A young man from Wyoming, aged 20, faces up to ten years in prison for orchestrating an attack on his former friend and romantic rival, who is 17 years old. The ambush resulted in the victim being repeatedly stabbed in the torso.

On Thursday, Natrona County District Judge Catherine Wilking sentenced Evan Jason Kirkendall to an eight to ten-year term in state prison for this violent assault.

In October 2025, Kirkendall entered a cold plea to a charge of aggravated assault and battery. This type of plea indicates that he did not negotiate a plea deal with prosecutors, leaving the sentencing entirely in the judge’s hands.

The judge acknowledged that Kirkendall had already served 209 days in custody, which was taken into account during sentencing.

As detailed in court documents acquired by the Cowboy State Daily, a juvenile dialed 911 shortly after 7 p.m. on March 21, 2025, reporting that his “friend” had been stabbed at Kirkendall’s residence located on the 1000 block of North Park Street. The caller mentioned that the injured teen was being taken to a nearby hospital.

Kirkendall himself also contacted 911, admitting to the dispatcher that he had stabbed the individual inside his home, alleging that the victim had attempted to assault him first.

Upon arriving at the scene, first responders spoke to Kirkendall, who reportedly reinforced his self-defense claim by saying that he only stabbed the victim after the victim had entered his home.

Investigators learned that Kirkendall and the victim argued on the phone earlier that day, and Kirkendall repeatedly insulted the victim’s girlfriend, who had previously dated Kirkendall. At some point during the conversation, Kirkendall told the victim to find him at his home, saying, “come do something about it.”

Surveillance footage from Kirkendall’s home, which police obtained, was played during the sentencing hearing and showed the vicious attack, Oil City News reported.

The footage reportedly showed that Kirkendall was already holding the knife as he goaded the victim into entering his home, telling him to “come inside, yo.”

“Two seconds later [the victim] and [Kirkendall] spill out the front door, struggling against each other,” the affidavit states. “[Kirkendall was] holding onto [the victim’s jacket] with his left hand and thrust with his right hand into [the victim’s] torso twice.”

Kirkendall said the stabbing was the victim’s “f—ing fault” during an interview with detectives, per Cowboy State Daily.

“They went to my f—ing house, yo. How the f— is it my fault? Just doesn’t make sense, yo,” Kirkendall said, according to a probable cause affidavit. “They came to my house, he walked into my door, he tried to beat my a—. So, it’s self-defense yo.”

Prosecutors reportedly argued that the videos showed Kirkendall’s plan was to “lure” the victim into the house and stab him.

“The folding knife was already deployed and ready when the victim was baited inside,” Natrona County Chief Deputy District Attorney Blaine Nelson reportedly said during the hearing. “This was not an accident, this was not self-defense. He solicited this fight.”

The prosecutor also said that, following his arrest, Kirkendall was heard “bragging how he lured [the victim] over” to be attacked.

During Thursday’s hearing, the victim’s mother addressed the court, explaining that her son and Kirkendall used to be friends but had drifted apart. She also emphasized that the family’s time in the hospital was particularly traumatic as she was unsure if her son was going to survive.

“Is my child going to die?” she remembered thinking. “That’s never an option a parent should have to consider.”

Given the opportunity to address the court, Kirkendall apologized for his actions, claiming he was suffering from PTSD at the time of the attack because a few weeks earlier, three people had broken into his home and beat him up while he slept, Cowboy State Daily reported.

“I am sorry for the pain I have caused you,” he reportedly said, speaking directly to the victim’s mother. “I understand I have to hold myself accountable and I am extremely ashamed of what I have done and my actions.”