Cheyenne man sentenced to 15-20 years for involuntary manslaughter

Ivy Secrest, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne
·2 min read

CHEYENNE — A Cheyenne man accused of killing his mother’s boyfriend in August 2023 pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter Tuesday.

Tyler J. Hill, 25, pleaded guilty to shooting and killing Ashley Bartel. Hill shot Bartel after an argument regarding Bartel’s vehicle, initially shooting the ground, then fatally shooting Bartel, according to a police investigation.

Hill was sentenced to 15-20 years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter by Judge Robin Cooley, though he received credit for 322 days served. In addition to prison time, Hill will pay a total of $5,272.45 in restitution.

Bartel’s family addressed the court, describing how the loss of Bartel had impacted them.

Hill had been living with Bartel and his mother, Rhonda Bryan, at the time of the incident. Bryan and Hill’s fiancée, Tatiana Navarro, spoke on Hill’s behalf.

“This has shattered our lives beyond repair,” Navarro said on behalf of the family. “Ashley was a kind soul with a heart as big as the sky.”

Navarro told the court that Hill and Bartel “were friends” and that “there is not one mean bone in his body.”

It was also established that Hill had not been in a good environment at the time of the shooting.

“Tyler was in an environment he should never have been in. … I believe in my heart he did not mean to,” Bryan said.

Hill’s attorney, Jose Bustos, had previously told the court in Hill’s preliminary hearing that the likelihood of this incident being an accident should be considered in the sentencing.

In court on Tuesday, Judge Cooley denied Bustos’ request for a continuance. Bustos had requested the continuance in order to give Judge Cooley time to review a sentencing memorandum.

Hill has no prior criminal record, was cooperative with police in the investigation and was in an intense environment at the time of the incident, all of which Bustos cited to the court as mitigating factors in the case.

Though Hill had no prior record, he did neglect to aid Bartel after he shot him. He didn’t call law enforcement after the fact, either, Assistant District Attorney Steven McManamen told the court. Hill fled the scene and disposed of the weapon.

“We have a hole in both families that will not be filled at the end of this sentencing,” Cooley said. “There is no violence in his background, which makes this all the more tragic.”