Alleged Cheyenne Coin Shop Killer Makes First Court Appearance

No bond was set Friday for the California man accused of gunning down two men at The Coin Shop in downtown Cheyenne nine years ago.

A California man accused of fatally shooting two men at a Cheyenne coin shop nine years ago made his initial appearance in Laramie County Circuit Court on Friday afternoon.

Douglas Mark Smith, 68, of McCloud, California, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Dwight Brockman, 67, and George "Doc" Manley, 76, at The Coin Shop on July 20, 2015.

The horrific murders happened around 9:30 a.m. on a Monday, just blocks from the Depot Plaza where a Cheyenne Frontier Days pancake breakfast was winding down.

Large crowds were circulating through the area when police received a report of a shooting and robbery in progress.

Officers arrived to find Brockman, the owner of the shop, and Manley shot to death. Their deaths were ruled as homicides.

The investigation remained open, with assignments to five different case detectives and one civilian.

In March 2023, detectives revisited the evidence, with goals of generating additional investigative recommendations and determining if newly available technologies would produce more leads to solve the case.

On June 25, 2024, detectives, with help from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Smith, the original 911 caller, on a warrant for the murders.

Smith was extradited to Cheyenne and booked into the Laramie County Detention Center on July 3, 2024.

During Friday's hearing, Laramie County District Attorney Leigh Anne Manlove asked Circuit Court Judge Sean Chambers to set no bond in the case, arguing that Smith is accused of two murders and faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.

Manlove also noted that Smith has prior felony convictions for robbery and burglary, and that he fled the state of Wyoming after the murders.

Smith's attorney, public defender Kurt Infanger, asked Chambers to set a reasonable cash bond, arguing that his client is presumed innocent and has the right to be released on bond before trial.

Infanger also noted that Smith has been cooperating with law enforcement and turned himself in to authorities in California without incident.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Chambers set no bond in the case, meaning Smith isn't eligible for release from jail.

Smith is scheduled to be back in Circuit Court for a preliminary hearing on July 12, 2024, at 9 a.m.

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