Wyoming Man Accused of Killing Wife Won’t Have Charges Reduced

CODY, Wyo. (AP) — A Wyoming judge has rejected reducing the first-degree murder charge against a 76-year-old man accused of killing his wife.

Park County Circuit Judge Bruce Waters on Friday also denied changing the bond status set for Dennis Klingbeil of Wapiti as he approved advancing the case to district court for trial.

Klingbeil is charged in the August shooting death of 75-year-old Donna Klingbeil. He is being held without bond.

The Cody Enterprise reports that his defense attorney, Donna Domonkos, challenged whether the shooting was premediated malice and argued that the charge should be reduced from first-degree to second-degree murder.

Park County prosecutor Bryan Skoric says the evidence supports the first-degree murder charge.

No date is yet set for the next hearing in the case.