District Court News

A hearing was held Thursday in Fourth Judicial District Court for a Sheridan man charged with murder. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

At an arraignment hearing in District Court on November 7, 2024, Melvin Israel, via video conference from the Wyoming State Hospital, pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness or deficiency to the charge of murder in the second degree. A mental health evaluation was conducted by the State Hospital because of Israel’s plea at the hearing. The defendant has requested that an independent designated examiner perform a second mental health evaluation.

During a hearing Thursday, District Court Judge Darci Phillips granted the order and said that the trial date of April 7 will most likely have to be vacated and reset due to the defendant’s request for a second mental health evaluation. Melvin is currently in the custody of the State Hospital in Evanston.

Melvin was charged with murder in the second degree for allegedly killing his mother, 64-year-old Leonila Melvin at her home on Gladstone Street in Sheridan on January 7, 2024. According to the affidavit of probable cause, Melvin died from blunt force trauma to the head. The medical examiner concluded that a blunt object with sharp corners was used to inflict the trauma. Murder in the second degree is punishable by 20 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Also from District Court:

A sentencing hearing was held for Payton Jack of Sheridan. Jack was arrested and charged last year with felony blackmail for contacting a minor through Instagram on April 17, 2024 and threatening to post nude photos of the minor on social media. District Court Judge Darci Phillips accepted the terms of the plea agreement that was reached between the State and the defendant, and sentenced Jack to 18 to 36 months in prison, suspended in favor of three years of supervised probation.

The probation will run concurrently to the probation he’s on for an unrelated case where he received a deferred prosecution and was placed on three years of supervised probation for the charge of felony theft. Jack was ordered to pay $375 in court costs and assessments, $750 in public defender fees, and $960 in restitution. $875 of the restitution will go to the victim’s mother to cover the out-of-pocket expenses paid for counseling for the victim. The additional $85 will go to the Wyoming Division of Victim Services.