Special prosecutor OK’d for Browning homicide
PINEDALE (WNE) — Sublette County Commissioners approved the request on Oct. 7 to appoint a special prosecutor to review the July 11 shooting death of Paul C. Browning, 67, of Pinedale.
Sublette County Attorney Clayton Melinkovich said his office is “conflicted out” after detectives reviewed Browning’s final autopsy and investigative reports for potential charges against the as-yet-unnamed and uncharged perpetrator.
“We have a new report come in that involves the spouse of a county employee,” Melinkovich told commissioners Sam White, Dave Stephens, chair Lynn Bernard, Mack Bradley and Doug Vickrey. “We have talked before on occasions where we are conflicted out ... for reviewing for law enforcement reasons and making charging decisions.”
With a conflict of interest, Melinkovich can ask commissioners’ approval to appoint another county attorney’s office to review a case for potential criminal charges.
Potential criminal charges and possible self-defense will be determined solely by the special prosecutor, he said.
Browning was unarmed that day. According to his family, he was in bad health. His toxicology report revealed a therapeutic level of Oxycodone, a painkiller prescribed after unsuccessful surgeries for a broken back left him in pain from his toes to his neck, according to his wife Kathy Browning.
On July 11 during the busy Green River Rendezvous, a 911 caller reported Browning was shot once and killed just before 1 p.m. in the downtown alley near a side entrance to Winds Physical Therapy, operated by Craig Rice.
No suspect was officially taken into custody, according to county records.
Kathy Browning and family are certain from the location that Browning followed up on his decision to see physical therapist Craig Rice at his business, deliberately unarmed and with a witness. Browning told them he wanted to settle a simmering feud about weight-lifting equipment and money he’d loaned Rice to start his Pinedale business, they said.
This story was published on Oct. 9, 2025.