BOZEMAN, Mont. - The Gallatin County Attorney’s Office said it moved to dismiss a deliberate homicide charge against Thomas Riley Wegley after reviewing the case and concluding the admissible evidence could not overcome his self-defense claim.

The charge in DC 24-114D came from a February 1, 2025, fight outside the RSVP Motel in Bozeman that left Richard Sherman dead, another man seriously hurt and Wegley injured with a stab wound.

According to the county attorney’s office, investigators found that four people traveled in an SUV to look for Wegley after claims that he stole property from one of two women in the group. Investigators later determined those theft claims were unfounded.

The office reported the group first went to the Baymont Hotel, then kept looking for Wegley and eventually went to the RSVP Motel. Evidence indicated people in the group planned to confront and physically assault him, and Wegley knew they were looking for him after receiving threats.

According to the review, Sherman had a firearm before the fight and another man in the group had brass knuckles. When the SUV reached the RSVP Motel, Sherman and the other man got out as Wegley approached and the three men got into a physical confrontation.

Investigators could not reliably determine who brought a knife into the fight, the order of the stabbings or the exact circumstances of Sherman’s fatal wound, the county attorney’s office reported. The office said those gaps were important to the self-defense claim. 

"After extensive review of the record, we do not believe the State can overcome the evidence supporting self-defense to prove deliberate homicide beyond a reasonable doubt," Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell said. "Our responsibility as prosecutors does not end when charges are filed. We have a continuing obligation to evaluate all of the evidence and to determine whether we can appropriately continue prosecution."

The office also asked law enforcement for another review to determine whether the evidence supported charges against other people involved in the events around the confrontation. Prosecutors said the dismissal was without prejudice, which meant the state could consider filing charges again if new evidence emerged. 

"Jared Sherman lost his life that night and nothing about this decision minimizes the tragedy of his death and the significance of that loss to his family and those who cared about him," Cromwell said. "At the same time, a prosecutor’s obligation is to make prosecution decisions based on the admissible evidence and the law. When the evidence does not allow us to disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt, we cannot appropriately continue a deliberate homicide prosecution. We are obligated to follow the evidence and the law where they lead."

The case would be dismissed if the court granted the state’s motion.

Note: This article was updated on August 23, 2026 with a correction from the Gallatin County Attorney's Office, which sent an original press release that erroneously stated the name "Jared Sherman." The name has been corrected to Richard Sherman.