By Mark Davis
Powell Tribune
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

POWELL — Outside of some stray pieces of crime scene tape around a Byron residence, there were few outward signs on Tuesday of the tragedy that had occurred the previous day. 

But people in the small community and around the state were hurting, grieving and rallying around the families impacted by the murder-suicide that left three children and their mother dead and a fourth child fighting for her life. 

At Tuesday night’s regular Byron Town Council meeting, there were no crowds seeking answers from leadership. 

Mayor Allan Clark opened with a long, sad moment of silence. He then gave an opening statement before offering the subject of the tragedy up for discussion. 

“We’ve had a great shock to our community,” Clark said to the mostly empty seats in Town Hall. “It is real hard.” 

In an interview prior to the meeting, the community’s mayor for the past two years fought back tears. 

“This really hurts,” he said. 

Clark said one of the great things about a small town is getting to know the residents well. He struggled to speak while holding in his emotions. 

Earlier in the day a Billings television station met with Clark, but he declined to go on camera, knowing he couldn’t hold back his tears. 

“This is probably the most difficult thing that has ever hit Byron,” he said. “You expect accidents to happen and things to happen. But, you know, you don’t expect this — such little kids — to be murdered. It’s a tragedy for the whole town — for the whole area.” 

Clark said he knew he had to find strength to attend the council meeting. He looked for a silver lining. 

“We appreciate the first responders, those who put their lives on the line,” he said, worrying about how they will be impacted by what they witnessed at the residence. 

Clark also appreciates the offers of support he’s received from folks across the Big Horn Basin and beyond, including a Monday afternoon call from Gov. Mark Gordon.

“I’m impressed with the people who have reached out and offered help,” he told the council, adding, “It’s good to live in a small area where people care. People care a lot.” 

Gordon has sought to reduce Wyoming’s suicide rates by improving access to behavioral health services and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. He has also emphasized the importance of asking for help and destigmatizing mental health issues. 

“The tragic loss of multiple lives in Big Horn County this week reminds us of the challenges we continuously face in addressing mental health statewide and improving how we reach those in crisis as early as possible,” Gordon said in a Wednesday statement. “It is why I launched my mental health initiative, and why we will continue to offer additional resources to communities around the state. There remains work to be done in reforming Wyoming’s mental health system, and I will continue to support policies that will improve access to mental health care.” 

At Tuesday’s Byron town council meeting, Councilman Mikey Brightly asked what they could do to put together information to help residents who might be experiencing mental or emotional health issues. 

Rocky Mountain Elementary School in Big Horn County School District 1 was providing counselors for students and staff. The school also sent a letter to parents offering counseling to anyone in need of help and brought in a therapy dog on Wednesday for anyone who could benefit from time with a kind canine. 

The residents of Byron and the entire Big Horn Basin are in mourning, Clark said, and searching for answers they will likely never find. 

Clark knows what it is like to lose a child: He and his wife Cindy lost their son, Wesley Grant Clark, in a 2005 car accident. The murders on Monday triggered memories of his own family’s tragedy. 

Clark advocates finding a way to forgive, “because that’s what we were taught.” 

“That’s what my son would have wanted and that’s what these kids would want, is for them to forgive and continue to live their lives,” he said. 

Immediate help for people in Wyoming struggling with thoughts of suicide is available by calling or texting 988.