A Wyoming woman who attempted to arrange the killing of her daughter’s boyfriend avoided a lengthy prison term after agreeing to a plea arrangement.
Wendy Coe, 57, entered a no-contest plea to attempted aggravated assault and battery on Monday, a deal that reduced a charge of soliciting first-degree murder. According to reporting by local news outlet Cowboy State Daily, the plea came nearly three years after authorities caught Coe seeking someone to kill her daughter’s boyfriend. In an affidavit obtained by the outlet, Coe told the would-be hit man, who was actually an undercover agent, that her daughter’s boyfriend was a drug addict who had also drawn her daughter into addiction.
According to the affidavit, an unnamed individual contacted the Cody Police Department to inform them that Coe had spent roughly two weeks searching for someone to kill her daughter’s boyfriend. The department initiated an investigation, and on Dec. 20, 2023, an agent from the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation posed as a potential hit man and contacted Coe.
That same day, Coe directed the agent to meet her at the store where she worked and to proceed to the back, where no cameras could record their conversation. During their recorded discussion, the agent proposed a fee of $10,000 for the killing. Coe stated that she considered the price reasonable but could not pay it immediately.
While discussing possible methods, Coe said the boyfriend was currently using drugs. The agent suggested, “So, if it looked like a drug deal gone bad and he was shot or something like that, is that out of the ordinary?” Coe responded, “That’s not out of the ordinary.”
Coe also proposed that someone supply the boyfriend with enough drugs to kill him, telling the agent, “Or if he OD’d (overdosed). He OD’d up in the South Fork it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary.”
The agent reminded Coe that someone could survive an overdose. He then told her that he would rather shoot the boyfriend. Coe responded, “Works for me.” She agreed to contribute $200 to $300 toward the purchase of a firearm, though the agent indicated that a friend could cover that expense. He asked Coe to provide photographs of the boyfriend, along with his address, details about his vehicle, and information about his workplace.
Coe and the agent arranged to meet the following day. On Dec. 21, 2023, Coe texted the agent and stated that she could not afford the $10,000 they had discussed. She explained that she could provide some money after the new year and additional funds after receiving a raise the following spring. When the agent indicated he could potentially carry out the killing for a lower price, Coe declined and stated that there was “too much risk involved.”
Authorities arrested Coe the same day and booked her into the Park County Jail.
Throughout her court proceedings, Coe’s defense attorneys argued that a jury should be permitted to consider whether law enforcement entrapped her through the sting operation. The prosecution rejected this argument, emphasizing that Coe formed the intent to have her daughter’s boyfriend killed before she communicated with the undercover agent; her intent did not arise from those conversations.
Park County Deputy Attorney Larry Eichele stated that the agent “merely followed her lead.”
Under the terms of Coe’s no-contest plea, Eichele agreed that the state would not pursue a sentence exceeding five to eight years in prison. Coe’s defense may also argue for probation. After accepting the plea, Judge Bill Simpson ordered a presentence investigation into Coe prior to sentencing. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Leave a Reply