Sweetwater County Homicide Defense Lawyers

Charged with Homicide in Wyoming? Let Our Trial Attorneys Defend You.

Homicide charges carry some of the most severe penalties in Wyoming criminal law, ranging from decades in prison to life imprisonment or the death penalty. At The Law Offices of Hampton & Newman, L.C., David A. Hampton and Michael D. Newman are Sweetwater County-based trial attorneys who have practiced in Wyoming state district and federal district courts for nearly 40 years. Both attorneys grew up in Wyoming and attended the University of Wyoming College of Law, giving them a deep familiarity with the courts and legal landscape where these cases are decided. If you’re facing homicide charges, contacting a homicide attorney in Sweetwater County as early as possible can affect bond conditions, evidence handling, and the direction of your defense.

We defend clients across the full range of homicide charges: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, felony murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter. Our approach combines aggressive trial representation with a defense strategy built around the specific facts of your case. We don’t back down, and we pursue every available avenue to seek mitigated or dismissed charges on your behalf.

Schedule an initial consultation with The Law Offices of Hampton & Newman, L.C. to learn more. 

Types of Murder Offenses

Wyoming law recognizes two degrees of murder: first degree and second degree. First-degree murder is the purposeful and intentional killing of another person with “premeditated malice.”

Premeditated malice involves proving that:

• The killing was done intentionally without legal justification or any excuse; and
• The murder was committed after deliberation.

First-degree murder is punishable by death, life in prison, or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Second-degree murder differs from first-degree in that it involves a purposeful and malicious killing without premeditation. It carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison. Because the distinction between first- and second-degree murder turns on premeditation, disproving that element can be a meaningful avenue for charge reduction.

Wyoming also criminalizes felony murder, which is the killing of another person, whether intentionally or accidentally, during the commission of a qualifying felony such as sexual assault, burglary, robbery, or kidnapping. Felony murder carries the same penalties as first-degree murder: death, life in prison, or life in prison without parole.

Voluntary & Involuntary Manslaughter

Manslaughter is a less severe charge than murder but still a serious felony. It refers to the unlawful killing of another person without malice. Under Wyo. Stat. Sec. 6-2-105, manslaughter occurs either upon a sudden heat of passion or through reckless conduct that results in death. The absence of malice is the defining distinction between manslaughter and murder, and it can form the basis of a defense strategy aimed at reducing a murder charge.

Wyoming law recognizes two types of manslaughter:

• Voluntary manslaughter: A killing that occurs in a heat of passion, such as due to provocation
• Involuntary manslaughter: A killing without intent to harm or kill, resulting from reckless conduct

Manslaughter is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The consequences are still severe and demand skilled legal defense.