Editor:

After work Nov. 19, 2004, Mark James Ledbetter, Nicholas Reed Lindholm (NL) and Brandon Lee Kammerer (BK) went four-wheeling in Mark's truck on Casper Mountain (CM). The truck got stuck on the access road from Pitchpin Canyon Trail to Whiskey Flats (WF).

About 4:30 p.m., failing to free the truck, NL and BK walked out leaving Mark with his truck. They arrived at the Hat Six ranch about 6:30 p.m. and turned down the rancher's offer of immediate help to get the truck. They didn't tell him someone else was stranded on CM with the truck.

He gave them a ride to town and they went home. Supposedly, NL waited until 9:04 a.m. the next morning before notifying the Natrona County Sheriff's Office that Mark was stranded on CM. Mark's remains were recovered April 16, 2005 in an open and unsearched area of WF 2.3 miles from the stuck truck.

We were notified Mark was missing Nov. 21, 2004 and since then we have been stymied in our attempts to get the information needed for closure. After taking Sheriff Benton to District Court July 12, 2006, we were successful in getting some but not all available information as ordered.

Now Casper Police Chief Tom Pagel is not providing Wyoming Public Records Act (WPRA) information requested of him on July 10, 2008. The requested information is simple, readily available and most is routinely provided to the Casper Star-Tribune.

Chief Pagel received the request by certified mail on July 15, 2008; copies were sent to the governor, attorney general, district attorney, U.S. Sens. Enzi, Barrasso and Ensign, and the CS-T editor. A response was requested by July 24 and I asked that if the information was not produced that I be notified in writing of the reasons for denial.

Aug. 11 I called and notified Chief Pagel I had not gotten a response to my WPRA request letter. He said he would get back with me; No one has written a response as of Aug. 25. These actions are contrary to the spirit and intent of the WPRA.

Chief Pagel is not above the law and should comply with the WPRA request by responding responsibly and providing the information forthwith. Please write and support this request. Thank you.

Contact caspermtdad2321@yahoo.com.

KIRK LEDBETTER, Las Vegas