CHEYENNE — A Colorado woman accused of planning with an acquaintance to call a bomb threat to the Laramie County Governmental Complex in September pleaded not guilty Monday in district court.
Melinda K. Hurt, 31, was charged with felony witness intimidation and terroristic threats following evidence that she and Cheyenne’s Ezekiel Hernandez, 44, attempted to disrupt Hurt’s trial proceedings by calling in a bomb threat to the court through Safe2Tell.
Hurt pleaded not guilty to both counts. Her trial was scheduled for Aug. 5 at 9 a.m.
Hernandez also pleaded not guilty to charges of felony witness intimidation and terroristic threats. His trial is scheduled for July 21.
On Sept. 16, 2024, the day of Hurt’s trial on charges unrelated to this case, law enforcement investigated a Safe2Tell tip claiming that someone by the name of “Gilbert Hyemm” had made a bomb threat at the Laramie County Governmental Complex.
Deputies and K-9 units, trained to locate bomb-making materials, determined the threat wasn’t credible, and thus the building wasn’t evacuated.
Phone evidence between Hurt and Hernandez indicated that the pair had planned the threat together with the intent of disrupting Hurt’s trial.
During Hurt’s preliminary hearing on Monday, law enforcement confirmed that the arrest was made based on consistent communication between Hernandez and Hurt.
In an interview with law enforcement, Hernandez indicated that the threat was Hurt’s idea, though she denied any prior knowledge of the plan.
“The plan was to play a prerecorded message that said there was a bomb at the Laramie County Courthouse,” according to court documents. “(Hernandez) did not say their intentions, but Hurt told him to make the call while she was in court, then later said he was to make the call during sentencing.”
Law enforcement did testify that Hurt received a cryptic message about “Going through with the plan,” which included a bomb emoji from Hernandez.
Though the threat coincided with Hurt’s trial, it ultimately did not interfere with proceedings. She was found guilty of forgery and unauthorized use of personal identifying information.
It wasn’t until March 11 that detectives were able to speak with Hernandez, who claimed that calling in the bomb threat was Hurt’s idea.
The duo was arrested for felony witness intimidation and terroristic threats March 20.