By Hannah Shields
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

CHEYENNE — Wyoming lawmakers voted Tuesday to draft a bill that would create a felony charge for an adult who stalks a minor who is at least three years younger than him/herself. 

Stalking is a misdemeanor under current Wyoming law (W.S. 6-2-506), punishable by imprisonment up to one year, a fine up to $750 or both. This charge goes up to a felony when the stalker causes bodily harm, violates a restraining order or violates parole, among other listed reasons.

There is no current distinction in state statute for an adult stalking a minor versus an adult stalking another adult.

A Glenrock teenager broke into tears as she advocated for state legislators to create harsher penalties for adults who stalk underaged victims. 

Gillian Holman, accompanied by her parents, testified in front of the Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee during its meeting in Torrington.

The high schooler told committee members she was harassed and stalked by a 41-year-old woman for the last year and a half. This same woman, Marcie Smith, was found guilty of stalking another Glenrock high school student, Preston Sorensen, according to reporting by the Glenrock Independent. 

Preston’s mother, Brandi, also testified in front of the committee that day. 

“My son, a 6-foot-5 champion wrestler who rarely fears anything, froze in fear that night upon hearing a woman’s voice outside, believing she had come for him,” Sorensen said. “He told me he had never been more afraid in his life.”

Committee members appeared deeply moved by the anecdotal testimony of the two Glenrock teenagers. Lyman Republican Rep. Joe Webb’s voice broke as he addressed Gillian, her parents and Sorensen.

“I’m sorry,” Webb said. “We have a problem in Wyoming. You’ve made it clear we have the responsibility to correct it.”

The director of the Division of Victim Services in the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office, Cara Chambers, told the committee House Bill 189, “Harmful communication- minors,” would have criminalized Smith’s behavior as a felony.

Rep. Jayme Lien, R-Casper, was the primary sponsor of HB 189 in the recent legislative session. The bill passed through the House of Representatives before it died on the Senate floor.

“Stalking is one of the most nefarious crimes I’ve had to deal with, honestly,” Chambers said. “It does so much harm long-term to the victims, and (it is one) of the most common indicators of future violence.”

During the meeting, Lien successfully moved to draft a second bill related to grooming, modeled after Montana legislation. This bill includes a requirement to register the sex offender upon conviction.

 

Gillian’s story

In November 2023, mass anonymous text messages were sent to Gillian’s fellow high schoolers, with supposed screenshots of Gillian speaking badly about them. In February 2024, her parents received text messages “from an anonymous number claiming to be a concerned parent,” she said.

The messages accused Gillian of engaging in “inappropriate and sexual behavior” with male students at her school.

“What at first seemed like a simple little text to get me in trouble led to a year of stalking and harassment,” Gillian said.

Her parents warned her to be cautious of her surroundings and physical safety. The text messages reached a point at which Gillian feared she would be raped. 

Police identified Gillian’s stalker in October 2024 as Smith, who is a mother of a fellow high schooler.

“My stalker was in a position of power as a chaperone on a school trip,” Gillian said. “She used this against me to further scare and intimidate me.”

In November 2024, a year after the text messages were first sent out, Gillian was able to get a temporary three-year restraining order. In March, she testified in a criminal trial about what she had been through and how the stalking affected her personal and school relationships.

The woman was given two years of unsupervised probation and court-mandated counseling, Gillian said.

“This is what Wyoming’s current stalking laws have done,” she said. “They give room for a 40-year-old to stalk, torment and harass a child and walk away with barely a slap on the wrist.”

Gillian thought her life would return to normal after that. But she saw her stalker resume attending basketball games and school events she attended. Gillian said she constantly looked over her shoulder and scanned the room for the woman to show up.

This past Sunday, Gillian asked one of her friends to check if her stalker was attending the graduation ceremony, “because I didn’t want to enter the gym until I knew she wasn’t there.”

“I’m constantly trying to figure out how I can keep myself safe. It is not easy to continuously share what happened, but I have to at least try,” Gillian said. She broke into tears at this point.

“I have to at least try to make it better for future stalking victims in Wyoming.”