Teen charged with involuntary manslaughter pleads not guilty

CASPER (WNE) — The teen charged with involuntary manslaughter in relation to the death of 16-year-old Riley Sears pleaded not guilty in district court on Tuesday morning.

Luka Rasmussen, 18, entered the plea before Judge Kerri M. Johnson.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Rasmussen was arrested on Feb. 12 after Sears was shot while he, Rasmussen and other friends were hanging out and playing the “Madden” football video game, according to an affidavit filed with the charge.

All parties that witnessed the shooting told officers that the shooting was unintentional, CPD Officer Leonard Jacobs, who signed the affidavit, wrote.

Rasmussen told Jacobs that the gun had gone off unintentionally when he set the firearm on his leg. Witnesses also told Jacobs that Rasmussen and others attempted to perform CPR on Sears after he’d been shot but were unsuccessful because the bullet hit the 16-year-old in the head.

Following Rasmussen’s plea, his attorney, Marty Scott, asked the judge to reduce the teen’s bond from $500,000 cash or surety to $100,000. District Attorney Dan Itzen argued against the request, citing the use of a stolen firearm and the presence of drugs at the scene.

Jacobs’s affidavit noted that the teens admitted to using marijuana vape pens that night but makes no mention of other drugs.

Rasmussen’s trial is scheduled to start on June 2, unless he moves for a plea deal before then.

This story was published on April 3, 2025.