Letter to Steve Wiechman

September 22, 2000

Steve Wiechman Prosecuting Attorney Teton County Jackson, WY

Dear Mr. Wiechman:
It has been almost eight years since David Yearsley, Darrell Beck, Wendy Phelps Yearsley and Hiedi Anderson killed my son, Conley Lane, and his friend, Ollie Sutherland. My questions are the same today as they were then. Why did you not take these people to court and let a jury decide their responsibility in the deaths of these two young men? This was a criminal case from the moment they left their Christmas party to drive back to Jackson.
Were you ever made aware of the facts of this case? Or, did you stand back and take the advice of someone else?
Did you know that Conley and Ollie were seen an hour before this wreck, and neither boy was drinking? Neither one had been drinking. There was no alcohol in the house, and they were seen eating dinner an hour before their deaths. Did you know that Conley had worked all day, and was going to work the next morning at six o'clock? Did you know that, for a hundred and eighty-pound man, he would have to have drunk six drinks in an hour on an empty stomach to have a B.A.C. of 01.5? Conley was six feet tall and weighed two hundred pounds, and had a full stomach.

There were two separate vehicles directly behind the Yearsley vehicle. One of the vehicles was passed by the Yearsley vehicle at the ponds on Rt. 22, Cindy Williams and her husband. They said the Yearsley vehicle was passing them at over the 38 to 40 miles per hour that they had been traveling. When they reached the top of the hill (Sky Line Ranch) they could see the Yearsley vehicle going into the wreck. Now, why don't you go out there and calculate the speed the Yearsley vehicle had to be traveling in order to have been at Brown's curve, while Cindy was still at the top of the hill? Also, Cindy said she observed the wreck, and it looked like Ollie was in the wrong lane. I don't think she was quite accurate on that point. Why don't you go out to the hill and observe the cars as they enter that curve at ten or eleven o'clock at night, and tell me if you can tell where either vehicle would be within inches of the center line?

There was another vehicle directly behind the Yearsley vehicle, the Erby's suburban. They said they were the vehicle that followed the Yearsley vehicle from the party, and that no vehicles were between them and the Yearsley vehicle. My question to you is: with all of these inconsistencies, why was a more in-depth investigation not done? The Erby's were drunk, and coming from the same party. They also lost control of their vehicle and basically wrecked at the same time. This was substantiated by Judith Erby and the people who pulled her vehicle out of the snow bank. An E.M. T., named Stafford, who crawled into the Yearsley vehicle made a statement to Todd Bontecous' office that the biggest concern of the people he was trying to assist was that they "could not find their vial of cocaine and a large sum of money". Mr. Stafford also witnessed the same people going through the truck, searching and trying to clean it out. They were allowed to destroy evidence' concerning a double fatality where alcohol, and possibly cocaine were involved. My son is dead, and so is Ollie Sutherland, and you chose to allow the people involved to walk away without any responsibility. Had it been your daughter, I don't think you would have been so liberal with your expediting your power. Conley and Ollie were considered transients, and both had a minor infraction with the law. You knew that Beck was a convicted felon, and he and Yearsley both had previous D.U.I.' s, which should have made your interest a little more passionate.

There was no real evidence that Ollie lost control of his vehicle. Everything used to blame Ollie was based on theory and speculation. The real evidence, including eye witnesses, was against the Yearsley group. It's common knowledge that John Dailey is called, and I quote, "the whore". The way it looks to me and others is that Ollie and Conley were dead, so why ruin the lives of the locals responsible for their deaths?

The decision to draw only one sample of blood from Beck and Yearsley was more than a matter of poor judgment. It was a matter of obstructing justice. Also, advising Officer Baldwin to not read them their rights when you did not know any of the circumstances of the wreck. At that time was also a violation of the rights of two boys who died in what was an alcohol and drug related wreck. How many wreck scenes have you gone to in the middle of the night to investigate, since this one?

It was criminal to allow a sanding truck to clean the road while two victims are still lying on the side of the road. No one knew at that time what happened. Nor did you know what had happened, and that is why the Highway Department was called in to clean the road! It's interesting that Beck's dad works for the Highway Department.

You knew that Beck was, and probably still is, know as the town drunk. Didn't you think at the time that his blood tests were suspect? Andy Mixell, who works for State Farm Insurance, told me there is no way that Beck was sober, yet you choose to ignore the fact that he was coming from a company Christmas party where alcohol was being consumed. It must be a great burden to have a job that requires you to swear to use that responsibility fairly and without bias, and then to blatantly abuse that power. Did you think that I and others would be so stupid that we would not have the deaths of two non-locals investigated and scrutinized to the deepest degree? Did you think that I would not question the accusation that my son would choose to ride with someone doing 69 miles per hour around a curve on a road so bad that, in your own words was "too slick to stand up on"? The people who were speeding were the ones coming down the straightaway, rushing back to town to continue their party. That statement was made by Judith Erby, who also wrecked her vehicle at the same place. That was also her statement. It was also in her statement that her husband was drunk, and that he and Yearsley and Beck were heavy in the drug scene. If she was willing to make that statement, why were you not willing to take her statement? I had to pay a perfect stranger to investigate this wreck, while at the same time, it was the duty of your office to do that without bias.

The police also allowed a person, namely Judith Erby, to search the truck for articles, while a police officer was in the vehicle. Two boys are dead, and the police allowed someone to remove evidence from the vehicle involved in their deaths. That is also criminal.

Were you aware that Officer Baldwin told Conley's uncle, Jack Boothe, - and he presented a sworn statement - that it looked like the Yearsley vehicle was in the wrong lane, and was traveling at the higher rate of speed? He was also told by Mr. Baldwin that there was no sign of alcohol on or about the Bronco, or Conley and Ollie. Bob Campbell also told Conley's mother that there was no sign of alcohol where Conley and Ollie Sutherland were concerned. Campbell also told the Sutherlands the same thing. Then they said that Conley and Ollie were drunk, while Beck was sober. You have to understand the concerns we might have, with so many stories being told. It took us seven years to get Beck's blood sample to a lab to be re-tested, and it was conveniently thrown away. We knew Beck was driving, because he had the injuries of one who would have been driving. Did you not think we would have Forensics look at every piece of evidence we could gather? Yearsley had none of the injuries of a driver, considering the circumstances of the wreck and the condition of the vehicles.

The truck was allowed to be taken out of state before anyone could have it checked thoroughly. I have been told by many police departments that that vehicle should have been kept in the impound for as long as the case was unresolved. Well, the case is still unresolved. That was another act of destroying evidence. What I can't believe is that you are still in office, handing out the same biased decisions. You are either the most inexperienced law enforcement officer, or the most controlled officer a community could hire.

The Suffolk County Crime Lab has a term for what you did. It's called "building an excepted reality". What you people did has nothing to do with the truth or the facts. It's just the way you wanted it to be.

You never took the interest or the time to try and uncover the truth about this wreck. You don't know if Conley and Ollie were in the vehicle or out of it. There was a Forensic Pathologist in Richmond, Virginia who, after looking over the autopsy report, said there was a good chance the boys were not in the Bronco when they were hit. Also, there was a man named Rick Canope who said that Yearsley told him the Bronco was sitting still when they hit it. When there is a loss of life, it seems to me that every possible lead should have been followed up on. I guess you thought it would be less complicated to direct this case in the simplest way. Blame it on the boys who cannot speak for themselves. They should have been given the benefit of the doubt because they could not speak for themselves. You knew the people who hit them would be doing and saying anything and everything to protect themselves.

I am aware that the Yearsley Construction Company was doing Federal contracts. I am also aware that, if convicted of a felony, he would lose those contracts. I'm sure vehicular homicide is a felony.

When John Dailey said in his sworn statement that (Ollie Sutherland) was inches over the center line, it was too convenient. After everyone said there was no center line, had Mr. Sutherland been inches over it, it would have put the Yearsley vehicle at least two feet over the line, given the positions of the vehicles, according to the reports. "

We all understand. It was the easiest way to go, but obviously the wrong way for you to go. The law was abused in this case.

I have never heard of a case where there was injury to property or personal injury where the persons involved did not have to make a statement to the police, or fill out a report. In this case, there were two boys killed, and the people responsible were never questioned at any level, except that a Mr. Iverson from Safeco Insurance called Mr. Yearsley at work the following Monday. He asked Yearsley to read the account of the wreck written in the newspaper. Mr. Iverson's only question to Yearsley was, "does that sound about right?" To which Yearsley responded, "that's about it." Yearsley was back at work on Monday after being involved in a double fatality. How can that be? The police do not bother to question any of the persons involved in killing two people.

The contaminating of the blood samples was also abusing your power. Bob Campbell is a liar, or you are covering for him. Mr. Campbell said he sent the blood samples to the State Lab, personally. My information shows you had them delivered to your office the following Monday at five o'clock. Baldwin made that delivery himself. Why did you handle these fatalities with such malfeasance?

Bob Campbell said he went to Ollie's room and found whiskey bottles! Then, Baldwin went to the room and found nothing. John Sutherland also found nothing when he went to his son's room. The things there belonged to the Sutherlands, and your people violated their son's last little space on this planet. You also tried to destroy the character and integrity of both boys, who did nothing wrong other than to be on the road that night while four drunks were coming from a party - speeding and not paying attention to anything other than the race back to town to continue their party. (Statement made by Judith Erby)

You tried to destroy the reputation of two boys you knew nothing about. But in reality, you destroyed your own. Now, I and a lot of other people know what you are about.

With your direction, and the help of the Jackson Police and the State and County police, you allowed those responsible in a double fatality to go without so much as a reprimand. I hope and pray that all of this will come around full circle. I hope you are smart enough to realize it when it does.

Cc Col. Everet Ayers -Wyoming State Police

Cc Bill Hill -Attorney

Footnote:

Gene Ferrin, one of your Police Officers, lied to John Sutherland when John was concerned about the people involved in the Yearsley truck. Mr. Sutherland was informed by Officer Ferrin that his son had hit an older couple. Concerned over the couple's welfare, John wanted to go to the hospital. Officer Ferrin responded: "Oh no, you don't want to do that." Even with the death of his own son, Mr. Sutherland was still concerned about the other people involved in the wreck. Officer Ferrin took advantage of John Sutherland's state of mind resulting from just losing his son. .

It also appears it is common practice for your law enforcement personnel to lie and manufacture information pertaining to certain cases. Lieutenant Gray of the State Police indicated to Jeri, Tony and Lani Mathews, and myself that he was told Wendy Yearsley was heard screaming at the wreck site: "I told you to slow down. I told you to slow down!" With a little concern and an honest approach to this case there would have been a totally different conclusion. Since you chose to manipulate the facts of this tragedy and ignore the law, there will never be closure for Jeri, the Sutherlands" or myself.


Jim Conley Lane September 28, 2000
 

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