A 44-year-old Casper man was charged Thursday afternoon for Second Degree Murder, a crime punishable by 20 years to life in prison.

James Mavigliano told Circuit Court Judge Kevin Taheri that he has been living, homeless, in Casper since May.

Before that he was serving a prison sentence in Alabama for a 1999 conviction of attempted murder and robbery.

Assistant District attorney Blaine Nelson recommended the judge set bond at $500,000 cash only.

Nelson asked that Taheri apprise the strength of the state’s case based on statements the defendant made, recorded in the charging document, that allude to strangulation, which Mavigliano allegedly described as “air escaping a tire.”

The affidavit accompanying the case has not been made available to the public, but we will update this story when we know more.

The defendant is currently on probation for a domestic battery charge in 2023.

His ties to the community are “slight,” as Nelson describes them.

Judge Taheri asked the defendant if he had any comments he would like to make concerning bond.

He responded that “what happened” was not malicious. “I do do good things for society,” he added, despite not having a job.

Mavigliano continued that he did not oppose the recommendation and finished by saying, “It’s cold outside, so I do appreciate ya’all keeping a roof over my head.”

The judge went with the Assistant District attorney’s recommendation.

Mavigliano will next appear for a preliminary hearing in the next 10 to 20 days.

Wyoming Cold Cases

Wyoming law enforcement agencies are working cooperatively on unsolved cases located throughout the State of Wyoming. A brief summary of each case and unsolved homicide case is provided. Anyone with information regarding any of these cases is urged to contact the law enforcement agency of jurisdiction or the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

NOTE: This does not include all Missing Persons Cases. These are cases the DCI has classified as "cold." For a full list of missing persons, please see the DCI's website.

Anyone with information regarding the following cases is requested to call the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation at (307) 777-7181.

Gallery Credit: Kolby Fedore