A Campbell County man pleaded guilty last week to attempting to murder his mother one year ago by stabbing her in the back while she slept.
Tharles O. Smith, 18, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, a crime punishable by 20 years to life in prison.
Smith was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder, which carries a life sentence. He was 17 years old when he was arrested, but he faced adult charges.
The reduced charge of second-degree attempted murder acknowledges the defendants’ lack of premeditation.
Smith’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 14 in Campbell County District Court, but his defense attorney has requested that it be rescheduled for a later date.
Smith’s plea agreement states that he and the state, represented by Campbell County Attorney Nathan Henkes, can each argue for any sentence they want.
According to the agreement, Smith cannot withdraw his guilty plea if the judge imposes a sentence he disagrees with.
Tharles and his mother Karla Smith had a disagreement on June 10, 2024, regarding the family’s desire to relocate him. Karla told Cowboy State Daily about the situation.
Tharles had not followed the house rules, according to court documents and other interviews.
According to an evidentiary affidavit filed in his case, Tharles waited until everyone in the house went to bed before removing an 8-inch blade knife from a magnetic holder, entering his mother’s room, leaping on her, and stabbing her in the upper left back.
“Why did you punch me?” Karla recalled asking when she awoke. She told Cowboy State Daily that she initially believed her son had punched her.
“No, you actually have a knife in your back,” Tharles reportedly replied. “I stabbed you.”
Family Shaken
Tharles was detained by Campbell County Sheriff’s personnel.
Karla was flown to Campbell County Health in Gillette, Wyoming, with the knife still protruding from her back, she said.
Karla said her 19-year-old autistic daughter was traumatized by the attack and the police response. The teen awoke to police flashing flashlights and a knife still protruding from her mother’s back.
At the hospital, doctors considered surgery to remove the knife.
Karla recalled that Jake Rinker, a surgeon at Campbell County Health, successfully removed it.
According to the victim, the object penetrated her scapula, broke two ribs, and punctured her lung. Karla reported that a portion of her blanket was ingested, requiring doctors to remove the fabric.
Rinker told police that the blade went two-thirds through Karla’s chest cavity.
Her lung collapsed, so medical personnel inserted a tube to reopen it. She spent two and a half days in the intensive care unit and four days total in the hospital, she said.
She recently had six stitches removed and may need to wear a shoulder brace for four to six weeks.She will soon be evaluated to determine if her shoulder requires surgery.
Doctors are watching to see if her shoulder muscle reattaches properly, she said.
“It’s a lot of pain, throbbing and the burning sensation that goes on with the nerves and the muscle,” Karla told me.
At the time, the family decided to auction off Tharles’ pigs to help cover the cost of the air ambulance, which Karla estimated cost $67,000.
Karla reported that the mental wounds were as painful as her physical injuries.
“One of the hardest things to go through (is knowing that), if it makes my son so mad, (with us) trying to get him into a place, imagine trying to sit on a stand and testify against him,” said her mother. “I’m worried sick he’s going to try to get out and come back for revenge.”
However, Smith stated that she will have a lot to say about the need for mental health services in Wyoming when the case is concluded.
While Waiting for Deputies
Karla called 911 the night of the attack after realizing she had been stabbed.
Tharles told police he wanted to leave his mother’s room because he didn’t want to witness her death, according to court documents. Karla said she convinced him to stay until authorities arrived.
It only took 45 minutes, but it felt like forever, she explained.
Rinker told a Campbell County Sheriff’s investigator at the emergency room that she was “very lucky” to have been stabbed in that manner and location (court affidavit).
