All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
(Lander, WY) – The initial appearance hearings for 21-year-old Amanda Phillips and 18-year-old Lorenzo Hopper were held today, April 22, before the Honorable Judge Jefferson Coombs in Lander’s Circuit Court.
Phillips and Hopper were the two subjects arrested on April 21 in connection with a series of break-ins that occurred around 3:30 AM that morning, and ultimately ended with a clerk being stabbed at a gas station located on the 100 block of Main Street. (The victim was life-flighted due to the injuries sustained, but reported to be in stable condition and “expected to make a full recovery,” per Lander Police Department Chief Kelly Waugh.)
The exact details of the reported crimes are not known at this time (the case affidavits will be filed in the court’s digital registry in the coming days), but a press release issued yesterday by Chief Waugh stated that Phillips and Brown were “believed to be responsible for multiple commercial burglaries that occurred in the Lander,” many of which were located near the 1500 block of Main Sreet, including the County 10 radio station office.
The release also stated that “during the course of this investigation, evidence was also developed linking the suspects to an attempted murder stemming from an incident… in which an employee of a local business was stabbed during an altercation.”
When County 10 first spoke with Chief Waugh on Tuesday morning after discovering the damage to the office, it was believed there was only one suspect, but over the course of the investigation, officers determined there were two parties involved.
At today’s initial appearance hearing, the State, represented by Micah Wyatt and Terry Martin, stated that Phillips mainly functioned as the “driver” during the incidents that took place, and that there was currently “nothing to indicate that she knew the assault (was going to) happen.” It was also noted that Phillips has no previous criminal history. Her bond was set at $10,000 cash.
Phillips was ultimately charged with one count of accessory before the fact to burglary, one count of accessory after the fact to aggravated assault, and one count of fleeing or attempting to elude.
For Hopper’s reported role, he now faces six charges total, including: attempted first-degree murder (which holds a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, possibly without parole), aggravated burglary, two counts of aggravated assault and battery, interference with a peace officer, and theft (taking).
Wyatt called the situation “shocking,” and said that while he has seen all of these charges before, “seeing them all together” was a “first.” The State then requested that Hopper’s bond be set at $750,000, noting that he also had no prior criminal history.
Judge Coombs went on to call the reported crimes “egregious,” and stated that Hopper was a possible “danger to the community” before setting his bond at $1,000,000 cash.
The preliminary hearings for both parties were then set for April 30.
County 10 will provide updates for both parties as their cases progress, which can be viewed here.