Residents of Laramie feel that the recent sentencing of Shelley Harnden was unjust.
Judge Jeffrey Donnell sentenced Harnden following a plea deal in which she plead guilty to child endangerment. In exchange the prosecution dropped two other charges of intent to sell methamphetamine and felony possession of methamphetamine against her.
Many of Shelley’s neighbors feel that the punishment was not enough, but they do not feel that their safety is threatened by Harnden’s presence in the neighborhood.
“I don’t think the punishment was just,” Shea Goddard, 24, said, “but I don’t feel any less safe with her on probation instead of in prison.”
An anonymous neighbor said, “I don’t feel less safe, but I absolutely don’t think the punishment fits the crime.”
One neighbor, Wendy Budrow, feels that we should not punish people for endangering their children. Instead, she said, we should attempt to rehabilitate people convicted of child endangerment.
“I think that is ludicrous. It is really irresponsible parenting, but I don’t believe these things should fall under the jurisdiction of the law,” Budrow said. “I believe we should use a compassionate approach, and attempt to educate these parents and others like them. It is ineffective and counterproductive to punish bad parenting.”
Shelley and her husband, Robin Harnden, faced up to thirty years imprisonment if convicted of all of the charges presented.
The charges dropped in the December plea deal were possession with the intent to sell methamphetamines, and felony possession of methamphetamines. Shelley’s plea deal is also contingent on her testifying against her co-defendants. Robin’s court date is set for next month.
Tony Lopez, Shelley’s lawyer, declined to comment on the case.
Louis Cirillo, an Albany County Sheriff’s Office agent, was investigating another suspect, Dale Peden, with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and reported that the suspect entered the Harnden residence on Russell Street.
After finding potential evidence of methamphetamine residue in the trash and observing the residence, a search warrant was issued for the home. Inside agents found the Harndens and a toddler, later identified as Shelley’s grandson.
According to the court documents, the toddler was discovered unattended in a crib, with a shotgun and crossbow laid out in the room.
Agents also discovered other weapons throughout the house as well as glass pipes with methamphetamine residue and over five grams of methamphetamines.
The toddler tested positive for methamphetamine, and was taken from Shelley’s custody. Shelley gained custody of the toddler at five months old, when her daughter, Dimitria Palato, lost custody due to methamphetamines.
Tony Lewis, communications officer at Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS), said only police officers or a physician are authorized to remove a child from their guardian’s custody.
“There are two types of professionals who can remove a child from a home: a policeman or a physician,” Lewis said. “In Wyoming, DFS is not actually involved in the retrieval of endangered children.”
Shelley claims that she had tried to leave the home with the child, but Robin would not allow her to leave, even pulling her hair to prevent her from leaving. She said she fears Robin, and also claimed that he threatened to “beat her up,” according to the court transcript.
Peden was arrested near Gillette a few days before the search warrant on the house in Laramie was executed, and he possessed over 80 grams of methamphetamines, as well as a firearm. As a felon having a firearm is punishable by up to three years in prison.
