| Wyoming v. Cantrell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | Sweetwater County District Court |
| Full case name | State of Wyoming v. Edward Lee Cantrell |
| Decided | November 30, 1979 |
| Verdict | Not guilty |
| Charge | First-degree murder |
| Court membership | |
| Judge sitting | Kenneth Hamm |
State of Wyoming v. Ed Cantrell (officially the State of Wyoming v. Edward Lee Cantrell) was a state trial of Wyoming police officer Ed Cantrell for the killing of Michael Angel Rosa, an undercover narcotics agent in Rock Springs, Wyoming.[1] Rosa had previously been working towards uncovering the immense corruption in the city.[2]
After only three hours of deliberations, the jury accepted Cantrell's self-defense argument, and acquitted him of first-degree murder.[3]
Famed lawyer Gerry Spence won the acquittal of Cantrell in what was deemed an "impossible case".[1]
- ^ a b Ivins, Molly (1979-12-01). "Wyoming Jury Frees Law Official in Killing Knight of Old West Presented". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ "Police Officer, Slain in West, Buried on L.I." The New York Times. 1978-07-27. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ Brinkley-Rogers, Paul (1979-11-30). "Wyoming Jury Acquits City Sheriff On First-Degree Murder Charge". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-10-08.