Manders pleads not guilty

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Paul Manders, of Osage, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder on Sept. 30 during his arraignment in Weston County’s Sixth Judicial District Court. The 52-year-old is accused of shooting Vernon Clyde, of Osage, on July 27. 
According to court documents, Manders had called 911 to report that he had shot Clyde, in what was said to be the conclusion of an ongoing property dispute between the two men. 
On Sept. 1, during a preliminary hearing in the Sixth Circuit Court, Judge Mathew Castano, after determining probable cause, bound Manders over to district court on a charge of second-degree murder. 
“Given the nature of the incident, the ongoing dispute and the multiple shots, malice can be inferred,” Castano said during the hearing.
Wyoming statutes state that murder in the second degree is committed when a person “purposely and maliciously, but without premeditation, kills any human being.” 
Manders’ public defender did not request a reduced bail amount during the hearing, despite a request to have his bond lowered during his preliminary hearing. At press time, Manders was still being held at the Weston County Detention Center on a $150,000 bond. 
A trial date has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Manders faces no less than 20 years in prison with a maximum sentence of life in prison. A fine of no more than $10,000 may also be added to the sentence.