Wyoming – In a deeply disturbing case in Wyoming that caught nationwide attention, a 16-year-old boy, identified as J. Plunkett, has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal and calculated murder of a 14-year-old, identified as B. Maher, outside a local mall. Plunkett, who pleaded guilty in May to first-degree murder and aggravated assault and battery, will serve a life sentence with eligibility for parole after 25 years, as required by state law for minors. He also received an additional 10-year sentence for the assault charge.
Maher was attacked in broad daylight on April 7, 2024, while defending his girlfriend. According to reports, Plunkett lunged at Maher like a wild animal, while his friend and co-defendant in the case, identified as D. Harris, held the 14-year-old victim down to the ground and stabbed him to death. During Friday’s sentencing hearing, Judge C. Wilking didn’t hold back as she condemned Plunkett’s actions, calling the act “the most cowardly thing I can imagine.” She pointed out that while disagreements might have once been settled with fists, this act of violence involved a stolen weapon and a premeditated ambush. Harris, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, has not yet been sentenced. His role in holding Maher down during the stabbing was a critical component of the attack.
The chain of events that led to Maher’s murder began two weeks earlier, when Plunkett and Harris had an earlier confrontation with Maher at a local park. Tensions escalated two days before the killing, when Plunkett reportedly told Maher’s friend, “Do you want to pay his blood debt?” That ominous statement would become a chilling precursor to what followed. On the day of the murder, the two teens were initially playing hide-and-seek, according to court records. But at some point, their focus shifted. They stole knives from a nearby store, then began tracking Maher’s girlfriend. Eventually, they spotted Maher exiting the sporting goods store. Witnesses described a tense verbal exchange that drew a crowd. Then, the violence unfolded.
According to cellphone footage reviewed by police and later played in court, Harris grabbed Maher by the waist, lifted him, and slammed him hard to the ground. He held the younger boy down as Plunkett lunged in, swinging a stolen knife in a downward motion, stabbing Maher twice in the chest. Though Maher managed to stand and take a few steps, he soon collapsed and died from his injuries. Emergency responders arrived quickly, but it was too late.
Harris has since admitted to holding Maher down but claimed he was only trying to end the fight. However, the video evidence and the premeditated nature of the assault told a different story — one of intent, coordination, and deadly consequences. As Plunkett was sentenced, the courtroom reflected a mix of grief, anger, and disbelief over a young life extinguished and another destroyed by violence. Judge Wilking’s words made clear that the court recognized the full weight of the crime. And while the sentence brings legal resolution, it does little to ease the pain for Maher’s family, who now face a lifetime without their son.
