Remembering Carlene Brown, Colin Brown and Deidra Walker Rowe

August 16, 2022, the world lost Carlene Brown and her unborn son Colin in an act of domestic violence. Worland native Deidra Walker Rowe was murdered in Casper by her husband in 2020. 

Each year, family and friends of Carlene and Colin have a BBQ in Manderson to remember them. 

Deidra’s dad, stepmom Darr Lea and Wyoming State Senators Ed Cooper and Tera Nethercott led a fight to make amendments to the Slayer Rule. The change in a nutshell was “taking of life precludes one from inheritance, insurance or survivorship benefits.” 

Domestic violence continues to rear its ugly head throughout Big Horn County, Wyoming, the USA and the world. 

Between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, there were 26 reported cases of domestic violence with multiple victimization in Big Horn County. CARES assisted in 80% of these with protective orders. 

The Wyoming Department of Health gives the following stats for intimate partner physical violence (IPV): 33.9% of women in Wyoming and 30.5% of men in Wyoming experience IPV. In a single month in 2020, Wyoming domestic violence programs serve 280 victims and received 108 hotline calls. That is an average of five calls a day. Between 2012 and 2019 there were 38 domestic violence murders in Wyoming 

According to the United States Domestic Violence Hotline an average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States. Nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the U.S.  Intimate partner violence alone affects more than 12 million people every year.

While time has gone on since the loss of these three and sadly many others. They still deserve to be remembered and honored. We can say their names to remember them. We can honor them by helping others in domestic violence situations and/or getting out of one. If someone truly loves you, they don’t beat you down physically or emotionally or verbally. 

I still remember the words of a law enforcement officer at the time of Carlene and Colin’s murder. She said there are people who would move mountains to get a victim out and safe. She is right. 

#Say their names: Carlene, Colin, Deidra.