(Lander, WY) – Nicholas Blackburn was sentenced to no less than 6, no more than 12 years imprisonment at his sentencing hearing held today, May 29, in Lander.
The hearing was overseen by the Honorable Judge Jason Conder, with Micah Wyatt acting as Prosecution, and Valerie Schoneberger and Zach Mahlum as Defense.
Blackburn was originally charged with one count of voluntary manslaughter and one count of involuntary manslaughter in relation to the death of Pete Ouray, who was found deceased in his Riverton home on March 17, 2024.
Original court documents stated that Blackburn and Ouray, who were reported to be “cousins and friends,” got into into an altercation at Ouray’s residence where he lived with his mother and stepfather. (It was also later found that Blackburn was intoxicated during this altercation.)
Blackburn was reported to have “left (Ouray’s) room extremely angry and very agitated,” before leaving the residence. Two days later, Ouray’s parents discovered him face down in his room, deceased.
Following the ensuing investigation/autopsy, the preliminary findings indicated that Ouray had died by “homicide via blunt force trauma causing subdural hematoma.”
After he was later detained, Blackburn went on to plead “not guilty” to the charges at this October 2024 arraignment, and a jury trial was set for March 2025.
However, that jury trial was vacated when a plea agreement was filed on Blackburn’s behalf on March 14 of this year.
The plea agreement went on to be accepted at today’s sentencing hearing, which stipulated that Blackburn would plead “guilty” to the involuntary manslaughter charge as long as the voluntary manslaughter charge would be dropped, and that the sentence would be capped at 6 to 12 years.
Ouray’s mother, Alvina Apodaca, addressed the court before the Prosecution and Defense went on to speak, and fought back tears as she stated that she has “never experienced this kind of grief in (her) life.”
Apodaca noted that she was “robbed of the right” to be with her son in his final moments, and later commented that Blackburn “has no place in this community.”
“Please don’t let Pete’s life be forgotten,” Apodaca pleaded before asking that Blackburn receive a longer sentence so as to possibly “save more lives.”
Both Wyatt and Schoneberger went on to cite similar cases in Wyoming where a subject received sentences in the 6 to 12 year range.
“Is that enough? The State struggled with this same question,” Wyatt remarked before ultimately concluding that the 6 to 12 year sentence was adequate, when compared to those similar cases (Bruce v State and Lopez v State).
Schoneberger later shared that other considerations as to the 6 to 12 year sentence were Blackburn’s “lack of felonious history,” the fact that he was “blacked out” (intoxicated) during the altercation, and his so-far willingness to participate in mental health and substance abuse treatment.
When he was given the opportunity to address the court, Blackburn chose not to speak, other than stating “I have nothing to say your Honor.”
Judge Conder went on to call the incident a “horrific tragedy” that used “the great drunk excuse,” which he noted he has heard from defendants on numerous occasions.
“Unfortunatey, alcohol is prevalent,” Judge Conder remarked, adding that “mistakes were made that no one can ever come back from.”
Judge Conder went on to accept the 6 to 12 year sentence after lamenting that the “perfect” sentence in cases like these “does not exist.”
Judge Conder recommended that Blackburn undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment while incarcerated, and also told him directly that there was “no reason alcohol should ever touch your lips.”
“I hope nobody ever forgets Pete,” Judge Conder added at the conclusion of the hearing.
Blackburn was ultimately sentenced to 6 to 12 years imprisonment with 238 days credit for time already served, and was also ordered to pay restitution to Ouray’s family.
You can read County 10’s complete coverage of the case here.