All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
(Lander, WY) – The jury trial for Michael Vigil will take place on January 13, 2025, as announced at the November 26 pre-trial conference held before the Honorable Judge Jason Conder in Lander’s District Court.
Vigil was charged with 2nd-degree murder in relation to the April 14 murder of 57-year-old Warren Jorgenson, where Vigil reportedly beat the victim to death with a metal bar after alleged sexual advances.
When County 10 last covered the case, Vigil had pled “not guilty by reason of mental illness” at his arraignment hearing in May, where a jury trial was set for September 16 and an order for mental examination was approved.
Vigil was permitted to have the examination done on an outpatient basis, court documents state, and an examination extension request from the Wyoming Deparment of Health was also later approved on July 8, “due to the abundant amount of records to review.”
A motion to continue the trial had been filed on July 1 and was also granted on July 8, which resulted in the September 16 jury trial date being vacated and reset for January 13.
Additionally, a motion was later granted on July 24 that requested a second examination by a designated examiner “chosen by (the) defendant.”
The results of both examinations are not available for public viewing.
At the November 26 pre-trial conference, it was announced that the jury trial is anticipated to take 5 days, from January 13 through January 17.
A murder in the second degree felony charge holds a maximum sentence of life imprisonment (no less than 20 years).
County 10 will provide updates on the case as they become available, which can be viewed here.