Victim identified in Osage Shooting

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Paul Manders has officially been charged with second-degree murder and remains in custody following a fatal shooting in Osage last week. According to the warrant, Manders is accused of shooting Osage resident Vernon Clyde. According to a brief obituary published in this week's News Letter Journal, Clyde was 69 years old.
The warrant, signed by Circuit Court Judge Mathew Castano states that Manders “on or about July 27, 2021, in Weston County, Wyoming, purposely and maliciously, but without premeditation, killed a human being.” 
Bond was set at $150,000, cash or commercial surety bond, by Castano after a brief initial hearing for Manders on July 29 in the Circuit Court for the Sixth Judicial District.
A press release issued after the shooting by the Weston County Sheriff’s Office identified Paul Eugene Manders, of Osage, as the suspect, and indicated he was “approximately 58 years of age.”
The state requested a $100,000 cash-only bond for several reasons, including the gravity of the offense and a belief that Manders is a potential flight risk, according to Weston County Attorney Alex Berger, who is representing the state.
“The allegations, if proven true, (are that) he killed another person with a firearm. He is dangerous. I would say that also waives in favor of significant cash bond,” Berger said. 
Before setting the bond, Castano asked Manders about his work and ability to pay such a bond. He informed the court that he had been unemployed for approximately two years and was on disability, giving him little ability to come up with $100,000 cash for his release. 
On multiple occasions during the initial hearing, however, the judge reminded Manders that he had the right to remain silent and to not speak about the incident. Castano counseled him that he should only answer the questions asked of him.  
“These are serious charges. I encourage you to not speak until you discuss it with counsel,” Castano said. 
Agreeing with the state’s assessment on the gravity of the offense, Castano set the bond at $150,000 cash or commercial surety bond. Other requirements of the bond include maintaining contact with a public defender; not committing other acts of threats or violence; no possession of firearms, components of or ammo; and a no contact order with several individuals who witnessed or heard things about the incident.
During the hearing, it was stated by Castano that Manders would not enter a plea at the time and the incident would need to be bound over to district court. He added that a preliminary hearing should be scheduled sometime in the 10 days following the initial hearing. 
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. 
(Ed. note: This story has been updated to include the victim's age.)