No death penalty for Wyoming man charged in wife’s killing

A Wyoming prosecutor says he won’t seek the death penalty for a 76-year-old man accused of killing his wife.

The Powell Tribune reports that Park County Prosecuting Attorney Bryan Skoric announced the decision in a court filing in the first-degree murder case against Dennis Klingbeil of Wapiti.

Klingbeil is charged in the August shooting death of 75-year-old Donna Klingbeil.

He has pleaded not guilty. A trial is scheduled for Feb. 25

Death penalty cases are rare in Wyoming. The state hasn’t executed an inmate since 1992.

Charging documents allege that Klingbeil told his stepson that he was “going to put an end to this tonight” after the couple had been arguing over dividing their assets.

Klingbeil’s attorney, Donna Domonkos, says prosecutors can’t rule out that the shooting was an accident or justifiable homicide.