Wyoming
Wyoming Man Accused Of Bashing Neighbor In Face With Bat Has To Face Trial
A Wright, Wyoming, man accused of whacking his neighbor’s face with a baseball bat during a two-family brawl last Fourth of July doesn’t get to avoid trial on a self-defense argument, a judge ruled Tuesday.
John S. Harris, who turns 65 this year, was charged with aggravated assault last July on allegations that he beat his neighbor’s adult son Josh Springer with a baseball bat, after Springer and John’s wife Melissa got into a shouting match in front of the Harrises’ home the night of July 4, 2023.
A lengthy hearing stretching across three dates last week and Tuesday ended with Campbell County District Court Judge Stuart Healy III ruling that Harris may argue he acted in defense of self and family before a jury — but he can’t use that argument to dodge prosecution.
“Before anybody knew what was happening, Mr. Harris took a swing with a bat at Mr. Springer,” said Healy, referencing what he believed was the most credible testimony to emerge from Harris’ self-defense hearings. “I’m certainly not finding that’s what happened beyond a reasonable doubt. But … the court will find that the state did carry its burden.”
Wyoming self-defense hearings have two parts: first the defendant must provide evidence showing at first glance that he acted with reasonable self-defense.
Then the prosecutor must try to show by a preponderance of the evidence (a higher standard than the defendant shoulders) that the defendant did not behave reasonably to defend himself or others.
Harris made his case at first glance, but Healy defeated it with the evidence he showed, Healy ruled.
And yet, Healy said this self-defense argument is appropriate to go before a jury, should Harris go to trial.
First, Huge Fireworks
Melissa Harris had called police multiple times on July 4, 2023, to report that her neighbor Debbie Souza’s party guests were shooting off fireworks that battered her house, according to court documents and testimony.
Springer is Souza’s son. He was preparing to drive away from his mother’s home after the fireworks shows that night with his two sons in his vehicle. But he stopped in or along the road, got out of his vehicle and had an argument with Melissa Harris instead.
Melissa Harris told the court that Springer called her cruel and sexist names. Springer said she called him names.
Melissa Harris said Springer punched her multiple times and pulled a gun out of his truck to brandish it at her, her son, or her husband multiple times. At some point prior she had called John Harris to tell him how severe the Souza party fireworks were, she testified.
John Harris rushed home from his work at the coal mine, and emerged from his truck with a baseball bat in hand, according to court testimony.
Roads Diverged
Here’s where the testimonies diverge.
Melissa Harris described Springer attacking her, knocking her down and her young adult son Tyler Harris trying to intervene. John Harris arrived in his truck to find Tyler helping Melissa off the ground, her testimony indicates.
Tyler testified that John pulled up to witness Springer attacking them both.
And John testified that when he pulled up, he saw Melissa trying to get up from the ground while Tyler held an enraged Josh Springer back.
All three testified that Springer had charged John, growling, shortly after John pulled up. Springer is reportedly several pounds heavier and about a foot taller than John Harris.
John Harris’ attorney Christina Williams argued to the court that Harris could not possibly win a fistfight against Springer, that he pulled up to a scene of violence, and that he acted reasonably to defend himself.
The Neighbors
Souza and Springer recounted it differently, telling the court that Melissa Harris and Springer were merely exchanging words just before John Harris pulled up.
Tyler was watching but not engaging at all, Souza claimed. She also claimed the Harris men attacked her 11-year-old grandson at some point.
There were inconsistencies in all testimonies, Healy noted.
Williams had exposed inconsistencies, for example, in which Souza’s version of events did not align perfectly with what her two grandsons allegedly told police last July after the incident.
But Souza’s and Springer’s testimonies aligned more closely with one another than did the Harrises’ three testimonies, Campbell County Chief Deputy Attorney Greg Steward argued.
Healy said he agreed with Steward’s assessment of “witness credibility.” He voiced some trepidation about Springer’s testimony, noting Springer could gain by casting himself in a favorable light.
Springer had also told investigators hours after the incident that everything was “fuzzy,” according to court testimony and documents.
But Healy said he found Souza’s testimony credible and “largely consistent.”
Next
Campbell County Deputy Tyler Stearns arrived after the incident the night of July 4 to find John Harris sitting on the ground with blood coming from his mouth and nose, according to the evidentiary affidavit in the case. He saw Springer walking in the street, bleeding from wounds above his eye.
Springer had what Stearns called “significant pain, multiple cuts on his temple and right cheek, and temporarily lost consciousness while I was speaking with him.”
Both Springer and John Harris were taken to the hospital.
On Scene
Healy wondered aloud why, if Springer had punched Melissa Harris, she did not tell Stearns that when Stearns arrived on scene after the fight.
“One would think that if this detailed story that Mrs. Harris told occurred — with all the violence — that would have been the first thing out of her mouth when she spoke to Deputy Stearns,” said the judge. Rather, she noted that Springer had pulled a gun on them, but didn’t say when, the judge recounted.
Melissa Harris had testified earlier that she didn’t feel comfortable telling investigators her story at first because they had allegedly treated her unpleasantly.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
Since moving to Wyoming many years ago, and having lived in a few towns around the state, I find that some town and city rivalries must be addressed. Some are based on past conflicts that still cause pain to this day. Some are unexplained.
For example, to this day, all of Johnson County still does not trust Cheyenne after the Johnson County War of 1892. Cattlemen in Cheyenne sent a hit squad hired by the barons to invade Johnson County to eliminate alleged rustlers. A shootout that lasted several days ensued.
Other town rivalries include:
Green River vs. Rock Springs: The two towns are close together and share one of the most intense and oldest community, cultural, and athletic rivalries in the state.
Lander vs. Riverton: Located in Fremont County, this rivalry dates back to 1922 and divides the area over high school football bragging rights. They talk a lot of smack about each other.
Cheyenne vs Casper: The towns just HATE each other. I’ve lived in both, and I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with either town. But I’ve come across people in both towns who talk about their hatred of the other.
There is not a lot of love across Wyoming for Jackson, mostly because of the mega-rich liberals who live there. Many of those mega-rich liberals look down on the rest of Wyoming.
Folks talk smack about Laramie, but in a very different way than people talk smack about Gillette.
Having traveled around Wyoming, I can tell you that most of this hate is just nonsense and a waste of time. In the end, we are all Wyomingites. Just one big bickering family who still have each other’s backs when it comes down to it.
The Charmingly Odd Town Of La Grange Wyoming
It is well worth the long drive to see one of the most interesting and quirky little towns in Wyoming.
Stay for lunch. You won’t regret it.
Gallery Credit: Glenn Woods
Jay Em, Wyoming, Frozen In Time
Jay Em, what an unusual name for a town.The few people who live there are proud of what their spot on earth once was, and they work to preserve it. They keep this little community frozen in time.
Gallery Credit: Glenn Woods
Wyoming
Hoping to draw Colorado interest, construction begins at $80M betting facility in Laramie County
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Foundation work is beginning this week on Wyoming’s next horse betting and gaming house.
The $80 million Wyoming Downs facility in Laramie County, one of two the company is investing in over the next couple of years, is poised to be one of the largest facilities of its kind in the state. The company is aiming for a spring 2027 opening.
The facility will host upwards of 600 historic horse racing machines, Wyoming’s largest TV wall, multiple dining options and more across 58,000 square feet. More land was bought for future hotel development. Commuters driving between Cheyenne and the Colorado border can see clearly from Interstate 25 the expansive development.
That placement along the travel corridor is purposeful, Wyoming Downs and 307 Horse Racing President Kyle Ridgeway said.
“I think that the targeted consumer for this is from Colorado or from the Front Range,” Ridgeway said. “I anticipate we’re going to have plenty of people from Cheyenne come down here to play and enjoy the amenities, but when you look at 600,000 people within a 30-minute drive, that’s what justifies this investment and brings all that tax revenue in from another state, which is fantastic.
“We don’t get the opportunity to do that in Wyoming very often.”
There is still plenty to offer Cheyenne residents besides the facility’s amenities. Ridgeway said in a speech to attendees at the project’s groundbreaking Tuesday, June 2, that more than 150 permanent jobs will be supported by the facility on top of the dozens supported by the companies’ corporate offices and the 400-plus involved in the project’s construction.
Groathouse Construction, a Wyoming business, is the project’s general contractor. Wyoming Downs said it believes putting the project in local hands also helps keep the project uniquely Wyoming-focused.
Ridgeway added the facilities have already proven themselves to be effective tax revenue generators for the local governments. The Wyoming Gaming Commission’s 2025 report, released in late May, shows bettors wagered $2.49 billion on historic horse racing machines last year, a jump from the $2.11 billion wagered in 2024.
Wyoming Downs facilities generate roughly $25 million in taxes annually across the state, and Ridgeway estimated after the ceremony that the upcoming $80 million facility alone will generate an additional $3 million for Laramie County once the property has been in operation for a few years.
Horse betting sites have been increasingly popping up across Wyoming this decade. The Wyoming Downs location will be Cheyenne’s second large-scale horse betting facility since 2024, when the 30,000-square-foot Horse Palace at Swan Ranch opened. Ridgeway said Wyoming Downs is still offering something fresh for tourists and residents.
“This’ll have amenities that Swan Ranch doesn’t have, including the largest TV wall in Wyoming and a pretty super-cool sports viewing area with a restaurant and just a level of finish and class that I don’t think Wyoming has quite seen yet with these types of properties,” he said.
Ridgeway said he thinks resident fatigue with these facilities isn’t as strong as it appears, especially given the tourism benefits of off-track betting.
“Wyoming’s been built on mineral extraction and tourism, and what this is is a touristic facility. I’m not aware of any particular pushback about this specific facility outside of — you see random social media comments where people say, ‘Oh, another gambling facility.’ But where this is located, I think people in Cheyenne have generally been supportive of,” he said.
The Laramie County facility will be just one part of a larger project Wyoming Downs is working on over the next few years. Construction will begin in early 2027 on a similar facility in Evanston looking to draw in Utah and western Colorado crowds.
Some of the company’s current facilities, notably in Casper, Cheyenne and Rock Springs, will see millions poured into renovations as well. New smaller-scale parlors will also go up in Gillette and Green River this year, according to an information packet provided by the company.
More details will come as the construction process develops, Ridgeway said. Details about amenities, such as what the complex’s dining options will look like, remain undisclosed, though Ridgeway promised that options will be “excellent.”
“We haven’t made final selections on what the options are, but we have a number of different options on the table that we’re considering for what we want to offer for the customers,” Ridgeway said. “You have to have something that’s high quality for where this is located. If somebody’s going to drive 25 or 35, or even 45 minutes to come here, they got to be able to sit down and have a quality meal.”
For more information as it becomes available and to learn more about Wyoming Downs facilities and 307 Horse Racing‘s events and offerings, see the companies’ websites. Renderings for the upcoming Cheyenne facility commissioned by the company are available for viewing below.
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