(Lander, WY) – Fremont County man Terrence Jenkins was sentenced to 36-40 years imprisonment at his sentencing hearing held today, February 20, with 338 days credit for time already served. He was also ordered to pay a total of $5,410.87 in restitution and undergo substance abuse treatment.
The hearing took place in the District Court of Lander before the Honorable Judge Jason Conder, with Patrick LeBrun representing the State and Valerie Schoneberger acting as Defense.
Jenkins was originally charged with two counts of aggravated robbery, attempted kidnapping, arson in the first degree, sexual assault, and aggravated assault and battery, stemming from a series of events that took place in 2022.
Court documents state that on May 28, 2022, Jenkins confronted a female subject outside of a liquor store in Riverton when she was returning to her car, at which point he stabbed her in the abdomen and took her vehicle after a physical altercation. The victim had to be life-flighted to Billings to receive treatment.
LeBrun shared at today’s sentencing that a part of the reason the victim (who was just in town visiting and not from the area) was able to get away from Jenkins, was due to a 17-year-old male subject who was on-scene and shouted at Jenkins when he saw what was going on. LeBrun did not share the male’s name, but called his actions “heroic.”
Later that evening, after the first assault/robbery, Jenkins confronted a second victim, a juvenile, outside of a movie theater. He followed the victim to her car and held her at knifepoint while struggling to physically move her to the passenger seat. He later claimed he wanted to take her to an ATM to force her to take money out, LeBrun shared.
The victim was able to struggle free while Jenkins grabbed at her clothes, leaving her without a jacket while he fled the scene in her vehicle, also taking her phone. Court documents inform that the victim stated Jenkins attempted to remove her pants during the altercation, and she felt he was intending to sexually assault her.
The juvenile victim’s stolen vehicle was later discovered on W Washington Ave. with a partially burnt rag hanging from the gas tank.
Jenkins was not apprehended that day, but DNA samples were collected from both crime scenes, which helped ID him later on in the investigation.
LeBrun shared at today’s sentencing that Jenkins was eventually apprehended for a different offense, which is ultimately how they were able to charge him for the crimes mentioned above. A warrant for his arrest was issued and later executed on March 13, 2024.
It should also be noted that Jenkins was previously convicted of sexual abuse in 2009 by the federal District Court, and of indecent liberties with a minor in 2004 by the local District Court.
When Jenkins committed the May 2022 offenses, he had recently been released from prison and was serving the supervised release portion of a sentence stemming from a failure to register as a sex offender charge from that same year.
After later being detained, Jenkins was eventually positively identified by the victims and a witness to the first incident (whom court documents state Jenkins invited to assist in the robbery moments before it happened), as well as the DNA samples collected from both incidents.
Jenkins initially pled “not guilty” at his April 2024 arraignment hearing and a jury trial was scheduled, but a motion was later filed to offer a plea of “Not Guilty By Reason of Mental Illness or Deficiency.”
The motion stated that Jenkins “informed the counsel that he has a history of mental illness including schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD and depression,” and asserted that his “mental health was altered” at the time of the incidents because he had “stopped taking his prescribed medications and had stopped seeing his therapist.”
The motion also informed that Jenkins had been using controlled substances at the time, which, combined with the lack of medication, “grossly and demonstrably impaired his perception or understanding of reality.”
The psychological evaluation was granted on June 6, at which point he was subsequently provided a designated examiner, and the jury trial was vacated.
The examination results are not public, but soon after filing the insanity plea, Jenkins entered into a plea agreement.
Jenkins agreed to plead “guilty” to the two counts of aggravated robbery, attempted kidnapping, arson in the first degree, and aggravated assault and battery charges, with the condition that the sexual assault charge be dropped, and that there would be a 40-year sentencing cap for imprisonment.
At today’s sentencing, LeBrun argued for the following: 20-25 years for both aggravated robbery felony charges, 36-40 years for the attempted kidnapping felony charge, 4-5 years for the arson in the first-degree felony charge, and 36-40 years for the aggravated assault and battery felony charge. Because the plea agreement stipulated a 40-year imprisonment cap, the charges would be served concurrently (rather than consecutively).
LeBrun also noted the sentence requests for the attempted kidnapping and aggravated assault and battery charges were indicative of habitual offender enhancements.
The State then requested $5,280.87 in restitution for the first victim and $130 for the second.
During the State’s opening remarks, the juvenile victim, who is now 18 years old, was given the opportunity to speak.
About two years after the assault and robbery, the victim stated she is still asking, “Why me?”
“I lost my innocence in the blink of an eye,” she shared, her aunt sitting next to her for support while she addressed the court.
“As a Native American woman, how can my own kind do this to me?” she wondered aloud, adding that the events of that night “constantly play” in her head.
She commented that the whole ordeal was a “nightmare,” with the aftereffects being what bothers her the most, and that she is “still dealing with the trauma.”
After the victim addressed the court, LeBrun stated that Jenkin’s actions “altered the course of two women’s lives.”
“Everything he did was terrible,” LeBrun remarked before also sharing the efforts of the movie theater worker who provided a jacket to the juvenile victim after she escaped from Jenkins.
He also commended the efforts of both victims to stave off and escape from Jenkins, saying they “put up a fight.”
“There is no denying these (actions) were terrible,” Schoneberger remarked when it was the Defense’s turn to address the court, but commented that Jenkins said he was “ready to accept the appropriate punishment.”
She added that Jenkins said he was effectively “institutionalized” after a life behind bars.
Schoneberger agreed that Jenkins should also be recommended for substance abuse treatment, and that he continue taking a medication that was “help(ing) him a lot.”
After clarifying that the victims have already been paid restitution via the Victim’s Compensation Fund and that anything Jenkins is ordered to pay would go to replace those funds, Schoneberger requested that he not have to make those payments, or pay a cheaper amount, due to his lack of work history and inability to accrue the funds to make the payments while incarcerated.
The Defense ultimately requested a sentence of 18-30 years imprisonment, with 338 days of credit for time already served.
Before Judge Conder gave the final ruling, Jenkins was given the chance to address the court.
“I want to say that I’m sorry to my victims,” Jenkins commented.
“I’m supposed to be a protector, especially to my own people,” he added before echoing earlier sentiments that he was ready to accept whatever sentence came his way and “take responsibility” for his actions.
Judge Conder soon explained that the “only reason” the court accepted the 40-year prison sentence cap in the plea agreement was because Jenkins “accepted responsibility” and agreed to plead guilty.
“It will be with them forever,” Judge Conder said of the trauma the victims now face before adding that “both should be commended for fighting.”
Judge Conder then agreed that substance abuse treatment was necessary and that Jenkins should continue to be given the medications he was receiving.
Judge Conder also rejected the Defense’s restitution change request, calling the amounts “minuscule.”
As previously mentioned, Jenkins was ultimately sentenced to 36-40 years imprisonment, with 338 days credit for time already served, and was ordered to pay a total of $5,410.87 in restitution.