Mountain state fears unexplained increase in unnatural deaths – accidents, murders and suicides are “through the roof”

Several counties in the state of Wyoming have raised the alarm about an unexplained increase in “unnatural deaths” – as the death toll continues to rise, authorities are desperately searching for answers.

A chilling report warned that the number of suicides, accidents, overdoses and murders had gone “through the roof” and would make this year one of the worst on record, the Cowboy State Daily reported.

Natrona County Coroner Jim Whipps told county commissioners, “This has been an unusual year, a roller coaster ride in terms of unnatural deaths.”

“Unnatural deaths of all kinds are increasing rapidly. I don't know why, but murders, suicides, overdoses… they are way above what would be average for us,” he added.

The grim statistics paint a worrying picture: 20 suicides have already been registered this year, five of them in August alone.

Natrona County Coroner Jim Whipps told county commissioners, “This has been an unusual year, a roller coaster ride in terms of unnatural deaths.”

There have been five murders so far this year, compared to just three in all of 2023, the Cowboy State Daily reported.

In addition, 36 people died in traffic accidents and work-related accidents – and the number of deaths from drug overdoses already exceeds the 2023 figure.

Perhaps most alarming, however, is what Whipps calls one of the biggest “shocks” of the year: a sharp rise in the number of young people in their twenties and thirties dying from “chronic alcoholism.”

The county has also been rocked by youth violence, with several high-profile murders making headlines across the state.

In June, 15-year-old Eavan Castaner was charged with murder in the death of his ex-girlfriend Lenea Brown, who was shot in the head in a quiet neighborhood in southwest Casper.

In Casper itself, 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Maher was stabbed to death on April 7 after defending his girlfriend from two teenagers in a mall.

The county has also been rocked by youth violence, with several high-profile murders making national headlines. Pictured: Mourners pay tribute to 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Maher, who was stabbed to death

In June, 15-year-old Eavan Castaner was charged with murder in the death of his ex-girlfriend Lenea Brown, who was shot in the head in a quiet neighborhood in southwest Casper.

In July, three members of the gospel group The Nelons were killed in a tragic plane crash. The group consists of Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark and Kelly's daughters Amber Nelon Kistler and Autumn Nelon Streetman.

Those killed in the accident included Kelly, Jason and Amber, as well as Amber's husband Nathan Kistler and three friends. They were on their way to the Gaither Homecoming Cruise when the plane crashed over a remote area in northeast Wyoming.

While Whipps could not pinpoint an exact cause for the deadly spike in cases, he warned that Natrona County is “statistically on track to have another record year in 2020-21,” citing the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the crisis is not limited to Natrona County.

In nearby Campbell County, coroner Paul Wallem reported a disturbing 36 percent increase in unnatural deaths, up from 33.3 percent in 2023.

Also in July, three members of the gospel group The Nelons were killed in a tragic plane crash. They were en route to the Gaither Homecoming Cruise when the plane crashed over a remote area in northeast Wyoming. (Pictured: The Nelons, from left: Jason Clark, Autumn Nelon Streetman, Kelly Nelon Clark and Amber Nelon Kistler)

In nearby Campbell County, coroner Paul Wallem (pictured) reported a disturbing 36 percent increase in unnatural deaths, up from 33.3 percent in 2023.

There have been 31 unnatural deaths so far this year, he said.

“At the beginning of the year we saw a significant increase in car accidents, the likes of which I have not seen in seven to ten years,” he told the newspaper. “That has recently returned to normal.”

However, not everyone agrees: Park County Coroner Cody Gortmaker reported that there were no unusual spikes in his tourist-heavy region.

Some city officials said other Wyoming counties are not seeing this deadly trend.

Brittany Nyman, Carbon County coroner, even reported a decline in unnatural deaths.

“We haven't had any overdoses this year. Things are a little quieter here this year,” she said.

Whipps raised similar concerns in a recent documentary about the overwhelming number of suicides in the county.

Wyoming, which for years had the highest suicide rate of any state, is part of the “suicide belt” that stretches through the mountainous landscape from the tip of Montana down to New Mexico.

Whipps said in the 2023 film, “There's been more research into what's going on here, from the altitude to the wind to the cowboy attitude that's been prevalent in the state since its founding.”

“And none of it has worked. There has to be something that is different in the way we think and the way we formulate conclusions than the rest of the world, and I just don't know what that is.

“That’s probably one of the most frustrating things because you can’t generalize it,”

Whipps continued, “Every case I take on is unique.”

Publicly available statistics support his claims, but it is not known how he came to the conclusion that Natrona has the fourth highest suicide rate in the world.

According to the coroner's office, there were 28 suicides in the county in 2019. In 2020, there were 19, a decrease of 33 percent. The average for the years 2012 to 2019 was nearly 24.

In nearby Campbell County, there was a disturbing 36 percent increase in unnatural deaths, up from 33.3 percent in 2023

Casper and the surrounding region have now emerged as a hotspot, Whipps said. Suicides have also been observed in neighboring cities of Mills and Evansville, where life moves at a particularly slow pace.

Robert “Bobby” Maher, 14, was stabbed to death on April 7 after defending his girlfriend from two teenagers at a mall in Casper, Wyoming (Pictured: The memorial for Bobby Maher at Eastridge Mall, where the teenager was stabbed to death in Casper, WY)

Some attribute Wyoming's high suicide rate to the barren landscape and lack of suicide prevention programs.

Wyoming fell from first place in the U.S. in suicide rates last year for the first time since 2017, but has since regained Montana's dubious ranking.

According to the Department of Health, the state's suicide rate currently stands at 32.3 percent of all deaths, due to 155 suicides last year.

While that's down from 190 last year, Casper and the surrounding region are now considered a hot spot, Whipps said. Suicides have also been reported in neighboring Mills and Evansville, where life moves at a slow pace.

“It is time for a top-down approach through policy and implementation of programs in schools such as Sources of Strength, a proven broad-based resilience program,” Whipps said.