A Wyoming man, facing charges for allegedly murdering his father, has attempted to have his case dismissed by claiming he acted in self-defense. Although the judge rejected this motion, the opportunity remains for him to present his argument in front of a jury.

Ethan Grasse, 23, stands accused of second-degree murder following the death of his father, 49-year-old Michael Grasse, who was shot in November 2025. Reports from Cowboy State Daily indicate that during a recent session at Uinta County District Court, Ethan Grasse and his public defender argued his case for self-defense. Ethan contends that his father had been drinking heavily the day before the shooting and had threatened him with physical harm.

In anticipation of these threats, Ethan reportedly purchased a locking doorknob for his bedroom to prevent his father from entering without permission.

Court documents reveal that on November 21, 2025, Michael Grasse was heavily intoxicated when he expressed a desire to go out for food. Ethan drove his father to a restaurant and back home, strategically parking his car to block his father’s vehicle and prevent him from driving while impaired.

Later, Michael attempted to drive by moving trash cans to maneuver his car around Ethan’s. Hearing this, Ethan confronted his father, threatening to call the police if he tried to drive. This confrontation escalated into a physical altercation, which was broken up by Michael Grasse’s mother.

Following the incident, Ethan sought refuge at a friend’s house, looking for alternative accommodation for the night. Unable to secure a place to stay, he purchased a locking doorknob from Walmart for added security and returned home to find his father asleep on the couch, still under the influence.

According to the court documents, Ethan Grasse took his father’s keys and phone, then emptied several bottles of whiskey while his father was still unconscious. He changed the lock on his bedroom door then went to bed.

Police said that at around 10 p.m., Michael Grasse started banging on his son’s door, threatening to break it down and “kick [his] a—.” Ethan Grasse reportedly told his father that he would give back the keys and phone once he was sober. The older man, while continuing to make threats against his son, left to work out in his own room.

At 10:44 p.m., Ethan Grasse texted his grandmother from his bedroom, reportedly telling her, “He just woke up i can hear him threatening me throught [sic] the wall not to make you more sad but if he tries to break into my room i will defend myself love you yaya have a good night.”

Police said Ethan Grasse woke up again at 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2025, when he heard someone banging at his bedroom door. Without putting on his glasses, Ethan Grasse apparently retrieved the .22-caliber handgun he kept in his room as the door was being broken down. He then allegedly fired at least three shots through the door. When he heard his father let out a moan, Ethan Grasse put his glasses on and called 911.

Ethan Grasse wrote in court documents that since he could not see clearly without his glasses, he claimed that he “did not mean to kill any one just defend myself from an unknown intruder.”

Michael Grasse was brought to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:22 a.m.

After the defense presented the case for self-defense in court on Tuesday, Uinta County District Court Judge James Kaste was not convinced that the case should be dismissed on those grounds. In his ruling, however, Kaste said the defense could still argue that the shooting was self-defense at trial.

Ethan Grasse was charged with second-degree murder and remains in custody at the Uinta County Jail. His trial is scheduled to begin on May 12.