(Lander, WY) – Fremont County woman Kasia Monroe, one of the parties charged in the death of 31-year-old Ashley Dewey, was sentenced to 15 to 20 years imprisonment at today’s October 3 sentencing hearing.
The hearing, originally scheduled for September 29 but reset to today’s date, was overseen by the Honorable Judge Katherine McKay, with the State represented by Tim Hancock, and the defense by Terry Martin.
Monroe was charged with accessory to involuntary manslaughter for her reported role in the murder of Dewey, who was found beaten, stabbed, and under a burning tire in a Riverton residence on August 24.
An accessory to involuntary manslaughter felony charge carries a maximum of 20 years.
Monroe was cited as an “instigator” in the incident by the State at the September 14 sentencing hearing for Duran, who went on to clarify that she was also responsible for “savage” blunt force trauma caused to Dewey by her “hammer-like” strikes during the assault.
Hancock referenced the Presentence Investigation report findings at today’s sentencing, which also deemed the incident as a “savage beating and attack.”
Hancock also noted that the County Coroner’s Office indicated Dewey’s death was a combination of the blunt force trauma caused by the beating from Monroe and Chasity Washington, and the stab wound inflicted by only Washington.
Hancock went on to say that the Coroner suggested if Dewey had only been subjected to just the beating or just the stab wound and not both, she might have survived.
The State went on to request that the plea agreement stipulations be met (a 15 to 20 year sentence), as well as a suggestion for Intensive Treatment to help with Monroe’s admitted alcohol abuse issues.
Following the State’s remarks, the Defense let Monroe’s mother Julianna Miller speak on her behalf.
Miller explained that Monroe had grown up in a “loving home,” not in a “drug and alcohol environment,” and was “not raised in a violent way.”
Miller went on to say that there is “an epidemic of drugs and alcohol” in our community that results in addiction, and that addiction “leads to choices.”
“Kasia made the choices that led to where she’s at,” Miller stated, “and Dewey had a choice to not be there.”
Miller then noted that both Dewey and Monroe will “go without their moms” due to this drug and alcohol epidemic and the choices each have made. “It’s a sad situation for all of us.”
Martin was next to address the Court, and was also in support of the suggested sentence in the plea agreement.
Martin went on to liken the beating to a “shark feeding frenzy,” with each person joining in after another starts without having the original intention to do so.
Judge McKay later agreed with this sentiment of group thought where individuals join in without intending to, stating that this incident “didn’t involve planning.”
Judge McKay clarified that Monroe’s actions were in no way justifiable, however, and that it was a “crime of violence of the most heinous type.”
Judge McKay also addressed Monroe’s past with alcohol abuse.
Judge McKay cited a similar 2015 incident that involved Monroe joining in to gang up on someone, as well as multiple public intoxication charges, calling her trajectory an “inevitable path to someone getting hurt.”
The Court agreed that Intensive Treatment would be ordered, and went on to sentence Monroe to 15-20 years imprisonment with 351 days of credit for time already served.
Updates on the other parties involved are linked in their names: Jason Quiver, Chasity Washington, Keina Duran.