Manderson woman pleads not guilty to four felonies related to theft of a vehicle

A Manderson woman who allegedly assisted her husband in the theft of a Jeep from a junkyard in Byron pled not guilty to four felony charges on Tuesday, Sept. 2 in Big Horn County District Court.

Dulcie Vanvoorhis is facing charges of felony theft, conspiracy to commit theft, forgery and receiving and/or disposing of stolen property. Similar charges have been filed against her husband, Christopher Patrick Vanvoorhis, in connection with the case.

The investigation into their activities began with a tip law enforcement received on Feb. 25, 2025, suggesting the Vanvoorhis had made statements about stealing a black 1999 Jeep from the Jurado’s junk yard, located on Highway 32 in the Byron area.

Police allege in the affidavit that Dulcie was with Chris in the Jeep when he was pulled over in Washakie County on March 10, 2024.  He was arrested for driving with a suspended license and the vehicle was towed to the Washakie Garage. 

At the time, Chris provided a handwritten bill of sale, purporting that Rosa Jurado had sold him the vehicle for $2,600.  The bill was not notarized, nor did it contain the VIN of the Jeep, and neither of them could provide a title. Dulcie allegedly told police that they’d purchased the Jeep in Powell from a man named Lorenzo, but she didn’t know his last name.

Through the course of the investigation, authorities connected one of the license plates on the Jeep when it was impounded to a 2006 Chevy Silverado that was in the Jurado’s junk yard. 

When contacted, the owner of the junk yard, Rosa Jurado, provided a title to the Jeep and told investigators that the last time she’d seen the jeep was the around the spring of 2024.  

Investigators also interviewed Lorenzo Silva, who had worked for and was friendly with the Jurados.  He denied selling or giving the Jeep to the Vanvoorhis, but acknowledged that the Manderson couple had been interested in acquiring it.

The affidavit also states that Dulcie was observed on body-camera footage collected by the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office handing law enforcement a handwritten bill of sale. The Idaho State Crime Lab compared handwriting samples and concluding that Dulcie, and not Rosa Jurado, had written the bill of sale.

At her Sept. 2 arraignment, Dulcie Vanvoorhis pled not guilty to all four of the felony charges.

Attorneys Sarah Miles, representing Vanvoorhis, and Marcia Bean, the Big Horn County attorney, agreed that up to five days could be required on the court calendar if the matter goes to trial.

Miles requested a modification of bond, which had been set at $50,000, cash only, by the circuit court judge.  Miles argued that VanVoorhies had recently been placed on a supervised probation in an unrelated case, was already wearing an ankle monitor and had been very compliant with the bond conditions and requirements.

Miles said despite having family in Oregon, VanVoorhis has no intention of leaving the state.

“This is a property crime,” Miles said, adding, “I don’t believe she poses any direct danger to the community.”

Bean argued any modification in bond, citing occasions that Vanvoorhis either violated the terms of probation or failed to appear in court.  “We believe she’s a flight risk,” Bean said, adding that she’s been overheard saying she’d like to return to Oregon.

Judge Bobbi Overfield sided with Miles. Citing letters from a hospice center, treatment center and her family members, Overfield set bond at $5,000, cash only.