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Bobby Maher appears inset near an image of the area where he was stabbed to death at a mall in Casper, Wyo. on April 7, 2024 (GoFundMe; Google Maps).
A Wyoming child defending his girlfriend was attacked and stabbed to death just outside of a shopping mall amid a crowd of people over the weekend by two masked assailants, authorities say.
Bobby Maher, 14, went to the Eastridge Mall in Casper with a friend expressly to protect his girlfriend and her friend who were being followed on April 7, according to the Casper Police Department.
By 1:41 p.m., Maher was unconscious outside the Hibachi Supreme Buffet. Adults already at the scene when first responders arrived tried to save his life with CPR and first aid, but their efforts were in vain.
Now, two teenagers have been charged in connection with the boy’s death. Jarreth Joseflee Sebastian Plunkett, 15, stands accused of murder in the first degree, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault and battery, and theft. Dominique Antonio Richard Harris, 15, stands accused of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, aggravated assault and battery, and misdemeanor theft.
A GoFundMe for the Mahers was started by a family friend.
“He has left behind his dad Robert, his mom Mary and his 3 brothers,” the fundraiser reads. “He was an amazing son, brother, friend and teammate! Bobby loved his family and was not only an amazing kid in school but in general. He had such an amazing passion for playing basketball. We are heartbroken and will never be the same without him.”
Middle schoolers
Everyone involved in the shocking incident attended Dean Morgan Middle School in Casper, the second-largest city in the state.
Witnesses told responding officers there had been “an altercation that just occurred” involving Maher and two others — identified by nicknames as “JJ” and “Dom,” according to an arrest affidavit in the case obtained by Cowboy State Daily. As a result of that altercation, the victim was fatally stabbed twice in the chest, police say.
When Maher and his friend arrived at the mall, they found the two 15-year-olds walking in front of the girls and attempted to usher the girls away, Maher’s friend told police. The four friends made it outside of the mall by way of an exit near the restaurant. All the while, Maher “kept telling JJ and Dom to leave,” according to the affidavit.
“Once all the individuals were outside the exterior entrance doors to the mall a physical altercation ensued,” the affidavit reads.
Maher’s friend went on to tell police that Harris “slammed” the victim “to the ground” and then Plunkett “walked up and stabbed” him.
Maher’s friend allegedly told police “everything happened so quickly” and that he did not see the knife until it was too late, but described the murder weapon as a “kitchen-style knife” without any kind of sheath.
Playing games
Police say both Harris and Plunkett admitted to stealing kitchen knives from a Target at the mall prior to the altercation and stabbing.
Even earlier that day, Harris and Plunkett had been playing hide-and-seek in a Best Buy, according to a copy of the affidavit obtained by local K2 Radio. Asked about the masks, Harris allegedly told police he and Plunkett wore them because they wanted to “cause trouble.”
After the game, they allegedly decided to steal the knives. Later, they came into contact with Maher’s girlfriend and allegedly began following her. When the pair saw Maher leaving a DICK’s Sporting Goods, trouble came.
The verbal altercation allegedly started outside the sporting goods store — and a large group of people quickly amassed to watch.
Law enforcement says surveillance footage shows the moments leading up to the violence, and then the violence itself, in detail.
“Jarreth also told (Maher) to swing on him several times; however, (Maher) clearly did not want to fight as he is seen moving in a continuous backwards motion away from Jarreth,” the affidavit reads. “However, due to numerous other juveniles gathering around, it appeared as if he was unable to get back inside the mall.”
Plunkett began to attack Maher in various ways, police say, citing multiple witnesses — including the defendants. Throughout the attack, Maher never fought back. Harris allegedly told police the victim “never threw a punch, never slapped, never pushed anyone.”
An unfair fight
Eventually, the assailants flanked the boy, the affidavit alleges. Then, Harris can be seen grabbing Maher “around the waist, lifting him off the ground, and slamming him down with great force on his left side.”
The death blows came quickly after, police say.
“Dominique is seen holding (Maher) while Jarreth jumped in,” the affidavit goes on. “Dominique appeared to strike (Maher) in the face, while Jarreth is observed swinging the knife in a downward motion, stabbing (Maher) twice.”
As Maher tried to get back inside the mall with the help of his friend a final time, he collapsed on the pavement near a doorway.
The two defendants ran westward, they allegedly admitted to police. As they left, they allegedly tossed their ski masks, a vape pen, and the knife near a mall entrance on Wyoming Boulevard. Then, an elderly man let them borrow his cellular phone to call Plunkett’s parents.
In his own police interview, Plunkett allegedly claimed he never intended to start a fight — but that Harris did. At the same time, Plunkett allegedly accepted culpability for how it all turned out.
“[P]ut the knife away, this isn’t fair,” Maher told his alleged killer, according to the affidavit, Plunkett told police.
To which Plunkett said he replied: “I don’t fight fair.”
The defendants are both being charged as adults. They face the possibility of life in prison if convicted as presently charged.
