More delays in first-degree murder cases

PINEDALE (WNE) — This summer’s court proceedings for Orion Schlesinger and Rowan Littauer, the Big Piney teens accused of murdering Dakota Farley, 23, have been delayed a second time as the court awaits the results of the inpatient and outpatient mental health evaluations conducted by the Wyoming State Hospital. 

Sublette County Attorney Clayton Melinkovich said as of June 10, the state hospital still “has not produced evaluations, we cannot have a pretrial conference until after we have that information.” 

He explained the state hospital was granted “an extension of 30 days from their original deadline,” and said he anticipates “they should be providing the report before too long.” 

The pretrial conference for Orion Schlesinger, one of two defendants charged with first-degree murder in the death of Dakota Farley, has been continued from Thursday, June 12 until Monday, August 14. 

Schlesinger’s jury trial has likewise been pushed back, from July 21 to September 22. 

At his arraignment in district court on March 20, Schlesinger entered pleas of not guilty by reason of mental illness to the felony charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and theft of a firearm. 

Littauer likewise entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental illness to the felony charges of first-degree murder and mutilation of a dead human body in connection with Farley’s death. 

His jury trial was also initially set for July 21 but has been pushed back.

This story was published on June 12, 2025.