum said. The vehicle accelerated quickly and hit Penney. The vehicle only stopped from driving over Penney due to a large snow bank the car got stuck on.

Penney was hit in both legs and fell back, the memorandum said. Penney and Crapo drew their firearms and began shooting at Lockyer.

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Crapo fired eight shots at the vehicle and Penney also shot eight rounds. Lockyer was hit four times from the gunshots in the pelvis, abdomen, thorax and shoulder area, the memorandum said.

Crapo called dispatch and reported shots were fired. Crapo then opened the passenger door and removed Lockyer from the vehicle and began lifesaving measures on her.

She was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and died of her injuries at the hospital.

Deputies were justified

According to the analysis from Rogers, Crapo took the “necessary steps in approaching the vehicle in a professional manner.” Lockyer’s responses were misleading and scattered, and she also lied about her car being dead, the memorandum said.

Crapo learned about her extensive criminal history and attempted to have her step out of the car before he explained the warrant.

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“However, Lockyer’s actions are an example of a person knowing that she understood what was going to happen because she most likely knew of her outstanding warrant and her attempt to mislead the officers,” documents said.

The memorandum continues to say her reaction in starting her car and hitting Penney with the vehicle while accelerating rapidly “was enough to show beyond reasonable doubt of her aggravated battery on certain personnel.”

After Penney was hit, Crapo’s concern for Penney’s health can be heard in video, with him questioning whether or not Penney was okay. As both officers drew their firearms at that moment, Crapo was “completely justified” in responding to a situation in which Lockyer was threatening the life of Penney, the memorandum said.

“Deputy Penney’s life was at the highest risk as he drew his weapon. It appears that only luck of having snow stop the car might have been the only reason Deputy Penney did not sustain further damage or worse death,” the memorandum said.

Penney had minor injuries, according to a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. Both Penney and Crapo are back on duty.

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RELATED | 2023 was one of the deadliest for police shootings in Idaho. Here’s a look at the data.

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Interstate 84 near Mountain Home back open after utility work

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Interstate 84 near Mountain Home back open after utility work


MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Interstate 84 near Mountain Home is back open after crews closed the freeway due to utility work.

Crews closed westbound and eastbound lanes on Saturday morning from milepost 90 to milepost 95 due to Idaho Power working on power lines in the area, according to the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office. All lanes are now back open in both directions.

The sheriff’s office and the Mountain Home Police Department apologized for the inconvenience, saying they were just informed of the closure on Saturday morning.

More information regarding road closures and traffic conditions can be found at the Idaho Transportation Department’s 511 map.

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Idaho murder victims’ families file wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University

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Idaho murder victims’ families file wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University


The families of the four University of Idaho students killed in a brutal 2022 stabbing attack have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University (WSU), alleging the school ignored repeated warning signs about Bryan Kohberger.

The civil complaint, filed Jan. 7 in Skagit County Superior Court, was brought by Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee Goncalves; Karen Laramie, mother of Madison Mogen; Jeffrey Kernodle, father of Xana Kernodle; and Stacy Chapin, mother of Ethan Chapin.

The lawsuit accuses WSU of gross negligence, wrongful death and violations of federal education laws, including Title IX. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified monetary damages.

Attorney Robert Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, said that the decision to leave damages “unspecified” is a strategic norm in high-stakes litigation because it prevents the focus from shifting towards sensationalism and keeps the decision firmly in the hands of the jury.

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“Ultimately, that’s to be determined and answered by the jury,” said Clifford, who is not involved in the lawsuit. “But you have some compelling facts and the liability is going to depend on the strength of what the school knew.”

The brother and parents of Kaylee Goncalves speak after Bryan Kohberger’s sentencing hearing at the Ada County Courthouse on July 23, 2025. Reuters
Bryan Kohberger in police custody after his arrest in December 2022. Moscow Police Department
Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were found dead inside an off-campus apartment in Moscow, Idaho.

Despite Kohberger’s guilty plea in the murders, Clifford explained the civil case remains strong because the families face a lower burden of proof – requiring only a preponderance of evidence to establish the university’s liability.

“The mere fact that he pled guilty might not even be admissible in the civil proceeding because he’s not the defendant, right? If he is a defendant in the civil proceeding, then his plea of guilty will be important. And indeed, this school might try to use that to say, ‘See, it wasn’t our fault. He admits that it was his fault.’ But the bar is different for someone in a criminal proceeding than it is in a civil proceeding.”

According to the lawsuit, WSU hired Kohberger as a teaching assistant in its criminal justice and criminology department and provided him with a salary, tuition benefits, health insurance and on-campus housing.

The victims’ families allege the university had extensive authority over Kohberger’s conduct but failed to act despite mounting concerns.

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Here’s the latest coverage on Bryan Kohberger:


The complaint says WSU received at least 13 formal reports accusing Kohberger of threatening, stalking, harassing or predatory behavior toward female students and staff during the fall 2022 semester. The families argue university officials did not meaningfully investigate those complaints or remove Kohberger from campus before the murders – even though they had the authority to do so.

The lawsuit also alleges that the university failed to use its own threat-assessment systems designed to identify individuals who pose a risk of violence, even as concerns about Kohberger escalated. Instead, the families claim, the university continued to employ him, house him and give him access to students.

“The murders were foreseeable and preventable,” the complaint states, alleging WSU prioritized avoiding legal and reputational risk over student safety.

Madison Mogen’s mother, Karen Laramie, and stepfather, Scott Laramie, leave the courthouse after Bryan Kohberger’s sentencing hearing. Reuters
Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, on July 23, 2025. Getty Images

The lawsuit also alleges broad failures within the public university, including alleged dysfunction within campus police and compliance officers who are responsible for handling accusations of misconduct, including sexual harassment and stalking.

Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to four counts of first-degree murder and burglary. He was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

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Prosecutors said Kohberger stabbed the four students in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, inside an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, just miles from the WSU campus in Pullman, Washington.

Karen Laramie, mother of Madison Mogan, and Kristi Goncalves, Kaylee Goncalves’ mother, embrace after the sentencing hearing for their daughters’ murderer. Reuters
Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania in December 2022 following a multi-state investigation.

Authorities linked him to the crime through DNA evidence, surveillance video and cellphone data showing repeated late-night trips near the victims’ home.

WSU has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit. Fox News Digital has reached out to WSU for comment.

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Turkey Town Hall to be held at the end of January to discuss North End nuisance

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Turkey Town Hall to be held at the end of January to discuss North End nuisance


BOISE, Idaho — At the end of January, Boise City Councilmember Jimmy Hallyburton will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the growing population of wild turkeys in the North End. The meeting, which is set to take place at Lowell Elementary School on January 29 at 7 p.m., will center around education and how to treat wildlife in an urban setting.

The public meeting will feature speakers from the Boise Parks and Recreation Department, Idaho Fish & Game, and Councilmember Hallyburton.

Hallyburton told Idaho News 6 over the phone that the meeting was prompted by damaging and, in some cases, violent behavior by wild turkeys in the North End. Residents in the area have reported turkeys scratching cars with their talons, ruining vegetable gardens, sparring with domesticated dogs & cats, and even becoming aggressive towards human beings.

A viewer in the North End recently shared a video with Idaho News 6 that shows a flock of turkeys accosting a postal service worker. Thankfully, a dog intervened and saved the USPS worker from further harm.

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See the video of the attack below

Hallyburton said that the North End community needs to take a focused approach to how it deals with the turkeys. “We’re making it too easy for them to live in the North End,” Hallyburton said. “We need to make our urban areas less habitable for the turkeys.”

The North End councilmember goes on to explain that residents who are feeding or treating the turkeys as pets are creating an environment in which human vs. wildlife conflict is more likely. “You might think that you’re helping the turkeys, but you’re actually causing them harm over the long term,” said Hallyburton.

Hallyburton added that the population of turkeys in the area has ballooned from a single flock of around a dozen turkeys to multiple flocks and roughly 40 turkeys. They are mostly located in the residential area of the North End between 18th and 28th streets.

Idaho Fish & Game recommends “gentle hazing” to keep turkeys from roosting in urban areas. This can include squirting turkeys with water when they approach one’s property.

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Since transplanting wildlife has become more difficult in recent years due to new laws, the only other option for the turkeys would be extermination, which Hallyburton said he would like to avoid at all costs.

WATCH: Wild turkeys take over Boise’s North End

Wild turkeys turn Boise’s North End into their new roost





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