A jury found a Fremont County man guilty of first-degree murder Friday. He killed his wheelchair-bound homeowner inside August 2023.

Burdick Nelson, 58, of Seminole, faced a jury trial last week in U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. He was charged in January with first-degree murder and two counts of using a weapon during an act of violence.

A transcript in the court file states that the jury found him guilty on all counts.

Seminole’s sentencing is set for Feb. 6 and he faces life in prison.

Seminole had pleaded insanity early in his trial, but dropped this before trial and instead pleaded not guilty.

The charges stemmed from August 8, 2023, Death of 42-year-old Michael Standing Elk. Court documents say Seminole was evicted from a home on the Wind River Indian Reservation for using drugs and bringing home “young women” to blow their heads off.

The affidavit states that Standing Elk began renting the home to others starting in the spring of 2023 and allowed several people to stay in the home.

August 8 at 8 a.m., Seminole entered the home and woke Standing Elk, who was sleeping next to his “significant friend,” according to the document.

According to a witness statement that police later collected, Seminole turned on the light and began slapping Standing Elk in the head, saying “talk bullshit now.”

Two men argued.

Standing Elk told his woman to call the police.

The affidavit states that Standing Elk, who apparently could not walk due to his disability, got into a wheelchair and rolled down the hall, telling the others in the house to wake up.

The two men argued some more in the living room, where Seminole was standing.

Standing Elk’s friend was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher. Multiple witnesses reported Seminole “pistol whipping” Standing Elk with a gun.

Witnesses also reported that Standing Elk also had a gun at the time. One said the Standing Elk tried to shoot the Seminole but the gun jammed.

One witness recalled hearing Standing Elk say, “Okay, I’m done, you won Burdick.”

Witnesses said Seminole shot at Standing Elk. One person recalled seeing Standing Elk slumped over in his wheelchair.

Another tenant came out of a bedroom and fired at Seminole, then retreated into a room, the affidavit states.

‘The hat is talking’

Seminole went to the Wind River Family and Community Health Clinic on the reservation, which locals call Wind River Cares. He was later treated at another hospital for his gunshot wound.

He gave a statement to the police.

Seminole said HE The affidavit states that Standing Elk went home because he was tired of his “smack talk.” Seminole claimed Standing Elk threatened his daughter.

Seminole said he was going to leave after arguing with Standing Elk, but he heard Standing Elk calling for someone from the house to beat him.

According to the affidavit, Seminole said he turned around and Standing Elk pulled a gun on him and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire.

“You better make sure it’s loaded,” Seminole recalled him saying.

According to Seminole’s account, Standing Elk pulled the slide back and pulled the trigger again, but it only clicked.

“You better make sure you have ammunition,” Seminole told Standing Elk on his own police interview account.

The Seminole then hit the Standing Elk in the head, turned around and heard an explosionB.But the affidavit states he didn’t know what hit him.

Seminole ran out of the house and grabbed a .45-caliber handgun. The man told police that he lost his memory and when he regained consciousness he was standing at the house and “talked back” to Standing Elk.

Very late

Police at Wind River Cares found a black Springfield XDS gun in the front passenger seat of Seminole’s vehicle, which was loaded with a cartridge in the chamber, the affidavit said.

An agent allegedly overheard Seminole say, “I shouldn’t have taken that gun.”

When police arrived at the home, Standing Elk had gunshot wounds to his chest and was not breathing. A Bureau of Indian Affairs agent checked for a pulse but could not find it. Medical personnel also confirmed that he had no pulse. Authorities delivered Standing Elk’s body to the Fremont County Medical Examiner’s Office. HEoffice.

A forensic pathologist later confirmed that Standing Elk died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Clair McFarland can be reached at [email protected].