Three Charged In Albany County For Plot To Kill Cheyenne Man

Three men who stand accused of conspiring to kill a Cheyenne man are being charged in Albany County. Ryan Alexander Brown of Laramie, Eric Shane Farrar of Cheyenne, and William Isaac Ferrill of Rock River are all being charged with Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree. Brown is also charged with Possession, manufacture,...of explosives, improvised explosive device…with unlawful intent.

According to affidavits released by Albany County Circuit Court, the investigation began on October 29 when police spoke with Angela Brown. She told police that her husband, 39-year-old Ryan Brown, was upset about an alleged extramarital affair between herself and a man named John Squires from Cheyenne. She expressed concern about allegations of a plan to kidnap Squires and then kill him and make it look like a suicide.

She informed police that her daughter told her she had heard a concerning conversation the night before between Brown and Ferrill. She said Brown took the call through his cell phone and auto speakers via Bluetooth with the daughter in the vehicle. Ferrill allegedly talked about going to Cheyenne and “doing it tonight.” The daughter told authorities that there were allegedly plans between Brown, Ferrill and Farrar to kill Squires.

Angela Brown also told authorities that her daughter had found what she thought was a bomb in a drawer in the garage of their residence on Shetland Drive. Angela said she found the device and took a photo of it. When authorities saw the photo, they identified the device as an improvised explosive device commonly referred to as a pipe bomb.

When questioned about the pipe bomb, Ryan Brown allegedly told police he had built the device when he lived in Carbon County so he could break rocks and trees to extend a horse corral on is property. He said that he was in possession of the device for several months

A search warrant was issued for the residence, and authorities found the bomb. Documents say the bomb was identified as a “dark colored metal pipe approximately 18”- 24” in length with metal threaded end caps and an automotive spark plug threaded or otherwise machined into the device near the middle.”

Documents show that officers also found receipts indicating that the spark plug used in the bomb was purchased on October 12, 2014. They also found a new drill bit believed to have been used to drill the hole to mount the spark plug, liquid thread sealant, copper wiring, batteries of various sizes, Scotch Guard foaming fabric and carpet cleaner to clean the metal pipe and a metal T-fitting similar in size to the length of the pipe.

According to a release by the Laramie Police Department, bomb technicians x-rayed the device and determined it to be inoperable.

Laramie Police interviewed 30-year-old William Isaac Ferrill on October 30. According to a court affidavit, Ferrill allegedly admitted that they had been planning to commit a homicide against John Squires and had been obtaining materials to do so. Ferrill said he had first learned of the plan to kill Squires in August.

According to the documents, Ferrill said Brown wanted to kill Squires because Brown thought Squires was having an affair with his wife. He allegedly said that he knew about the pipe bomb and claimed that Brown had asked him to provide him with gunpowder to complete it.

Ferrill said that he and Eric Shane Farrar, 31, were planning to kill Squires and that Ryan Brown said he would pay them for it. He claimed he was offered $5,000 for the homicide. He said they thought they knew where Squires lived in Cheyenne from information on his Facebook account and allegedly claimed they had been by his house many times looking for him and his vehicles.

Court documents show that during the interview, Ferrill was asked to call Farrar. During the call, Farrar allegedly seemed to have knowledge of the homicide plan. He told Ferrill to stick to the story and to tell investigators he was "broke" if they asked about the money.

According to the Laramie Police Department, additional felony charges against all three subjects, unrelated to the conspiracy or the explosive device, are being investigated by the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office.

Possession, manufacture,...of explosives, improvised explosive device…with unlawful intent is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten years, a fine of not more than $10,000.00 or both.

Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree is punishable by life imprisonment without parole or life imprisonment.