Wyoming
Search for fugitive wanted for child-sex crimes leaves Wyoming town on alert
With a population under 600, Byron, Wyo., is generally a quiet town. In recent weeks, streets have been even quieter as both local and federal law enforcement search for 39-year-old fugitive Anthony Pease, who is wanted for six counts of sexual assault involving a minor.
Authorities have been searching the area for weeks, and a reward for information leading to an arrest now sits at $2,000.
See how the search impacts the town:
Search for fugitive wanted for child sex crimes leaves Wyoming town on alert
Saturday morning, law enforcement shared there was a confirmed sighting of Pease near town and reminded residents to remain vigilant by locking their doors and reporting suspicious activity. According to Wyoming’s Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office, before the weekend sighting, Pease hasn’t been seen since Nov. 1.
The Big Horn County Schools Superintendent, Matt Davidson, told MTN News a school resource officer on staff stays up to date with the latest on search efforts, and some parents say they’ve been keeping their kids indoors when they’re not at school.
As the search continues, the mayor as well as some residents, say they are taking law enforcement’s advice while keeping a watchful eye.
“I never used to lock my house during the day. I didn’t even lock my vehicles at night. In fact, a lot of the time I’d leave the keys in them. I’ve talked to other people and there is quite a few people that are nervous. I would hope that a lot of us are nervous because this is a bad thing,” said Byron Mayor Allan Clark.
In fact, investigators could be seen around Byron knocking on doors and scanning land outside of town.
“There’s just so much area and a low population, so much area for him to hide and seek shelter,” Clark said.
With so many wide-open spaces and abandoned buildings in the area, Clark understands why the search has gone on so long.
According to the US Marshals Service, Pease is 5 feet 11 inches tall and may also be going by the name Abraham. They also ask that anyone nearby who has a collection of silver dollars to ensure they are still there, and if not, to report to authorities.
Marshals say Pease is considered dangerous, and the public is told to not approach him and instead call 9-1-1. As the search has stretched over six weeks, many residents hope a capture will bring life back to normal.
“I hope that they capture him soon, and I hope that us as community members and around the area keep our eyes open and report anything suspicious,” said Clark.
Wyoming
Forty-six arrested for immigration violations during ‘Truck Around And Find Out’ detail in Wyoming
The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) arrested dozens of people during an operation targeting commercial vehicle violations.
On April 25, 2026, LCSO shared details on a recent three-day commercial vehicle operation dubbed “Truck Around And Find Out: Operation Spring Break,” which was conducted in partnership with federal authorities.
During the detail, LCSO made 85 criminal arrests, including 46 arrests for immigration violations.
“Many of these folks are operating without commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs),” said Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak. “Unsafe trucks, bald tires, their trucking companies have been revoked or suspended and shouldn’t be operating at all. And so, we’re taking that serious, and we’re trying to help keep our roads safe in this county.”
LCSO said that one of the truck drivers discovered to be present in the U.S. illegally had no CDL and had parked in a spot marked “Absolutely No Truck, Trailer, Or Semi Parking Anytime.”
Kozak said that recent commercial vehicle enforcement operations have lowered the number of fatal crashes in Laramie County. He also said that the county’s violent crime rate is half of the national average.
A previous “Truck Around And Find Out” detail conducted by LCSO in February 2026 resulted in 32 arrests for immigration violations.
Last fall, Kozak and 25 LCSO deputies were sworn in by ICE and authorized to enforce immigration law under Title 8, Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
CODY — A new $20 million, 2,000-acre statewide shooting complex broke ground Saturday south of Cody, with plans to officially open in 2027.
Community members and state representatives have worked on the project since 2022. Once complete, it will be Wyoming’s first-ever statewide shooting complex.
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Wyoming officials break ground on $20 million statewide shooting complex near Cody
The facility will be a first of it’s kind, with 8 different types of firing ranges open to both the public and for regional competitions. Hundreds gathered for the groundbreaking on Saturday, including longtime Cody-area resident Samuel Kuntz.
“I figured this is a historic event and I wanted to be part of it,” Kuntz said Saturday afternoon. “This is fantastic and it will fit right in with the spirit of this community.”
Kuntz said the facility belongs in his home state.
“Shooting is a very big passion of mine,” Kuntz said. “In my opinion, it is paramount to not only being a Wyoming citizen but a U.S. citizen. So, having this wonderful shooting range this close to home is going to be fantastic I am extremely pumped up about it.”
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and Wyoming Senator John Barrasso attended the groundbreaking and fired the first two ceremonious shots. The facility is being built on state land and required various legislation to approve $10 million in funding from the government.
MTN NEWS
That lengthy process began with State Senator Larry Hicks, who brought the idea forward four years ago.
“I just authored a bill called the Second Amendment Defense Act,” Hicks said.
That bill, followed by a phone call with the Governor, started the process in 2022. Hicks said it required many different community members and other entities but that he’s proud to see it become a reality because of what it represents.
“Part of it’s our culture, you know?” Hicks said. “Wyoming has the highest gun ownership in the nation. So, it’s consistent with I think the values and the philosophy that I think the vast majority of people in the state of Wyoming share.”
Board member James Klessens was among the many that helped bring the idea to life, focusing on the facility’s potential economic impact.
“The main premise of the project has been economic development,” Klessens said. “It was created to attract more people to the community as tourists, visitors to the community, but we also know that when we host these kind of events that the shooting industry will play closer attention to those communities.”
MTN NEWS
Klessens and Hicks both agreed that the facility could bring other businesses to the area, and with travelers coming from all across the competitions, it could provide a major economic boost.
“Ultimately, I just think this is going to be a win-win for Wyoming,” Hicks said.
Kuntz, and many others, couldn’t agree more.
“Whether it’s for self-defense, hunting or just for fun, it is part of the Wyoming spirit,” Kuntz said.
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A Wyoming judge temporarily blocked the state’s newest abortion limit, halting enforcement of a law that prohibits most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, generally around six weeks of pregnancy.
Natrona County District Judge Dan Forgey on Friday granted temporary injunctive relief against the Human Heartbeat Act while the case plays out in court.
The plaintiffs “made a sufficient showing of irreparable injury,” Forgey wrote, adding that “the state defendants did not persuasively argue otherwise.”
He also said the plaintiffs had made “a sufficient showing of probable success” under Article 1, Section 38 of the Wyoming Constitution, which protects individuals’ rights to make their own healthcare decisions.
VERMONT ACCUSED IN LAWSUIT OF TRACKING PREGNANT WOMEN CONSIDERED UNSUITABLE TO BE MOTHERS
Mark Gordon, governor of Wyoming, during the DC Blockchain Summit in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The ruling is the latest turn in Wyoming’s long-running abortion fight and comes just months after the Wyoming Supreme Court struck down two earlier abortion restrictions, finding they violated the state constitution’s healthcare autonomy protections. That January decision reshaped the legal landscape in Wyoming and prompted lawmakers to try again with a narrower ban tied to the detection of fetal cardiac activity.
The law, passed during the Legislature’s 2026 session and signed by Republican Gov. Mark Gordon on March 9, took effect in March. It bars abortion beyond roughly the sixth week of pregnancy, once a fetal heartbeat is detected. The measure includes exceptions for medical emergencies that threaten a woman’s life or health, but not for pregnancies caused by rape or incest.
“Where the act does not align to my pro-life stance is in the concern for specific vulnerable populations,” Gordon wrote in a letter to lawmakers Monday.
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It echoes his reservations and expected legal fight when signing the law in March.
“I resoundingly share the determination to defend the lives of unborn children and support the intentions behind the Human Heartbeat Act,” he wrote in a statement. “Regrettably, this Act represents another well-intentioned but likely fragile legal effort with significant risk of ending in the courts rather than in lasting, durable policy. Rather than finding a remedy that saves the unborn, I fear we have only added another chapter to the sad saga of repeatedly trying to force a specific solution.”
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Gordon’s signing made Wyoming the fifth state to bar most abortions at that stage of pregnancy, along with Florida, Georgia, Iowa and South Carolina. Thirteen other states bar abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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