I am the investigator on the case.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/evidence-da-injustice-stephen-komorek/

John Knospler, is a decorated Marine with multiple combat tours with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, and 1st Special Operations Training Group. John honorably served 8 years and 3 combat deployments serving our country. Due to some extremely unfortunate circumstances, John is a victim of injustice and needs our help.

In October 2013, John was invited out to a veteran-sponsored hunting trip with friends and family to Keeline, Wyoming. One night, after a day of hunting, John went to get a drink at a local bar. When he was ready to leave, rather than drive drunk, he decided to sleep in his car. John was startled awake to James Baldwin, a Casper local and career criminal, punching through John’s driver-side car window, lunging at John, and threatening to kill him. Knospler attempted to start the car and drive away, but was unable due to Baldwin’s assault. During the struggle, and in pure self-defense, John drew his pistol and shot Baldwin so that he could evade the scene safely.

John was found guilty of 2nd degree murder and sentenced to 30-50 years in prison.

The state investigator confirmed John Knospler’s statement of events, but it was not admitted into evidence. The states investigator confirms the window was punched out as he concluded glass dispersion inside vehicle was consistent with window being punched out. The ballistics investigation puts Baldwin bent over and inside the vehicle. This all validates John’s statement of self-defense. James Baldwin had a long and violent criminal history (18 felony counts of vehicle burglary, as well as multiple counts of assault and evading police).

HotLink https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/evidence-da-injustice-stephen-komorek/

I hate it when they put people's service as some kind of emotional play.  He was either right or wrong, his military service doesn't mean anything

In for later review.

/sLawyerUp
Senior GD Counsel

How can a state investigators report not be allowed as evidence?

Did he have a public defender?

Mentioning his background and honorable service is every bit as relavent as the deceased's background.

Video of the incident maybe?

Does WY, my beloved hopefully home state, not have a draconian requirement to flee before defending yourself?

Interesting read.  Sounds like a horrible injustice.

I'm with others, service means nothing if it was a good shoot.  There has to be more to the story, otherwise I would expect innocence defense groups to be all over this.

So why did he go down for murder?

Im confused.

[¶ 3] On the night of October 3, 2013, Appellant and the victim, James Baldwin, separately visited Racks Gentlemen's Club in Casper. Around 10:30 p.m., Appellant was asked to leave after he was observed with marijuana inside the bar. Appellant left and sat in his vehicle in the parking lot. Shortly before midnight, bar employees found the victim asleep at a bar table and asked him to leave. The employees offered to call a cab for the victim, but he stated that his friends were waiting for him in a car parked outside the bar. The victim exited to the parking lot and approached the vehicle occupied by Appellant. The victim pulled on the passenger door handle and knocked on the window. When he did not get an answer, the victim walked around to the driver's side and leaned on the door. Appellant then shot and killed the victim.

[¶ 4] After the shooting, Appellant drove away from the scene and bar employees called the police. Shortly thereafter, a sheriff's deputy observed a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle that had been reported. The deputy stopped Appellant after he observed him driving 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. When the deputy approached the vehicle, he smelled a strong odor of alcohol and marijuana. The deputy also noticed that the driver's door window was missing and appeared to have been broken. Prior to his arrest, Appellant told the officer that he did not know how the window had been broken and that he had not been in any altercation that night.

[¶ 5] As a result of the incident on October 3rd, the State charged Appellant with one count of second-degree murder. Prior to trial, Appellant filed a notice of his intent to introduce evidence of the victim's criminal history to show that he was the first aggressor. Appellant sought to introduce evidence of the victim's arrests for breach of the peace, battery and interference with a police officer, and eluding police, as well as his arrest for 19 counts of conspiracy to commit vehicular burglary. Ultimately, the district court allowed evidence of the victim's arrest for battery and interference with a police officer, but excluded evidence relating to the remaining arrests.

[¶ 6] Appellant also filed a pretrial motion seeking to introduce evidence of the victim's internet search history. Appellant claimed the search history showed that the victim had viewed websites depicting pornography and bestiality. Appellant argued that these sites showed that the victim was likely to engage in aggressive behavior. The district court granted the State's motion to exclude the evidence, ruling that it was inadmissible under W.R.E. 403 because the probative value of the evidence was substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.

Only sightly different picture painted above

Facts of the case & the appeal

Now, it is getting interesting...

Dupe!

Wow.  That sucks.  Never leave a lawyer on the jury, first of all.

It's too bad he took off after the shoot.  Things may have turned out differently had he stayed and attempted to call 911.  And he's not the first high-speed guy to get in trouble in a parking lot.

So a former arrest, albeit 2002,  for assault and battery and an active felony warrant for possession and flight while out on bond for this charge. Can't get behind this guy.

OP is an investigator on this case and he's posting on a forum?

Looks like it was just a hit and run to drive traffic to his website.

My thought as well, his first post ever.