Madeleine S. Casey, Thermal Area Trespass, Wyoming 2021

Connecticut Woman Sentenced for Yellowstone Trespass

MADELINE S. CASEY, 26, of New Hartford, Connecticut was sentenced to seven days in jail for walking on thermal ground at Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park.

According to Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray, Casey was with two other people as they made their way up to a thermal pool and geyser at Norris Geyser Basin. She and one other person got off the boardwalk and were walking on thermal ground.

Casey appeared in front of Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming on August 18, 2021, for sentencing.

The court also ordered Casey to pay a $1,000 fine, $40 in fees and a $1,000 community service payment to the Yellowstone Forever Geological Resource Fund.

Yellowstone National Park Public Affairs Officer Morgan Warthin stated, Boardwalks in geyser basins protect visitors and delicate thermal formations. The ground is fragile and thin and scalding water just below the surface can cause severe or fatal burns. More than 20 people have died from burns suffered after they entered or fell into Yellowstone’s hot springs.

For those who lack a natural ability to appreciate the dangerousness of crusty and unstable ground, boiling water, and scalding mud, the National Park Service does a darn good job of warning them to stay on the boardwalk and trail in thermal areas, said Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray. Yet there will always be those like Ms. Casey who don’t get it. Although a criminal prosecution and jailtime may seem harsh, it’s better than spending time in a hospital’s burn unit.

This case was handled by Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Hambrick.

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