Attempted Murder Trial Begins for Adrian Maggos in Cheyenne

Attempted Murder Trial Begins for Adrian Maggos in Cheyenne

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A Laramie County jury begins hearing testimony in attempted murder trial

The legal proceedings for Adrian Maggos, a Cheyenne man accused of shooting Matthew Kerlee earlier this year, commenced Tuesday in Laramie County District Court. Maggos faces a single count of felony attempted second-degree murder stemming from an incident on April 30, according to reporting from the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

The trial centers on a violent confrontation that occurred in the early morning hours, leaving Kerlee with a gunshot wound to the chest. As the jury prepares to weigh the evidence, the court must determine whether the shooting was a calculated act of violence or a chaotic accident triggered by outside provocations.

Before the opening statements began, Judge Nathaniel Hibben presented a series of stipulations to the jurors to establish certain undisputed facts. These included the fact that Kerlee sustained one gunshot wound and remained hospitalized from April 30 until May 5, that the blood at the scene belonged to Kerlee, that the shooting took place within Laramie County, and that Maggos resided in a home near the location of the incident.

The prosecution alleges a premeditated ambush

Assistant District Attorney Steve McMannamen opened the state’s case by framing the event as a preventable escalation. He argued that a simple argument transformed into a life-threatening encounter solely due to the actions of Maggos. The prosecution detailed how Kerlee was struck in the left side of his chest at point-blank range, with the bullet exiting through his right side.

A central pillar of the prosecution’s argument involves the behavior of Maggos immediately following the shots. McMannamen stated there was no evidence Maggos feared for his life during the altercation. Instead, the prosecutor alleged that after realizing 911 had been called, Maggos fled the scene and disposed of the weapon. The state further claimed Maggos wore a black hooded sweatshirt with a makeshift hole cut into the back, a modification designed to allow him to draw a gun from his waistband and fire it through the fabric in a concealed manner.

The prosecution bolstered its narrative on Tuesday by calling Cheyenne Police Department Detective Sean Cigich to the stand. Cigich presented several exhibits, including doorbell camera footage that captured the sounds of the altercation and the subsequent gunshots.

Defense claims provocation and accidental discharge

Stacy Kirven, representing Maggos, offered a starkly different interpretation of the morning’s events. Opening with the William Congreve quote, “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” Kirven alleged that Maggos’ former girlfriend, Parres Mondragon, was the primary instigator of the violence.

The defense presented evidence suggesting that Mondragon had sent threatening and harassing text messages to Maggos for the 11 days leading up to the shooting. These messages reportedly included threats that she would come to Maggos’ residence to break his windows. Kirven further alleged that Mondragon had specifically chosen Kerlee to assist her in a physical confrontation with Maggos.

Beyond the issue of provocation, the defense argued that the shooting was not intentional. Kirven contended that the gun went off during a physical struggle between Maggos and Kerlee. The defense also noted that the firearm was never recovered, meaning no forensic testing could be performed on the weapon itself.

The timeline of the April 30 shooting

The events that led to this trial began around 4 a.m. on April 30, when Kerlee and Mondragon arrived at Maggos’ residence. According to an affidavit from Cheyenne Police Department Detective James Eddy, an argument broke out between Mondragon and Maggos, leading Kerlee to intervene. This intervention resulted in a physical fight and two gunshots.

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When officers arrived at the intersection of Central and Third avenues at 4:12 a.m., they found Kerlee “bleeding profusely.” While being treated, Kerlee identified “Adrian” as the person who shot him. Other witnesses at the scene provided conflicting accounts of the chaos:

Adrian maggos inset cheyenne police
  • Joseph Mares, Maggos’ grandfather, confirmed hearing a disturbance and stated that Maggos owned a small semi-automatic handgun.
  • Brianna Parry, Maggos’ former partner, stated the men were fighting over Mondragon and that she and a friend called 911.
  • Mondragon told officers she heard Kerlee say “I’m sorry” to Maggos during the incident.

Following the shooting, Maggos was the subject of an eight-hour search before he returned to his home and turned himself in around 12:48 p.m. While in custody, Maggos allegedly asked for an update on Kerlee’s condition, clarifying to an officer that he was referring to “the guy I shot.”

The trial is expected to continue for three to four days. If the jury finds Maggos guilty of the attempted second-degree murder charge, he faces a potential sentence of 20 years to life in prison.

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