Wyoming has always stood apart in her unwavering devotion to our nation’s military personnel. From the living to the fallen, our state and citizens go the extra mile to remind our servicemen and women how deeply they are appreciated, loved and supported. Through parades and celebrations, care packages and quilts of valor, Wyoming stands shoulder-to-shoulder with our military heroes.

Yet today, one of those heroes sits behind bars, serving a sentence that may represent one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our state’s recent history.

A Marine’s story

John Knospler Jr. is not just another name in our prison system. He is a Pennsylvania native and former reconnaissance Marine who earned his way into the elite Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC)—a warrior forged in the crucible of three combat tours in Iraq. After eight years of honorable service to his country, Knospler was discharged and returned to civilian life, carrying invisible wounds that would forever alter his fate.

Today, this Pennsylvania veteran is serving 30 to 50 years in Wyoming for second-degree murder in connection with the October 2013 death of 24-year-old James Baldwin outside Rack’s Gentleman’s Club in Casper. The facts of what happened that night have never been disputed—Knospler shot and killed Baldwin. But the circumstances surrounding that tragic encounter tell a far more complex story, one that raises profound questions about justice, self-defense and how we treat the men and women who sacrificed everything for our freedom.

The fatal October night

On October 3, 2013, Knospler arrived in Wyoming for what should have been a peaceful hunting trip with his father. After an argument, he drove alone to Casper, spending the day working out, shopping and trying to clear his head. By 5:20 p.m., he found himself at Rack’s Gentleman’s Club, where he spent the next several hours nursing a beer and a couple shots of Jameson, chatting with dancers and periodically stepping outside to smoke and move his vehicle as a fierce snowstorm intensified.

At 8:30 p.m., Baldwin entered the establishment to celebrate his 24th birthday. Though reports vary about exactly how Knospler left the bar, security footage clearly shows him departing at 10:10 p.m. What happened next would change two lives forever.

At 12:15 a.m. on October 4th, Baldwin was captured on camera walking toward Knospler’s car, where the veteran had fallen asleep while waiting for the blizzard to subside. Baldwin approached the passenger side window and began pounding on the glass, startling Knospler awake. Any reasonable person would be alarmed by such a scenario—alone, in a snowstorm, awakened by a stranger aggressively striking their vehicle.

Baldwin then moved to the front of Knospler’s car, blocking any escape route as the vehicle’s tires lost traction in the deepening snow. The forensic evidence tells the rest of the story: glass fragments found inside the vehicle were consistent with Baldwin punching through the driver’s side window to gain entry—an act of breaking and entering that would have triggered any reasonable person’s fight-or-flight response.

Crucially, the shell casing from the fatal shot remained in the gun rather than ejecting normally, which ballistics experts indicate could occur if someone’s hand was on the weapon during firing—further supporting Knospler’s account of a physical struggle inside the vehicle.

For a combat veteran trained to respond to threats with decisive action, the situation had all the hallmarks of a deadly encounter.

The hidden truth: Baldwin’s criminal past

What makes this case particularly troubling is what the jury never heard. James Baldwin carried an extensive and violent criminal history that included 18 felony counts of vehicle burglary, multiple assault convictions and charges for evading police. This was not a random birthday celebrant who made a poor decision—this was an individual with a documented pattern of aggressive criminal behavior.

Yet the district court excluded all evidence of Baldwin’s criminal background from the trial, denying the jury crucial context that could have fundamentally altered their understanding of the threat Knospler faced that night. How can a jury properly evaluate a claim of self-defense without knowing that the aggressor had a history of breaking into vehicles and committing violent assaults?

The invisible wounds of war

To understand John Knospler’s actions that night, we must confront an uncomfortable truth about the hidden cost of war. The statistics surrounding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among our nation’s combat veterans reveal a mental health crisis of staggering proportions.

Current Department of Veterans Affairs data shows that of the 5.8 million veterans served in fiscal year 2024, approximately 14% of men and 24% of women were diagnosed with PTSD. For veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom—conflicts in which Knospler served three tours—the rate climbs to 29%. These figures represent more than statistics; they represent broken minds and shattered lives of those who bore the burden of defending our freedom.

The complexity deepens when we consider that PTSD rarely travels alone. More than half of veterans with PTSD suffer from at least one additional condition, with depression affecting 76%, substance abuse disorders another 76% and anxiety disorders 45%. These co-occurring conditions create a perfect storm that can dramatically impair judgment and amplify threat perception in high-stress situations.

For a combat veteran like Knospler, awakening to find someone breaking into his vehicle in the middle of a blizzard could trigger survival instincts honed by years of warfare—instincts that kept him alive in Iraq but tragically cost a life in Wyoming.

A chance for justice

Recently, Knospler met with the Wyoming Board of Parole to present his case for early release—a crucial step in his ongoing fight for freedom and recognition of the circumstances that led to that devastating October night. The parole board’s review process allows for consideration of factors that may not have been fully examined during his original trial, including the profound impact of combat-related trauma on his split-second decision-making.

This development offers hope that the complete picture of what happened—including Knospler’s military service, his invisible wounds, Baldwin’s criminal history and the true nature of the threat that night—will finally receive the comprehensive and fair review it deserves.

Governor Gordon’s moment

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon now faces a defining moment—an opportunity to demonstrate that our state’s commitment to veterans extends beyond ceremonies and speeches to include real justice when they need it most. The power of executive clemency exists precisely for cases like this, where the rigid application of law may not serve the broader interests of justice.

Knospler’s case transcends the fate of one man. It represents a test of Wyoming’s character and our genuine commitment to those who served. With our current understanding of PTSD and combat trauma far more sophisticated than it was during his 2013 trial, and with crucial evidence about Baldwin’s violent criminal history having been excluded from jury consideration, the case for clemency has never been stronger.

This is not about excusing the tragic loss of life that occurred that snowy October night. James Baldwin’s death was a tragedy that forever altered his family’s world. But justice demands that we consider all the facts—including those the jury never heard—and recognize that sometimes mercy serves justice better than prolonged punishment.

Wyoming’s true test

Our veterans gave everything to protect the freedoms we cherish. They deserve more than our gratitude and flag-waving—they deserve our understanding when invisible wounds lead to tragic consequences and our mercy when the system fails to account for the full scope of their sacrifice.

John Knospler Jr. served his country with honor for eight years, including three combat tours in some of the most dangerous territory on Earth. He returned home carrying wounds that may never fully heal, only to face a justice system unprepared to grapple with the complex realities of combat trauma.

Governor Gordon has the power to right this wrong. He can demonstrate that Wyoming’s support for veterans isn’t just rhetoric—it’s a sacred commitment that extends beyond the battlefield into the courtroom, where true justice can finally be served.

The question isn’t whether John Knospler deserves a second chance. The question is whether we, as Wyomingites, deserve to call ourselves true supporters of those who fought for our freedom while one of our own languishes behind bars for what appears to be a clear case of self-defense complicated by the invisible wounds of war.

The time for justice is now. Governor Gordon holds the key.