Motion to Dismiss Hearing Held for Sheridan Man Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter

An evidentiary hearing was held Thursday in Fourth Judicial District Court for a 34-year-old Sheridan man charged with involuntary manslaughter. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

Day one of a hearing to address a motion to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter case against Cody McCalla featured witness testimony from Dustin Wheeler, McCalla’s friend who was with him during the alleged crime, Sheridan Police Department Sergeant Jacob Board, Mackenzie Mudd, the ex-wife of the alleged victim, the defendant Cody McCalla, and Rocky and Sydnee Rothwell, a married couple from Columbus, Montana, who witnessed a portion of the incident while on their way to the Fairgrounds to attend the Rodeo.

McCalla was arrested and charged with the crime of involuntary manslaughter for punching 48-year-old Patrick Mudd in the face, causing traumatic brain injury that resulted in Mudd’s death. According to court documents, an officer with the Sheridan Police Department, on July 12, 2024, responded to the 1900 block of West 5th Street shortly after 6 pm for a fight in progress. When the officer arrived on scene, Mudd was lying on the ground in a puddle of blood and McCalla was close by with blood on his face and his hands. McCalla told the officer that he had been in a fight with Mudd and that he had hit him once.  The fight was the result of a minor traffic incident and parking dispute. 

McCalla is claiming self defense under Wyoming Statute 6-2-602, which is the state’s stand your ground law that allows a person to use reasonable force, including deadly force, if they feel they are in danger of serious bodily injury or death.  

During testimony Thursday, both McCalla and Wheeler testified that Mudd had been the aggressor in the altercation and that he was angry over a parking dispute. During cross examination of Wheeler and McCalla, Sheridan County and Prosecuting Attorney for the State Dianna Bennett stated that there were a number of inconsistencies between the initial statements they provided law enforcement following the incident and what they said during testimony at Thursday’s hearing. Witness testimony will continue today (Friday). The charge of involuntary manslaughter is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.