Opinion ID: 2747888
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: L. locked the bedroom door once again.

Text: [¶5] Unable to reach Mr. Levengood’s relatives, Ms. Thompson called 911. A.L. testified that while Ms. Thompson was talking to the 911 dispatcher, “[D]ad came again to the door, and it sounded like he was kind of like knocking, kind of like pounding on it.” [¶6] Officer Michael Sutton, a crime scene technician with the Cheyenne Police Department who arrived shortly thereafter, estimated the bedroom door contained eight to eleven independent marks “consistent with knife marks that I’ve seen on other cases.” Towards the top of the door, and down to the center, “was a very long and sort of 1 Testimony at trial indicated that Ms. Thompson and Mr. Levengood had recently ended their relationship. Ms. Thompson would remain in the house until the end of the month, at which time she was going to move to Laramie, Wyoming, to begin school. 1 pyramid-shaped . . . or triangular-shaped slash mark which appeared to be done with some sharp object.” At several other locations, Officer Sutton reported “smaller holes that looked like something was poked into the door, very skinny, which I would attribute to what I’ve seen with knife wounds[.]” In one location there was an entry hole followed by a four-to-five inch slash that appeared to have been created by a knife pushed into the door and then forced down through the door using “significant force.” Officer Sutton also observed an “unusual” large dent and pry marks on the top of the doorknob, as well as “jab” marks in the door jamb, appearing as though “something had been stuck into the door, and then it appeared as someone pried down on the doorknob, like someone was trying to damage the doorknob.” At trial, commenting on the marks, Officer Sutton testified: You know, typically when I see marks like this in a door, this is from a very violent situation. It’s not the first time I’ve seen marks like this. I’ve seen marks like this in walls. I’ve seen marks like this in doors. I’ve seen marks like this in people. And every time I’ve seen marks like this it was a very violent situation. [¶7] A.L. further testified: And then he was able to get the door open again. And I think he could tell that Andrea [sic] was on the phone with the police, and so he put the knife -- he walked over into the room and he put the knife on the stand, on the TV stand, and he walked out. [¶8] The police arrived soon after, and as Ms. Thompson and A.L. left the bedroom, A.L. noticed marks on the bedroom door and walls of the hallway outside the bedroom. [¶9] When Officer Sutton went down the hallway leading to the bedroom, he observed fresh slash marks on the hallway walls. Regarding these marks, Officer Sutton testified, “You know, in my training and experience, when you see slash marks like this . . . these are typically of a violent situation. It indicates to me that someone’s very upset, and has made these marks in anger.” [¶10] Mr. Levengood was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated assault and battery for threatening to use a drawn deadly weapon against Ms. Thompson. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-2-502(a)(iii) (LexisNexis 2013). Following a bench trial, the district court found Mr. Levengood guilty. He was sentenced to serve four to five years in prison, suspended in favor of three years supervised probation. Mr. Levengood timely filed this appeal. 2