Casper Man Sentenced For Murdering Mother-In-Law In Front Of Wife
GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: The below story contains a description of a November 2019 murder in Casper. Additionally, this story describes autopsy photos jurors viewed during testimony in the trial. Discretion is strongly advised.
A Casper man convicted of murdering his mother-in-law in front of his wife will serve 70 years to life behind bars.
Anthony Rodriguez was convicted of second-degree murder during a jury trial in April. Twelve Natrona County jurors found Rodriguez not guilty on charges of first-degree and felony murder.
Rodriguez's victim, Mary Fogle, was 54.
Second-degree murder is punishable by 20 years to life behind bars.
Natrona County District Court Judge Daniel Forgey handed down the sentence after hearing from two of Fogle's adult children and Rodriguez.
Both children described life without their mom and having to live with the brutal manner in which their mother was murdered.
Assistant Natrona County District Attorney Mike Schafer said the murder is one of the most heinous he can think of in Natrona County over the past three decades. Schafer said the Dale Wayne Eaton case is perhaps the only incident he could think of that's more heinous.
READ MORE: Anthony Rodriguez Murder Trial
According to testimony in the case, the brutal murder was sparked by an argument over a mattress.
Court documents and testimony heard during the week-long trial indicate that Rodriguez first brutally beat Fogle before grabbing a kitchen knife with which he stabbed and sliced Fogle's throat several times.
According to court documents, Rodriguez and his wife, Allison Solis moved into Fogle's Conwell residence in September 2019. At first, Fogle and Rodriguez got along, but their relationship began deteriorating and they had heated arguments.
Filings indicate that on the day of the murder, Fogle and Rodriguez got into a heated argument over a dirty mattress.
At some point, court documents state Rodriguez pulled out a short kitchen knife with a red handle and tried to "slice" Fogle's throat.
After stabbing Fogle several times, Rodriguez allegedly said, "Oh she's not dead yet" before attempting to cut Fogle's neck, court documents state.
Rodriguez then told Solis to get her things and that they were leaving.
Court documents allege that they drove to Colorado. There, Solis and Rodriguez allegedly told relatives about the murder. Then they turned themselves in to authorities in Colorado.